Optimization of Multimedia Service Over an IMS Network

• US 20110119388A1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pichetti, Luigi, Carbone, Giancarlo, Attanasio, Luisa, Lecciso, Francesco, Sidoti, Stefano, Ciano, Giuseppe
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Predetermined multimedia services are provided to a plurality of users through a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). A request is received at a placement server of a multimedia service by at least one user, and the placement server retrieves on a presence server information about the at least one user. The placement server identifies application servers including a multimedia application capable of providing the requested multimedia service, and the placement server selects an application server that is located a minimum average distance from at least one user. In response to the minimum average distance being greater than a predetermined threshold, a local application server is selected with an average distance from the user that is less than the predetermined threshold. A virtual image of the multimedia application is created on the selected local application server, and a connection is established between the user and the selected local application server.

Claims

1. A method of providing predetermined multimedia services to a plurality of users through a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), wherein the IMS comprises a presence server that maintains information about the plurality of users, the information about the plurality of users includes a position of each user, a plurality of application servers, wherein each application server includes at least one multimedia application configured to provide at least one multimedia service, and a placement server that has access to a repository containing information about the plurality of application servers and the associated multimedia applications, the information about the plurality of application servers and the associated multimedia applications including a position of each application server, the method comprising:

receiving a request at the placement server of a multimedia service by at least one of the plurality of users;

the placement server retrieving on the presence server information about the at least one user;

the placement server identifying application servers including a multimedia application capable of providing the requested multimedia service;

the placement server selecting an application server that is located a minimum average distance from the at least one user;

responsive to the minimum average distance being greater than a predetermined threshold, selecting a local application server with an average distance from the at least one user that is less than the predetermined threshold;

creating a virtual image of the multimedia application on the selected local application server; and

establishing a connection between the at least one user and the selected local application server.

2. The method claim 1, wherein the minimum average distance is based upon a number of proxy servers between the application server and the at least one user, the proxy servers being located in a communication network that comprises the IMS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum average distance includes an indication of a physical distance between the application server and the at least one user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a local application server includes selecting an application server so that the average distance between the users and the selected application server is minimized.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting an application server so that the average distance between the at least one user and the selected application server is minimized is repeated each time an IMS configuration changes and, responsive to a different application service being selected, modifying the existing connection for the at least one user in the IMS.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting an application server so that the average distance between the at least one user and the selected application server is minimized is repeated each time a new request from a user is received for the same multimedia service and, responsive to a different multimedia service being selected, modifying the existing connection for the at least one user in the IMS.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein information about the plurality of users includes at least one of a connection characteristic of each user'"'"'s equipment, a connection speed of each user'"'"'s equipment, a bandwidth of each user'"'"'s equipment, and a route from each user to application servers including intermediate proxy servers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each user is assigned a parameter indicative of the user'"'"'s communication characteristics, and the minimum average distance is adjusted according to the assigned parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein multimedia services include gaming services.

12. A service deployed in a data processing system for performing the method of claim 1.

10. An IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) for providing multimedia services to a plurality of users, the IMS comprising:

a presence server that maintains information about the plurality of users, wherein the information about the plurality of users includes the position of each user;

a plurality of application servers, wherein each application server includes at least one multimedia application configured to provide at least one multimedia service;

a repository that includes information about the plurality of application servers and the associated multimedia applications, wherein the information about the plurality of application servers and the associated multimedia applications includes a position of each application server;

a placement server that has access to the repository and the presence server and is further configured such that, upon receipt of a request of a multimedia service by at least one of the plurality of users, the placement server is configured to;

identify application servers capable of providing the requested multimedia service;

select which of the identified application servers is located a minimum average distance from the at least one user;

responsive to such minimum average distance being greater than a predetermined threshold, select a local application server with an average distance from the at least one user that is less than the predetermined threshold; and

create a virtual image of the multimedia application on the selected local application server; and

a network configured to establish a connection between the at least one user and the selected application server.

11. A computer program product for performing a method of providing predetermined multimedia services to a plurality of users through a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), wherein the IMS comprises a presence server to maintain information about the plurality of users, the information about the plurality of users including a position of each user, a plurality of application servers, each application server including at least one multimedia application configured to provide at least one multimedia service, and a placement server that has access to a repository containing information about the plurality of application servers and the associated multimedia applications, the information about the plurality of application servers and the associated multimedia applications including a position of each application server, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to execute a method on a data processing system, the method comprising;

the placement server receiving a request of a multimedia service by at least one of the plurality of users;

the placement server retrieving on the presence server information about the at least one user;

the placement server identifying application servers including a multimedia application capable of providing the requested multimedia service;

the placement server selecting the application server having a minimum average distance from the at least one user;

responsive to the minimum average distance being greater than a predetermined threshold, selecting a local application server with an average distance from the at least one user that is less than the predetermined threshold;

creating a virtual image of the multimedia application on the selected local application server; and

establishing a connection between the at least one user and the selected application server.