Multimedia Aware Cloud for Mobile Device Computing

• US 20120131178A1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Wenwu, Luo, Chong, Liu, Lie
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1004 Server selection for load balancing

Abstract

Techniques for configuring and operating a multimedia aware cloud, particularly configured for mobile device computing, are described herein. In some instances, clusters of servers are organized for general computing, graphic computing and data storage. A load balancing server may be configured to: identify multimedia types currently being processed within the multimedia edge cloud; determine desired quality of service levels for each identified multimedia type; evaluate individual abilities of devices communicating with the multimedia edge cloud; and assess bandwidth of each network over which the multimedia edge cloud communicates with a mobile device. With that information, multimedia data may be adapted accordingly, to result in an acceptable quality of service level when delivered to a specific mobile device. In one example of the techniques, graphic computing server clusters may be configured to process workload using a configuration that includes elements of both parallel and serial computing.

Claims

1. A multimedia edge cloud, comprising:

a cluster of general computing servers;

a cluster of graphic computing servers;

a cluster of storage servers; and

a load balancing server, in communication with the cluster of general computing servers, the cluster of graphic computing servers, and the cluster of storage servers, the load balancing server configured to perform load balancing operations, including;

identifying multimedia types currently being processed within the multimedia edge cloud;

determining required quality of service levels for each identified multimedia type;

evaluating individual abilities of devices communicating with the multimedia edge cloud;

assessing bandwidth of each network over which the multimedia edge cloud communicates with a mobile device;

adapting multimedia data according to identified multimedia type, quality of service level, evaluated device abilities, and assessed network bandwidth; and

providing the adapted multimedia data to a device currently communicating with the multimedia edge cloud.

2. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, wherein the adapting comprises:

obtaining parameters including screen size and processor speed of each of a plurality of devices;

generating a first version of multimedia data according to the obtained parameters for a first device from among the plurality of devices;

generating a second version of multimedia data according to the obtain parameters for a second device from among the plurality of devices;

supplying the first version of the multimedia data to the first device; and

supplying the second version of the multimedia data to the second device.

3. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, wherein:

the cluster of graphic computing servers processes executable code and multimedia data according to a distributed hash table; and

the processing of the executable code and the multimedia data is configured into parallel workloads within the cluster of graphic computing servers, and the parallel workloads are distributed sequentially within the cluster of graphic computing servers.

4. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, wherein the load balancing operations further comprise:

referencing a distributed hash table tracking both data stored on servers within the multimedia edge cloud and executable programs operating on servers within the multimedia edge cloud.

5. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, wherein the load balancing operations further comprise:

distributing workload to the cluster of graphic computing servers, wherein the cluster of graphic computing servers processes the workload in parallel; and

distributing additional workload to the cluster of graphic computing servers to create a sequential pipeline, wherein the sequential pipeline comprises a series of servers grouped in parallel.

6. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, additionally comprising:

a head server, configured for peer-to-peer communication with at least one other multimedia edge cloud.

7. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, additionally comprising:

a master server, wherein the master server is in communication with the multimedia edge cloud and at least one additional multimedia edge cloud.

8. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, wherein the multimedia edge cloud is configured for communication with at least one other multimedia edge cloud, and wherein the communication provides:

detecting movement of a device initially in wireless communication with the multimedia edge cloud and subsequently in wireless communication with a second multimedia edge cloud; and

transferring applications, data and a profile associated with the device from the multimedia edge cloud to the second multimedia edge cloud.

9. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, additionally comprising:

a first tracker, configured to utilize a distributed hash table to track data distributed among a first plurality of servers; and

a second tracker, configured to utilize the distributed hash table to track programs executing on a second plurality of servers.

10. The multimedia edge cloud of claim 1, wherein the cluster of graphic computing servers adapts multimedia data sent to a plurality of devices, the adapting comprising:

fully rendering multimedia data sent to some devices in communication with the multimedia edge cloud; and

partially rendering multimedia data sent to other devices in communication with the multimedia edge cloud.

11. A method of operating a multimedia edge cloud, comprising:

under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions;

processing general computing, graphic computing and data storage within a cluster of general computing servers, a cluster of graphic computing servers, and a cluster of storage servers, respectively;

tracking data distributed among a first plurality of servers on the multimedia edge cloud according to a distributed hash table;

tracking programs distributed among a second plurality of servers on the multimedia edge cloud according to the distributed hash table;

identifying multimedia data, distributed among servers of the cluster of graphic computing servers, to thereby determine multimedia types;

determining desired quality of service levels for each identified multimedia type;

evaluating individual abilities of devices currently communicating with the multimedia edge cloud;

assessing bandwidth of each network over which the multimedia edge cloud communicates with a mobile device; and

providing multimedia data to devices currently communicating with the multimedia edge cloud according to determined multimedia data type, required quality of service level, evaluated device capabilities, and assessed network bandwidth.

12. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising:

distributing workload to the cluster of graphic computing servers, wherein the cluster of graphic computing servers processes the workload in parallel; and

distributing additional workload to the cluster of graphic computing servers to create a sequential pipeline, wherein the sequential pipeline comprises a series of servers that are grouped in parallel.

13. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising:

communicating, peer-to-peer, from a head server of the multimedia edge cloud to a head server of at least one other multimedia edge cloud.

14. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising:

communicating with a master server that is in communication with a plurality of multimedia edge clouds.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the multimedia edge cloud is configured for communication with a second multimedia edge cloud, and wherein the communication provides:

detecting movement of a device initially in wireless communication with the multimedia edge cloud and subsequently in wireless communication with the second multimedia edge cloud; and

transferring applications, data and a profile associated with the device from the multimedia edge cloud to the second multimedia edge cloud.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the cluster of graphic computing servers adapts multimedia data sent to a plurality of devices, the adapting comprising:

fully rendering multimedia data sent to some devices in communication with the multimedia edge cloud; and

partially rendering multimedia data sent to other devices in communication with the multimedia edge cloud.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein providing multimedia data to devices comprises:

obtaining parameters from the devices including screen size or processor speed;

generating versions of multimedia data according to the obtained parameters; and

supplying the versions of the multimedia data to the devices according to the obtained parameters.

20. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, the operations additionally comprising:

fully rendering multimedia data for some devices in communication with the multimedia edge cloud; and

partially rendering multimedia data for other devices in communication with the multimedia edge cloud.

18. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

processing general computing, graphic computing and data storage within a cluster of general computing servers, a cluster of graphic computing servers, and a cluster of storage servers, respectively, within a multimedia edge cloud;

tracking data distributed among a plurality of servers according to a distributed hash table;

tracking executable programs processing the data within the cluster of graphic computing servers according to the distributed hash table;

identifying multimedia types within the cluster of graphic computing servers;

determining desired quality of service levels for each identified multimedia type;

evaluating individual abilities of devices currently communicating with the multimedia edge cloud;

assessing bandwidth of networks over which the devices are currently communicating with the multimedia edge cloud;

distributing workload, based on the identifying, the determining, the evaluating and the assessing, to the cluster of graphic computing servers, wherein the cluster of graphic computing servers processes the workload in parallel; and

distributing additional workload, based on the identifying, the determining, the evaluating and the assessing, to the cluster of graphic computing servers to create a sequential pipeline, wherein the sequential pipeline comprises a series of servers grouped in parallel.

19. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, the operations additionally comprising:

adapting multimedia data sent to a plurality of devices, the adapting comprising;

obtaining data, from a device from among the plurality of devices, the data comprising;

processing parameters of the device, a screen size of the device and a bandwidth of wireless networks serving the device;

generating a version of multimedia data according to the data obtained; and

supplying the version of the multimedia data to the device.