Intelligent peer-to-peer media streaming

• US 8,477,658 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Tsang, Danny Hin Kwok, Luan, Hao, Kwong, Kin Wah
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAU, PETER P
• Application Number:
  US11/740,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20070280255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 Topology based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An efficient media streaming method utilizing a globally load balanced overlay network. This method makes use of capacity per out-degree values to construct and maintain an overlay network for media streaming in a Peer-to-Peer environment.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for distributing high-bandwidth content over a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

determining at least one parameter, of a steady-state distribution function, based upon facilitating convergence to link-level homogeneity of a network configured for content distribution, including defining the at least one parameter based upon at least one target quality-of-service (QoS) requirement for the peers in the network;

initiating a walker procedure for exploring at least a portion of the network, wherein at least one result of the walker procedure facilitates probabilistically selecting peers in the network in accordance with a target probability of the steady-state distribution function;

selecting, using a processor of the computer, at least one tree within the network based upon the at least one result of the walker procedure; and

connecting a new peer to the at least one tree based upon capacity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the walker procedure includes initiating the walker procedure in the network having dynamic peer arrivals and departures with unpredictable arrival of new peers and unpredictable departure of exiting peers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining at least one parameter of the steady-state distribution function based upon a determined topology of the network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining identical bandwidth on respective links between peers to facilitate achieving link-level homogeneity in the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the at least one parameter includes defining the at least one parameter based upon QoS requirements associated with at least one of capacity or degree of the peers in the network explored by the walker procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving transition probabilities from the target probability and applying the walker procedure to select the peers in a distributive manner.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the steady-state distribution function as:

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting the new peer is a result of a join procedure or the connecting the new peer is a result of a rebuild procedure.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising denying the connecting in response to a locally estimated downloading rate for the new peer that is smaller than a threshold playout rate.

10. A computer implemented method for distributing high-bandwidth content over a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

determining at least one parameter, of a steady-state distribution function, based upon facilitating convergence to link-level homogeneity of a network configured for content distribution, including determining the at least one parameter based upon at least one target quality-of-service (QoS) requirement for the peers in the network;

performing a walker process including probabilistically exploring at least a portion of the network, wherein the walker process facilitates selecting peers in the network probabilistically based upon an available bandwidth per fanout subject to a target probability of the steady-state distribution function;

selecting, using a processor of the computer, at least one tree within the network based upon results of the walker process; and

connecting a new peer to the at least one tree subject to capacity of the new peer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, during the walker process, transitioning between peers with potentially higher available bandwidth per fanout.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the walker process includes performing the walker process in the network having dynamic peer arrivals and departures with unpredictable arrival of new peers and unpredictable departure of exiting peers.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining at least one parameter of the steady-state distribution function based upon a desired topology of the network.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining identical bandwidth on respective links between peers to facilitate achieving link-level homogeneity in the network when virtual links between peers are of a same service power.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining includes determining the at least one parameter based upon QoS requirements associated with at least one of capacity or degree of the peers in the network explored by the walker process.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising deriving transition probabilities from the target probability and applying the walker process for selecting the peers in a distributive manner.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the connecting the new peer is a result of a join procedure or a rebuild procedure.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising preventing the connecting when a locally estimated downloading rate for the new peer is smaller than a threshold playout rate.

19. A computer implemented system that facilitates peer-to-peer network communication, comprising:

a media source node configured to transmit content to a set of connected nodes by way of a network, wherein the network is a dynamic peer-to-peer network;

an exploration component that involves a walker procedure, locally executable by the set of connected nodes, wherein the walker procedure facilitates probabilistically selecting at least a portion of the set of connected nodes in accordance with a target probability of a steady-state distribution function, wherein the target probability is determined as a function of at least one parameter of the steady-state distribution function, wherein the at least one parameter is based on at least one target quality-of-service (QoS) requirement for the peers in the network, and wherein the at least one parameter of the steady-state distribution function facilitates convergence to link-level homogeneity of the network;

a selection component, executed by a processor of the computer, that selects an existing node from the at least a portion of the set of connected nodes based upon results of the walker procedure; and

an authorization component configured to grant a new node access to connect to the existing node.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the network is dynamic with unpredictable arrival of new peers and unpredictable departure of exiting peers.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one parameter is associated with a desired topology for the network.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one QoS requirement is based on at least one of capacity or degree of peers explored by the walker procedure.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the walker procedure employs the target probability to select peers in a distributive manner, and wherein transition probabilities are derived from the target probability.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the authorization component grants access to the new node as a result of a join procedure.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the authorization component grants access to the new node as a result of a rebuild procedure.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the authorization component denies access to the new node if a locally estimated downloading rate for the new node is smaller than a threshold playout rate.