Optimization of multimedia service over an IMS network

• US 8,972,519 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Attanasio, Luisa, Carbone, Giancarlo, Ciano, Giuseppe, Lecciso, Francesco, Pichetti, Luigi, Sidoti, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US12/908,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/219, 709/238, 709/231, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 370/401, 717/115, 717/178, 717/168, 717/120
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 computer-implemented method of providing predetermined multimedia services to a plurality of users through a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), wherein the IMS comprises a presence server with a processor 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 a processor and at least one multimedia application configured to provide at least one multimedia service, and a placement server with a processor 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, from the presence server, presence information about the at least one user, wherein the presence information includes a position of the at least one user;

the placement server identifying application servers including a multimedia application that provides the requested multimedia service;

the placement server selecting a local application server based on the position of the at least one user included in the presence information retrieved from the presence server, such that the average distance between the at least one user and the selected local application server is less than a predetermined threshold;

creating a virtual image of the multimedia application from the identified application servers;

storing the virtual image on the local application server;

re-creating a set of conditions used by the multimedia application to provide the requested multimedia service on the selected local application server;

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

providing to at least one of the plurality of users the requested multimedia service from the selected local application server using the virtual image of the multimedia application,

wherein selecting the local application server so that the average distance between the at least one user and the selected local application server is less than the predetermined threshold is repeated each time a new request from a user is received for a multimedia service, and, responsive to a different local application server being selected, modifying an existing connection for the at least one user in the IMS.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the placement server calculates an average distance between the identified application servers and the at least one user based upon a number of proxy servers between the identified application servers and the at least one user, the proxy servers being located in a communication network that comprises the IMS.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the placement server calculates an average distance between the identified application servers and the at least one user based on a physical distance between the identified application servers and the at least one user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein each user is assigned a parameter indicative of the user'"'"'s communication characteristics, and the average distance is adjusted according to the assigned parameter.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting a local application server includes selecting the local application server so that the average distance between the at least one user and the selected local application server is minimized.

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

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presence information about the at least one user comprises at least one of an audio device capability of each user'"'"'s equipment, a video device capability of each user'"'"'s equipment, a messaging device capability of each user'"'"'s equipment, 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 computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein each user is assigned a parameter indicative of the user'"'"'s communication characteristics, and the average distance is adjusted according to the assigned parameter.

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

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user comprises a plurality of users accessing the same multimedia service for use by the plurality of users.

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

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

a plurality of application servers, wherein each application server comprises a processor and 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 comprising a processor 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 that include a multimedia application that provides the requested multimedia service;

select a local application server based on the position information of the plurality of users included in the presence information, such that the average distance between at least one user and the selected local application server is less than a predetermined threshold;

create a virtual image of the multimedia application from the identified application servers;

store the virtual image on the local application server;

wherein selecting the local application server so that the average distance between the at least one user and the selected local application server is less than the predetermined threshold is repeated each time a new request from a user is received for a multimedia service, and, responsive to a different local application server being selected, modifying an existing connection for the at least one user in the IMS

the local application server comprising a processor that is configured to re-create a set of conditions used by the multimedia application to provide the requested multimedia service on the selected local application server;

a network configured to establish a connection between the at least one user and the local application server, wherein the network connection provides the requested multimedia service based on the virtual image of the multimedia application to the at least one user.

12. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) of claim 11, wherein the placement server receives the request of the same multimedia service from a plurality of users for use by the plurality of users.

13. 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 tangible computer readable storage device 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;

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

retrieving, from the presence server, presence information about the at least one user, wherein the presence information includes a position of the at least one user;

identifying application servers including a multimedia application that provide the requested multimedia service;

selecting a local application server based on the position of the at least one user included in the presence information retrieved from the presence server;

creating a virtual image of the multimedia application from the identified application servers;

storing the virtual image on the local application server to re-create a set of conditions used by the multimedia application to provide the requested multimedia service on the selected local application server;

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

providing to at least one of the plurality of users the requested multimedia service from the selected local application server using the virtual image of the multimedia application,

wherein selecting the local application server so that the average distance between the at least one user and the selected local application server is less than the predetermined threshold is repeated each time a new request from a user is received for a multimedia service, and, responsive to a different local application server being selected, modifying an existing connection for the at least one user in the IMS.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein computer readable program code is configured to execute the method on the data processing system such that the request of the same multimedia service is received from a plurality of users for use by the plurality of users.