Multicast Gateway for OTT Live Streaming Bandwidth Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network bandwidth and output load are excessively high due to the use of unicast transmission for OTT live services, as multicast capability is not open to Over The Top (OTT) carriers, leading to inefficient use of network resources when multiple users watch the same live content.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a multicast implementation method that includes a carrier multicast serving gateway and a multicast resource management server to allocate multicast resources, such as IP addresses, and live stream injection nodes, allowing for efficient multicast transmission of live streams over the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If unicast transmission is used for OTT live services, then each user can receive content individually, but network bandwidth and output load become excessively high when multiple users watch the same content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast streams into a single multicast stream for the same content. When multiple users request the same live content, the system combines their individual unicast requests into one shared multicast transmission, allowing all users to receive content from a single source rather than requiring separate unicast streams for each user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between unicast and multicast transmission modes based on real-time conditions. When fewer than a threshold number of users are watching, unicast is used; when the threshold is exceeded, the system transitions to multicast for that content, optimizing bandwidth usage based on demand dynamics.
2Ease of operation
If unicast transmission is used for OTT live services, then content can be delivered to each user, but CDN node output load increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual content delivery operations into a single multicast transmission operation at the CDN node. Instead of the CDN node generating separate output streams for each user watching the same content, it creates one multicast stream that serves multiple users simultaneously, dramatically reducing the node's output load and processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a multicast transmission mechanism as an intermediary between the CDN node and end users. Rather than the CDN node directly managing multiple unicast connections to individual users, the multicast infrastructure acts as a mediator that handles the distribution of identical content to multiple users in a single operation.
3Loss of energy
If multicast capability is opened to OTT carriers, then network bandwidth efficiency improves, but network device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a multicast translation gateway as an intermediary device that mediates between the OTT carrier's unicast-based system and the network's multicast infrastructure. This gateway handles the complex translation and protocol conversion required for multicast, shielding the OTT carrier from multicast complexity while enabling efficient multicast transmission through the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic multicast group management and dynamic stream merging without requiring manual configuration. The multicast translation gateway automatically detects when multiple users are requesting the same content, creates appropriate multicast groups, and manages the translation process, eliminating the need for complex manual setup and reducing operational complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of this application disclose a multicast implementation method and a related network device, to reduce network bandwidth and output load of a live stream in a network transmission process. The method in the embodiments of this application includes: sending, by a live service server, a live stream injection request to a multicast resource management server; receiving, by the live service server, a live stream injection response sent by the multicast resource management server; sending, by the live service server, a live stream injection instruction to a live stream injection node according to the live stream injection node address; receiving, by the live service server, a stream pushing address sent by the live stream injection node; and instructing, by the live service server, a live content source to send a live stream to the live stream injection node according to the stream pushing address, so that the live stream injection node corresponding to the stream pushing address multicasts the live stream by using the multicast IP address.