Audio-Visual Live Content Delivery via Multicast-Unicast Hybrid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current HTTP-based live streaming technologies face scalability issues for CDN operators due to their unicast nature, leading to unsustainable back-end infrastructure costs, and there is a need for a flexible solution that can adapt to different network conditions and support both networks with and without uplink communication capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method for delivering audio-visual live content using a system with a client, a gateway, a multicaster for multicast transmission, a de-multicaster for unicast conversion, and a controller that dynamically determines the availability of the de-multicaster to redirect the client for optimal resource usage, allowing for adaptive streaming and flexible network support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If HTTP-based unicast streaming is used, then data integrity and firewall compatibility are improved, but scalability and back-end infrastructure sustainability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the streaming delivery into two distinct paths: multicast transmission for bulk content distribution and unicast transmission for individual client requests. This segmentation allows the system to leverage the scalability of multicast while maintaining the reliability of unicast for critical client-server interactions, thereby resolving the contradiction between scalability and data integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The de-multicaster acts as an intermediary device that receives multicast streams and converts them into unicast streams for individual clients. This intermediary enables the system to combine the benefits of both multicast (scalability) and unicast (reliability and firewall compatibility), as the de-multicaster handles the protocol conversion and ensures data integrity while maintaining scalable infrastructure.
2Loss of energy
If multicast-based streaming is used, then network resource consumption and back-end infrastructure costs are reduced, but compatibility with networks without uplink communication capabilities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its operation mode based on network capabilities. The controller detects whether the gateway supports multicast and adjusts the streaming approach accordingly: using multicast when available to reduce network resource consumption, and falling back to unicast when multicast is not supported. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between efficiency and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission parameter (multicast vs. unicast) based on network configuration. By detecting network capabilities and adjusting the transmission mode parameter, the system achieves both reduced network resource consumption when possible and broad compatibility across different network configurations, thereby resolving the contradiction between efficiency and adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If de-multicaster is always deployed, then unicast conversion capability is improved, but device complexity and infrastructure requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by having the controller automatically detect the presence and capability of de-multicasters in the network. Instead of requiring universal deployment, the controller queries the network to identify available de-multicasters and routes requests accordingly. This self-service approach reduces infrastructure requirements while maintaining unicast conversion capability where available.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller serves multiple functions: it acts as a CDN controller for content delivery, a discovery mechanism for locating de-multicasters, and a routing decision-maker. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the capability to perform unicast conversion when de-multicasters are present in the network.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio-visual live content delivery system includes a client having access to a provider network via a gateway, an audio-visual live content delivering equipment comprising a multicaster for transmitting audio-visual live contents in multicast form via the provider network, a de-multicaster being able to perform a conversion in unicast form of audio-visual live contents received in multicast form from the multicaster, and a controller managing routing of requests to get audio-visual live contents. The client performs a discovery procedure aiming at receiving information on potential presence and availability of the de-multicaster. When the client intends receiving a targeted audio-visual live content, the client sends to the controller a request providing indication of presence and availability, or not, of the de-multicaster. Then the controller decides how redirecting the client to fulfill the request, according at least to the indication of presence and availability, or not, of the de-multicaster.