P2P Network Segment Scheduling for Live Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing live streaming media P2P distribution system faces high computing and resource consumption by the Tracker server, leading to inefficient data transmission due to uncontrolled connection and network status between clients, resulting in poor traffic reduction and low data transmission efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A peer-to-peer network scheduling method that adjusts segment downloading policies based on data obtaining capabilities, allowing clients to automatically adapt to changes in connection success rates and transmission rates without Tracker server intervention, by obtaining and adjusting segment lists using data from other clients to optimize data distribution between CDN servers and peer devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the Tracker server manages segment distribution and client scheduling, then the system can coordinate P2P data exchange, but the Tracker server experiences high computing amount and resource consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the scheduling decision-making function from the Tracker server and implements it locally in each client device. Each client independently determines which segments to download from CDN or obtain from peer clients, eliminating the need for the Tracker server to compute and manage segment allocation for all clients, thus reducing server resource consumption while maintaining coordination capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each client device autonomously manages its own segment downloading strategy by evaluating its buffer status, network conditions, and peer client capabilities. The client self-adjusts its segment list based on local conditions without requiring Tracker server intervention, enabling self-service scheduling that reduces server load.
2Device complexity
If the Tracker server assigns segments to clients without knowing connection status, then segment allocation can be simplified, but scheduling may fail due to unknown connection status between clients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary connection testing between client pairs before assigning segment responsibilities. Clients proactively test network connectivity and transmission performance with potential peer clients before incorporating them into the segment distribution chain, ensuring that scheduled segments can actually be transmitted reliably.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors connection status and transmission performance between clients, using this feedback to dynamically adjust the segment list and peer selection. When connection issues are detected, the client adjusts its segment downloading strategy in real-time, replacing unreliable peers with alternative sources.
3Ease of operation
If clients download segments without considering peer transmission capability, then downloading process is simple, but data transmission efficiency decreases when peers have slow uplink speed
Solution Approach 1:
Before downloading segments from peer clients, the system performs preliminary testing of peer transmission capability by requesting small test segments or measuring uplink performance. This preliminary assessment allows the client to identify high-capability peers and prioritize them for segment downloads, improving overall transmission efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of segment downloading strategy based on real-time peer performance monitoring. The client continuously evaluates peer transmission speeds and dynamically reconfigures its segment list, switching between CDN and peer sources based on current network conditions and peer capability, thereby optimizing data transmission efficiency.
4Device complexity
If the Tracker server cannot detect network status between clients, then server operation is simplified, but network interconnection problems cause low data transmission efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables each client to autonomously detect and evaluate network conditions with its peer clients, including connection status, transmission speed, and buffer availability. This self-service network monitoring replaces the need for centralized server-based network status detection, maintaining server simplicity while enabling efficient peer-to-peer data transmission based on actual network conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this application provides a peer-to-peer network scheduling method. The method includes: obtaining a fragment file list, where the fragment file list includes information about a plurality of fragment files, each fragment file includes one or more segments, and each segment corresponds to one segment number; downloading one or more target segments corresponding to one or more target segment numbers from a CDN server based on the fragment file list and the one or more target segment numbers, where the one or more target segment numbers are located in a target segment list; adjusting the target segment list based on information about data obtained from and/or sent to another client device, to obtain an adjusted target segment list; and downloading one or more target segments corresponding to one or more target segment numbers in the adjusted target segment list from the CDN server.