Proxy Server Multicast Unicast Throughput Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high peak-to-mean ratio in traffic volumes during live content streaming events degrades user quality of experience and overloads network resources due to inefficient unicast-based content delivery, where multiple clients receive identical content separately over HTTP(S).
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that uses a proxy server to receive content segments over multicast and store them, then probe network throughput via unicast requests to determine the maximum network capacity, allowing segments to be transmitted to clients at this rate, thereby optimizing adaptive bitrate algorithms and reducing peak demand.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If unicast-based content delivery is used over HTTP(S), then content can be delivered to individual clients, but network resources are overloaded and user quality of experience degrades due to high peak-to-mean ratio in traffic volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines unicast and multicast delivery mechanisms into a hybrid system. Multicast is used for efficient one-to-many content distribution during peak demand periods, while unicast handles individual client requests. This merging allows the network to leverage the efficiency of multicast for popular content while maintaining the flexibility of unicast for personalized delivery, thereby improving overall network productivity without sacrificing content delivery capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a network element (proxy server or edge device) that acts as an intermediary between content sources and clients. This intermediary receives content via unicast, stores it locally, and then distributes it via multicast to multiple clients simultaneously. The intermediary mediates between the content source and end users, enabling efficient peak demand handling while reducing load on the core network and improving overall system productivity
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple clients receive identical content separately over HTTP responses, then each client gets personalized content delivery, but network efficiency is reduced due to redundant content transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges identical content streams into a single multicast transmission that can be received by multiple clients simultaneously. While clients maintain personalized delivery capabilities through unicast requests, content that is identical across multiple clients is transmitted once over multicast, dramatically reducing network bandwidth consumption while preserving the ability to deliver personalized content when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a proxy server or edge device that receives content once via unicast and creates multiple copies for distribution to different clients. These copies are distributed efficiently through multicast, eliminating the need for multiple separate unicast transmissions of identical content. The copying mechanism enables scalable content distribution where the same content can serve multiple clients without proportionally increasing network bandwidth consumption
3Productivity
If multicast is used for content delivery, then peak demand on Content Delivery Network servers is reduced, but adaptive bitrate algorithms cannot function properly due to inability to monitor actual network throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a proxy server or edge device as an intermediary that performs adaptive bitrate decision-making. This intermediary monitors actual unicast network throughput between itself and the content source, then uses this information to control multicast content distribution. The intermediary mediates between the content source and clients, enabling adaptive bitrate functionality to operate on actual network conditions while still leveraging multicast for efficient content delivery, thus resolving the contradiction between server load reduction and adaptive bitrate functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system monitors actual network throughput conditions and uses this information to adjust content delivery parameters. By measuring real network performance and feeding this information back into the content delivery decision-making process, the system can dynamically adapt bitrate selections based on actual network conditions, enabling adaptive bitrate algorithms to function properly even in multicast-based delivery scenarios while maintaining server load reduction benefits
Data Source
AI summary
A method of managing a network for delivering content to a client device, where content segments are delivered over multicast to a proxy. The received segments are stored at the proxy, before delivery of those segments is made from the proxy to the client device over unicast. Whilst the proxy receives further segments over multicast, it probes the network by making unicast requests for data (dummy data or additional content segments), and receiving those segments over unicast from the content server. The multicast rate reception rate and the unicast (probe) rate are measured and a maximum network throughput is calculated as the sum of these two rates. Subsequent segments are then delivered from the proxy to the client device at the calculated maximum network throughput rate, or at some rate dependent thereon. Thus, the client device will receive segments at a rate that is more indicative of the actual maximum network throughput, so can better use its adaptive bit rate algorithms to determine whether a switch to higher bit rate segments is appropriate.