Proxy Server Live Stream Caching for Bandwidth Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In live video broadcasting, the existing unicast transmission protocol leads to high network overheads and resource utilization when multiple users access the same live broadcast, as each user requires a separate stream, which increases bandwidth consumption and resource demand.
Innovation Solution
A proxy server system that identifies client roles as master or slave users, allowing the proxy client to cache and relay only the live media stream from the master user, reducing the need for the proxy server to send the stream to each client, thereby minimizing bandwidth usage and resource overheads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If unicast transmission protocol is used for video streaming to each client, then each client can receive video stream independently, but network bandwidth consumption and resource overheads increase significantly when multiple users access the same live broadcast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple video stream requests into a single shared stream when multiple clients access the same live broadcast. The system detects that client A and client B are requesting the same video content, establishes one shared stream, and distributes it to both clients, thereby reducing network bandwidth consumption while maintaining reliable delivery to all clients.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a single shared video stream that can be copied and distributed to multiple clients simultaneously. Instead of generating separate streams for each client, the system generates one master stream that is replicated and delivered to all requesting clients, reducing the overall bandwidth requirement while ensuring each client receives a complete video stream.
2Reliability
If separate video streams are created for each client, then each client receives dedicated stream with consistent quality, but server resource utilization and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple stream processing operations into a single shared stream processing pipeline. When multiple clients request the same video content, the server processes the video stream once and distributes it to all clients, thereby maintaining consistent quality across all clients while significantly improving server resource utilization and reducing processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the video stream processing system universal by creating a shared stream that serves multiple clients simultaneously. The same stream processing logic and infrastructure are reused across multiple client connections, allowing the system to maintain high video quality consistency while efficiently utilizing server resources through multi-functionality.
3Productivity
If live CDN with multiple media servers is deployed, then video delivery scalability and user experience improve, but system complexity and infrastructure cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stream sharing manager as an intermediary component that coordinates between media servers and clients. This mediator detects shared video requests, manages the creation and distribution of shared streams, and handles stream lifecycle management, thereby enabling scalable video delivery through CDN while simplifying the overall system architecture through centralized coordination.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple media streams are transmitted to proxy server for each client, then each client receives personalized stream, but egress bandwidth and network traffic overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple video stream transmissions through the proxy server into a single shared stream when multiple clients access the same content. The proxy server detects that multiple clients are requesting identical video content, consolidates their requests into one shared stream, and distributes it efficiently, thereby reducing egress bandwidth consumption while still supporting client-specific delivery needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A media stream sending method, apparatus, and system includes a proxy server that receives a first live broadcast room request message and a second live broadcast room request message that are sent by a same proxy client; the proxy server receives a first live media stream that is sent by a media server to a first client and a second live media stream that is sent by the media server to a second client; and when a role of the first client is a master user and a role of the second client is a slave user, the proxy server sends the first live media stream to the proxy client such that the proxy client sends the first live media stream to the first client and the second client.