Robust and fair Multicast Congestion Control (M2C)

Since 1995 and the Receiver-driven Layered Multicast (RLM) protocol, numerous multicast congestion control protocols have been proposed, such as RLC, FLID-SL, FLID-DL and finally the WEBRC protocol. However these protocols suffer from some limitations and have not been extensively experimented on a wide range of network conditions. This article presents the Multicast Congestion Control (M2C) protocol, which is based on a dynamic layer mechanism and a congestion window mechanism for each receiver. M2C is designed to be TCP-friendly and to fairly share the bandwidth when competing with unicast and multicast streams.To reduce simulation approximations and to carry out extensive evaluations over the Internet we implemented M2C and several other multicast congestion control protocols. The experiments reveal interesting network behaviors, such as the join time latency problem, that simulations and local testbeds had not revealed before. We evaluated the impact of this latency on the state of the art protocols. Focusing on WEBRC and M2C, we have then defined and run a validation benchmark to qualify their behavior in terms of fairness and convergence time. These experiments show M2C robustness and good behavior for the mentioned metrics and its improvements compared to WEBRC. Furthermore, we have analyzed the signaling overhead of these protocols.Thus, M2C is an efficient multicast congestion control with an open source implementation which is easily usable by multicast applications, such as file transfer or video streaming.     

A novel adaptive protocol for lightweight efficient multicasting in ad hoc networks

In group communications, we find that current multicast protocols are far from “one size fits all”: they are typically geared towards and optimized for particular scenarios. As a result, when deployed in different scenarios, their performance and overhead often degrades significantly. A common problem is that most of these protocols incur high overheads with a high density of group members and in high mobility. Our objective is to design a protocol that adapts in response to the dynamics of the network. In particular, our objective is to provide efficient and lightweight multicast data dissemination irrespective of the density of group members and node density. Our work is motivated by two observations. First, broadcasting in some cases is more efficient than multicasting. Second, member and node layout distributions are not necessarily homogeneous. For example, many MANET applications result in a topological clustering of group members that move together. Thus, we develop Fireworks, an adaptive approach for group communications in mobile ad hoc networks. Fireworks is a hybrid 2-tier multicast/broadcast protocol that adapts to maintain performance given the dynamics of the network topology and group density. In a nutshell, our protocol creates pockets of broadcast distribution in areas with many members, while it develops a multicast backbone to interconnect these dense pockets. Fireworks offers packet delivery statistics comparable to that of a pure multicast scheme but with significantly lower overheads.     

Fast and proximity-aware multi-source overlay multicast under heterogeneous environment

Overlay multicast has been considered as one of the most important developments for the next generation Internet infrastructure. In this paper, we consider overlay multicast in the scenarios where any participant node is a potential data source. Existing multicast algorithms for single-source always require a long time to deliver messages or have high maintenance overhead when multiple data sources are allowed. There are other algorithms that are designed for multi-source scenarios. But they consume too much network resources and have a long convergence time because of proximity ignorance. To address the issues, we present FPCast, which leverages node heterogeneity and proximity information at the same time. Physically close nodes are grouped into clusters and each cluster selects a powerful, stable node as its rendezvous point. The rendezvous nodes form a DHT-based structure. Data messages are replicated and forwarded along implicit, source specific, and heterogeneity-aware multicast trees. We further reduce the delivery delay by introducing probabilistic forwarding scheme. We show the average delivery path length converges to O(logn) automatically (n is the number of nodes in the overlay). The simulation results demonstrate the superiority of our algorithm in terms of message delivery time and network resource consumption, in comparison with the previous randomized algorithms. The algorithm is also resilient to node failures.     

Fast reroute from single link and single node failures for IP multicast

The rise in multicast implementations has seen with it an increased support for fast failure recovery from link and node failures. Most recovery mechanisms augment additional services to existing protocols causing excessive overhead, and these modifications are predominantly protocol-specific. In this paper, we develop a multicast failure recovery mechanism that constructs protocol independent fast reroute paths to recover from single link and single node failures. We observe that single link failure recovery in multicast networks is similar to recovering unicast traffic, and we use existing unicast recovery mechanisms for multicast traffic. We construct multicast protection trees that provide instantaneous failure recovery from single node failures. For a given node x, the multicast protection tree spans all its neighbors and does not include itself. Thus, when the node fails, the neighbors of the node are connected through the multicast protection tree instead of node x, and forward the traffic over the multicast protection tree for the duration of failure recovery. The multicast protection trees are constructed a priori, without the knowledge of the multicast traffic in the network. Based on simulations on three realistic network topologies, we observe that the multicast protection trees increase the routing table size only by 38% on average and the path length between any source–destination pair by 13% on average.     

Ant based Pareto optimal solution for QoS aware energy efficient multicast in wireless networks

Most of the group communication technologies support real-time multimedia applications such as video conferencing and distributed gaming. These applications require quality-of-service (QoS) aware multicast routing protocol to deliver the same data stream to a predefined group of receivers. Since nodes in wireless networks are severely energy constrained due to finite battery source, hence it is of paramount importance that QoS aware multicast routing protocol be energy efficient. Transmission power control is one of the methods used to save energy. In this method, the nodes dynamically adjust the transmission power so that energy consumption in the tree is minimized. However, reduction in the transmission power increases the number of forwarding nodes in the multicast tree. This negatively impacts the QoS in terms of propagation delay, delay jitter, and packet loss etc. In wireless networks, there is a trade-off between the energy consumption and the QoS guarantees provided by the network. We unify these requirements into a multiobjective framework referred to as Energy Efficient QoS Multicast Routing (E²QoSMR). The goal is to simultaneously optimize the total power consumption and the QoS parameters in the multicast tree. We extend two algorithms based on metaphor of swarm intelligence for finding an energy efficient multicast tree satisfying the QoS guarantees. Extensive simulations have been conducted to validate the correctness and efficiency of the algorithms. The simulation result of the algorithms is compared with the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm, NSGA-III. The experimental results are consolidated by statistical analyses that demonstrate the ability of the algorithms to generate the Pareto optimal solution set.     

Performance evaluation of a mesh-evolving quality-of-service-aware multicast routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks

The tremendous amount of multimedia applications running across the wireless communication medium makes quality of service (QoS) a fundamental requirement for mobile ad hoc networks. However, it is not easy to incorporate QoS into these networks. Moreover, the growing number of group-oriented applications also necessitates the efficient utilisation of network resources. The multicast model is a promising technique which can achieve this efficiency by facilitating the inherent broadcast capability of the wireless medium. The mesh-evolving ad hoc QoS multicast (MAQM) routing protocol is developed to address the resource efficiency and QoS problems with one, integrated solution. MAQM achieves multicast efficiency by tracking the availability of resources for each node within its neighbourhood. The QoS status is monitored continuously and announced periodically to the extent of QoS provision. Using these features, MAQM nodes can make their decisions on joining a new multicast session based on the sustainability of their perceived QoS. MAQM also evolves the initial multicast tree into a mesh during the course of an ongoing session to achieve a more robust network topology. Thus, MAQM integrates the concept of QoS-awareness into multicast routing in mobile ad hoc networks. Since ad hoc networks require the protocol control overhead to be as small as possible, we analyse the multicast session establishment process of MAQM to see its impact on the protocol performance in terms of system control overhead. We also evaluate the performance of MAQM through computer simulations using various qualitative and quantitative criteria. The simulation results validate our mathematical analysis of the control overhead and show that MAQM significantly improves multicast efficiency through its QoS-aware admission and routing decisions with an acceptably small overhead. Thus, MAQM shows that QoS is not only essential for, but also applicable to mobile ad hoc networks.     

三种Ad Hoc网络组播协议的性能分析与比较

近年来,Ad hoc网络的组播路由协议研究受到广泛关注,但已经提出的各种组播协议中还没有一种在MANET定义的各种性能指标方面都处于领先,因此对不同协议的分析和比较能帮助人们在不同的应用环境下选择和设计更适合的组播协议。本文首先分别介绍了3种典型的组播路由协议：ODMRP、ADMR、DRMR,然后对其控制开销进行了计算分析,最后利用NS2仿真软件对3种协议进行仿真,分析与比较了它们在各种网络环境下的性能。     

用于Ad Hoc网络的自适应多速率多播拥塞控制策略

多播提高了链路的传输效率,但易于造成网络拥塞.因此,在网络中实施多播拥塞控制至关重要.然而,由于AdHoc网络的两个本质特点,为Internet设计的多播拥塞控制不适合AdHoc网络:(1)无线多跳连接引起了信息流之间在时间域和空间域的竞争;(2)节点频繁移动导致了网络状态不断变化.首先提出了链路干扰集的概念来描述信息流竞争的特点,将网络状态不变的小时间段内的多速率多播拥塞控制问题表达成一个非线性优化问题,联合运用罚函数法和次梯度法获得此问题的优化解,相应地提出了一种有效的分布式迭代算法.在此算法基础上,针对网络状态的时变性,设计了一种基于状态检测和滚动优化的自适应多速率多播拥塞控制策略——AC2M2.仿真结果表明,分布式算法能够快速收敛到最优解;AC2M2(adaptive congestion control strategy for multirate multicast sessions)策略对网络状态的变化具有较好的自适应能力,所获得的网络性能比TCP-Reno要优越得多.     

移动自组织网络应用层组播研究

移动自组织网络的应用迫切要求组播支持。应用层组播是解决组播问题的一种有效的方案。针对目前移动自组网络中网络层组播出现的问题,深入研究了移动自组织网络应用层组播,并作了详尽的性能比较。深入分析了移动自组织网络覆盖组播的优势,并指出了移动自组织网络组播亟待解决的问题,为新的移动自组织网络应用层组播研究提供了非常有价值的研究方向。     

Performance analysis of multicast algorithms for mobile satellite communication networks

With the rise of mobile computing and an increasing need for ubiquitous high-speed data connections, Internet-in-the-sky solutions are becoming increasingly viable. To reduce the network overhead of one-to-many transmissions, the multicast protocol has been devised. The implementation of multicast in these low earth orbit (LEO) constellations is a critical component to achieving an omnipresent network environment. This paper examines the system performance associated with two terrestrial-based multicast mobility solutions, distance vector multicast routing protocol (DVMRP) with mobile IP and on demand multicast routing protocol (ODMRP). These protocols are implemented and simulated in a satellite LEO constellation. Results from the simulation trials show the ODMRP protocol provided greater than 99% reliability in packet deliverability, at the cost of more than 8 bits of overhead for every 1 bit of data for multicast groups with multiple sources. In contrast, DVMRP proved robust and scalable, with data-to-overhead ratios increasing logarithmically with membership levels. DVMRP also had less than 70 ms of average end-to-end delay, providing stable transmissions at high loading and membership levels.     

一种具有能力约束性能的任意源覆盖多播方法

近年来提出的许多面向单个数据源设计的多播树并不能简单扩展到任意源多播系统中,因为针对每个源建立一个树代价高昂.而已存在的一些允许多数据源的P2P(peer-to-peer)系统的维护量大,在体现结点能力差异等方面缺少灵活性.提出一个任意源覆盖多播服务方案,并具有结点能力约束性能.它建立在非DHT(distributed hash table)覆盖网络上,无须建立显式的多播树.设计了两种分布式多播算法,它们将任意源的多播信息传送到所有结点的期望跳数是O(log_cn),其中,c是平均结点能力,n是多播组中的结点个数.     

基于按需路由的MPRN路由协议

提出了采用按需路由发现策略的MPRN路由协议OFGRP。在OFGRP协议中不需要维护全局的路由信息，通过按需路由发现过程，动态更新路由信息和建立网络。数据包在转发组成员间进行有限泛洪，使协议能够降低带宽的占用及减少路由更新信息的传播。模拟实验显示协议在带宽较低的MPRN网络环境中，具有较好的可靠性和工作效率。     

一种基于MANET的多播协议的设计与实现

传统的应用于有线网络的多播方法很难适应MANET所具有的拓扑结构变化和带宽有限等特点，无法有效地应用于MANET。提出了采用按需路由发现策略的MANET多播路由协议MFGRP。在MFGRP协议中不需要维护全局的路由信息，通过按需路由发现过程，动态更新路由信息和建立网格。多播数据包在转发组成员间进行有限泛洪，使协议能够降低带宽的占用及减少路由更新信息的传播。模拟实验显示协议在带宽较低、多播组成员数量变化较大的移动分组无线网环境中，具有较好的可靠性和工作效率。     

A distributed QoS-Aware multicast routing protocol

This paper discusses the multicast routing problem with QoS constraints, and describes a network model that is suitable to research such routing problem. The paper mainly presents a distributed QoS-aware multicast routing protocol (QMRP). The QMRP can operate on top of the unicast routing protocol. It only requires the local state information of the link (or the node), but does not require any global network state to be maintained. The QMRP can significantly reduce the overhead for constructing a multicast tree with QoS constraints. In QMRP, a multicast group member can join or leave the multicast session dynamically, which can support dynamic membership. The protocol can search multiple feasible tree branches, and select the optimal or near-optimal branch for connecting the new receiver to the multicast tree if it exists. In this paper, the proof of correctness and complexity analysis of the QMRP are given, and the performance measures of the protocol are evaluated using simulation. The study shows that QMRP provides an available approach to multicast routing with QoS constraints and dynamic membership support.Received: 3 April 2003, Published online: 2 September 2003     

A new wireless ad hoc multicast routing protocol

An ad hoc network is a multi-hop wireless network of mobile nodes without the intervention of fixed infrastructure. Limited bandwidth and mobility require that ad hoc routing protocols be robust, simple, and energy conserving. This paper proposes a new ad hoc multicast routing protocol called neighbor-supporting multicast protocol (NSMP). NSMP adopts a mesh structure to enhance resilience against mobility. And NSMP utilizes node locality to reduce the overhead of route maintenance. NSMP also attempts to improve route efficiency and reduce data transmissions. Our simulation results show that NSMP delivers packets efficiently while substantially reducing control overhead in various environments.     

基于ODMRP的链路状态预测组播路由算法

ODMRP协议是无线自组网环境下的一种按需式组播路由协议。论文提出了一种基于链路状态预测的ODMRP协议改进,即LSF-ODMRP路由协议。该协议继承了ODMRP协议的按需式路由发现和更新,并采用了链路状态预测机制LSF(Link Status Forecasting),大大减少了路由失效数并缩短了分组投递延迟,提高了网络性能。通过对LSF-ODMRP协议的模拟仿真实验比较,验证了协议的改进效果。     

A Multicast Protocol Utilizing On-demand Routing Strategy for MPRN

This paper proposes a multicast protocol utilizing ondemand routing strategy for mobile packet radio network. It does not maintain permanent route tables with full topological views. Instead, multicast senders apply on-demand procedures to dynamically discover routes and build forwarding group in this protocol. The data packets are propagated by each forwarding group member via scoped flooding, so the protocol can reduce network bandwidth overhead and avoid the propagation of potentially large routing updates throughout the network.     

Delay-Constrained,Low-Cost Multicast Routing in Multimedia Networks

Support for multimedia applications is a major objective of future high speed networks. Multimedia applications are usually resource intensive, have stringent quality of service (QoS) requirements, and in many cases involve large multicast groups. Multicasting enables these applications to scale to a large number of users without overloading the network and server resources. This paper focuses on developing low-cost, delay-bounded multicast trees to support the QoS requirements of multimedia applications. The approach taken in the development of the multicast trees is to decouple the cost optimization from bounding the delay by first building a low-cost tree and then handling any delay violations that may occur in the tree. Three new heuristics are proposed. The first two heuristics, delay-constrained low-cost inexpensive multicasting (SLIM) and SLIM+, use the least-cost path between the multicast nodes to incrementally build a multicast tree that satisfies the delay requirements of the multicast nodes. Their complexity is O(n³), where n is the number of nodes in the network. The third heuristic, K-SLIM, builds a set of k shortest paths and uses these paths in an attempt to further reduce the cost of the multicast tree without violating the delay requirements of the multicast nodes. Its time complexity is O(kn³ log(n)), where k, a user-defined parameter, denotes the number of shortest paths to be considered. Our simulation results show that K-SLIM on average outperforms other well-known heuristics. The results also show that SLIM+ produces low-cost, delay-bounded trees with an average cost close to the average cost of the trees produced by K-SLIM but with much lower processing overhead.