Online Learning for QoE-based Video Streaming to Mobile Receivers

International audienceThis paper proposes a cross-layer control mechanism to stream efficiently scalable videos to mobile receivers. Its goal is to maximize the quality of the received video while accounting for the variations of the characteristics of the transmitted content and of the channel. The control problem is cast in the framework of Markov Decision Processes. The optimal actions to apply to the system are learned using reinforcement learning. For that purpose, the quality of the decoded frames at receiver is inferred by an observation (i) of the quality of the various scalability layers and (ii) of the level of queues at the Application and Medium Access Control layers of the transmitter only. Delayed as well as absence of information on the channel state are considered. Experiments show that the performance of the proposed solution is only slightly degraded with delayed or missing channel state information. The performance degradation is larger when considering a basic bitstream extractor, which serves as reference

A QoE adaptive management system for high definition video streaming over wireless networks

[EN] The development of the smart devices had led to demanding high-quality streaming videos over wireless communications. In Multimedia technology, the Ultra-High Definition (UHD) video quality has an important role due to the smart devices that are capable of capturing and processing high-quality video content. Since delivery of the high-quality video stream over the wireless networks adds challenges to the end-users, the network behaviors 'factors such as delay of arriving packets, delay variation between packets, and packet loss, are impacted on the Quality of Experience (QoE). Moreover, the characteristics of the video and the devices are other impacts, which influenced by the QoE. In this research work, the influence of the involved parameters is studied based on characteristics of the video, wireless channel capacity, and receivers' aspects, which collapse the QoE. Then, the impact of the aforementioned parameters on both subjective and objective QoE is studied. A smart algorithm for video stream services is proposed to optimize assessing and managing the QoE of clients (end-users). The proposed algorithm includes two approaches: first, using the machine-learning model to predict QoE. Second, according to the QoE prediction, the algorithm manages the video quality of the end-users by offering better video quality. As a result, the proposed algorithm which based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression is outperformed previously proposed methods for predicting and managing QoE of streaming video over wireless networks.This work has been partially supported by the "Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" in the "Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica de Excelencia, Subprograma Estatal de Generacion de Conocimiento" with in the Project under Grant TIN2017-84802-C2-1-P. This study has been partially done in the computer science departments at the (University of Sulaimani and Halabja).Taha, M.; Canovas, A.; Lloret, J.; Ali, A. (2021). A QoE adaptive management system for high definition video streaming over wireless networks. Telecommunication Systems. 77(1):63-81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11235-020-00741-2638177

Measurement-Driven Algorithm and System Design for Wireless and Datacenter Networks

The growing number of mobile devices and data-intensive applications pose unique challenges for wireless access networks as well as datacenter networks that enable modern cloud-based services. With the enormous increase in volume and complexity of traffic from applications such as video streaming and cloud computing, the interconnection networks have become a major performance bottleneck. In this thesis, we study algorithms and architectures spanning several layers of the networking protocol stack that enable and accelerate novel applications and that are easily deployable and scalable. The design of these algorithms and architectures is motivated by measurements and observations in real world or experimental testbeds. In the first part of this thesis, we address the challenge of wireless content delivery in crowded areas. We present the AMuSe system, whose objective is to enable scalable and adaptive WiFi multicast. AMuSe is based on accurate receiver feedback and incurs a small control overhead. This feedback information can be used by the multicast sender to optimize multicast service quality, e.g., by dynamically adjusting transmission bitrate. Specifically, we develop an algorithm for dynamic selection of a subset of the multicast receivers as feedback nodes which periodically send information about the channel quality to the multicast sender. Further, we describe the Multicast Dynamic Rate Adaptation (MuDRA) algorithm that utilizes AMuSe's feedback to optimally tune the physical layer multicast rate. MuDRA balances fast adaptation to channel conditions and stability, which is essential for multimedia applications. We implemented the AMuSe system on the ORBIT testbed and evaluated its performance in large groups with approximately 200 WiFi nodes. Our extensive experiments demonstrate that AMuSe can provide accurate feedback in a dense multicast environment. It outperforms several alternatives even in the case of external interference and changing network conditions. Further, our experimental evaluation of MuDRA on the ORBIT testbed shows that MuDRA outperforms other schemes and supports high throughput multicast flows to hundreds of nodes while meeting quality requirements. As an example application, MuDRA can support multiple high quality video streams, where 90% of the nodes report excellent or very good video quality. Next, we specifically focus on ensuring high Quality of Experience (QoE) for video streaming over WiFi multicast. We formulate the problem of joint adaptation of multicast transmission rate and video rate for ensuring high video QoE as a utility maximization problem and propose an online control algorithm called DYVR which is based on Lyapunov optimization techniques. We evaluated the performance of DYVR through analysis, simulations, and experiments using a testbed composed of Android devices and o the shelf APs. Our evaluation shows that DYVR can ensure high video rates while guaranteeing a low but acceptable number of segment losses, buffer underflows, and video rate switches. We leverage the lessons learnt from AMuSe for WiFi to address the performance issues with LTE evolved Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (eMBMS). We present the Dynamic Monitoring (DyMo) system which provides low-overhead and real-time feedback about eMBMS performance. DyMo employs eMBMS for broadcasting instructions which indicate the reporting rates as a function of the observed Quality of Service (QoS) for each UE. This simple feedback mechanism collects very limited QoS reports which can be used for network optimization. We evaluated the performance of DyMo analytically and via simulations. DyMo infers the optimal eMBMS settings with extremely low overhead, while meeting strict QoS requirements under different UE mobility patterns and presence of network component failures. In the second part of the thesis, we study datacenter networks which are key enablers of the end-user applications such as video streaming and storage. Datacenter applications such as distributed file systems, one-to-many virtual machine migrations, and large-scale data processing involve bulk multicast flows. We propose a hardware and software system for enabling physical layer optical multicast in datacenter networks using passive optical splitters. We built a prototype and developed a simulation environment to evaluate the performance of the system for bulk multicasting. Our evaluation shows that the optical multicast architecture can achieve higher throughput and lower latency than IP multicast and peer-to-peer multicast schemes with lower switching energy consumption. Finally, we study the problem of congestion control in datacenter networks. Quantized Congestion Control (QCN), a switch-supported standard, utilizes direct multi-bit feedback from the network for hardware rate limiting. Although QCN has been shown to be fast-reacting and effective, being a Layer-2 technology limits its adoption in IP-routed Layer 3 datacenters. We address several design challenges to overcome QCN feedback's Layer- 2 limitation and use it to design window-based congestion control (QCN-CC) and load balancing (QCN-LB) schemes. Our extensive simulations, based on real world workloads, demonstrate the advantages of explicit, multi-bit congestion feedback, especially in a typical environment where intra-datacenter traffic with short Round Trip Times (RTT: tens of s) run in conjunction with web-facing traffic with long RTTs (tens of milliseconds)

Inter-Destination Multimedia Synchronization; Schemes, Use Cases and Standardization

Traditionally, the media consumption model has been a passive and isolated activity. However, the advent of media streaming technologies, interactive social applications, and synchronous communications, as well as the convergence between these three developments, point to an evolution towards dynamic shared media experiences. In this new model, geographically distributed groups of consumers, independently of their location and the nature of their end-devices, can be immersed in a common virtual networked environment in which they can share multimedia services, interact and collaborate in real-time within the context of simultaneous media content consumption. In most of these multimedia services and applications, apart from the well-known intra and inter-stream synchronization techniques that are important inside the consumers playout devices, also the synchronization of the playout processes between several distributed receivers, known as multipoint, group or Inter-destination multimedia synchronization (IDMS), becomes essential. Due to the increasing popularity of social networking, this type of multimedia synchronization has gained in popularity in recent years. Although Social TV is perhaps the most prominent use case in which IDMS is useful, in this paper we present up to 19 use cases for IDMS, each one having its own synchronization requirements. Different approaches used in the (recent) past by researchers to achieve IDMS are described and compared. As further proof of the significance of IDMS nowadays, relevant organizations (such as ETSI TISPAN and IETF AVTCORE Group) efforts on IDMS standardization (in which authors have been and are participating actively), defining architectures and protocols, are summarized.This work has been financed, partially, by Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV), under its R&D Support Program in PAID-05-11-002-331 Project and in PAID-01-10, and by TNO, under its Future Internet Use Research & Innovation Program. The authors also want to thank Kevin Gross for providing some of the use cases included in Sect. 1.2.Montagud, M.; Boronat Segui, F.; Stokking, H.; Van Brandenburg, R. (2012). Inter-Destination Multimedia Synchronization; Schemes, Use Cases and Standardization. Multimedia Systems. 18(6):459-482. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00530-012-0278-9S459482186Kernchen, R., Meissner, S., Moessner, K., Cesar, P., Vaishnavi, I., Boussard, M., Hesselman, C.: Intelligent multimedia presentation in ubiquitous multidevice scenarios. IEEE Multimedia 17(2), 52–63 (2010)Vaishnavi, I., Cesar, P., Bulterman, D., Friedrich, O., Gunkel, S., Geerts, D.: From IPTV to synchronous shared experiences challenges in design: distributed media synchronization. Signal Process Image Commun 26(7), 370–377 (2011)Geerts, D., Vaishnavi, I., Mekuria, R., Van Deventer, O., Cesar, P.: Are we in sync?: synchronization requirements for watching on-line video together, CHI ‘11, New York, USA (2011)Boronat, F., Lloret, J., García, M.: Multimedia group and inter-stream synchronization techniques: a comparative study. Inf. Syst. 34(1), 108–131 (2009)Chen, M.: A low-latency lip-synchronized videoconferencing system. In: SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI’03, ACM, pp. 464–471, New York (2003)Ishibashi, Y., Tasaka, S., Ogawa, H.: Media synchronization quality of reactive control schemes. IEICE Trans. Commun. E86-B(10), 3103–3113 (2003)Ademoye, O.A., Ghinea, G.: Synchronization of olfaction-enhanced multimedia. IEEE Trans. Multimedia 11(3), 561–565 (2009)Cesar, P., Bulterman, D.C.A., Jansen, J., Geerts, D., Knoche, H., Seager, W.: Fragment, tag, enrich, and send: enhancing social sharing of video. ACM Trans. Multimedia Comput. Commun. Appl. 5(3), Article 19, 27 pages (2009)Van Deventer, M.O., Stokking, H., Niamut, O.A., Walraven, F.A., Klos, V.B.: Advanced Interactive Television Service Require Synchronization, IWSSIP 2008. Bratislava, June (2008)Premchaiswadi, W., Tungkasthan, A., Jongsawat, N.: Enhancing learning systems by using virtual interactive classrooms and web-based collaborative work. In: Proceedings of the IEEE Education Engineering Conference (EDUCON 2010), pp. 1531–1537. Madrid, Spain (2010)Diot, C., Gautier, L.: A distributed architecture for multiplayer interactive applications on the internet. IEEE Netw 13(4), 6–15 (1999)Mauve, M., Vogel, J., Hilt, V., Effelsberg, W.: Local-lag and timewarp: providing consistency for replicated continuous applications. IEEE Trans. Multimedia 6(1), 45–57 (2004)Hosoya, K., Ishibashi, Y., Sugawara, S., Psannis, K.E.: Group synchronization control considering difference of conversation roles. In: IEEE 13th International Symposium on Consumer Electronics, ISCE ‘09, pp. 948–952 (2009)Roccetti, M., Ferretti, S., Palazzi, C.: The brave new world of multiplayer online games: synchronization issues with smart solution. In: 11th IEEE Symposium on Object Oriented Real-Time Distributed Computing (ISORC), pp. 587–592 (2008)Ott, D.E., Mayer-Patel, K.: An open architecture for transport-level protocol coordination in distributed multimedia applications. ACM Trans. Multimedia Comput. Commun. Appl. 3(3), 17 (2007)Boronat, F., Montagud, M., Guerri, J.C.: Multimedia group synchronization approach for one-way cluster-to-cluster applications. In: IEEE 34th Conference on Local Computer Networks, LCN 2009, pp. 177–184, Zürich (2009)Boronat, F., Montagud, M., Vidal, V.: Smooth control of adaptive media playout to acquire IDMS in cluster-based applications. In: IEEE LCN 2011, pp. 617–625, Bonn (2011)Huang, Z., Wu, W., Nahrstedt, K., Rivas, R., Arefin, A.: SyncCast: synchronized dissemination in multi-site interactive 3D tele-immersion. In: Proceedings of MMSys, USA (2011)Kim, S.-J., Kuester, F., Kim, K.: A global timestamp-based approach for enhanced data consistency and fairness in collaborative virtual environments. ACM/Springer Multimedia Syst. J. 10(3), 220–229 (2005)Schooler, E.: Distributed music: a foray into networked performance. In: International Network Music Festival, Santa Monica, CA (1993)Miyashita, Y., Ishibashi, Y., Fukushima, N., Sugawara, S., Psannis K.E.: QoE assessment of group synchronization in networked chorus with voice and video. In: Proceedings of IEEE TENCON’11, pp. 393–397 (2011)Hesselman, C., Abbadessa, D., Van Der Beek, W., et al.: Sharing enriched multimedia experiences across heterogeneous network infrastructures. IEEE Commun. Mag. 48(6), 54–65 (2010)Montpetit, M., Klym, N., Mirlacher, T.: The future of IPTV—Connected, mobile, personal and social. Multimedia Tools Appl J 53(3), 519–532 (2011)Cesar, P., Bulterman, D.C.A., Jansen, J.: Leveraging the user impact: an architecture for secondary screens usage in an interactive television environment. ACM/Springer Multimedia Syst. 15(3), 127–142 (2009)Lukosch, S.: Transparent latecomer support for synchronous groupware. In: Proceedings of 9th International Workshop on Groupware (CRIWG), Grenoble, France, pp. 26–41 (2003)Steinmetz, R.: Human perception of jitter and media synchronization. IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun. 14(1), 61–72 (1996)Stokking, H., Van Deventer, M.O., Niamut, O.A., Walraven, F.A., Mekuria, R.N.: IPTV inter-destination synchronization: a network-based approach, ICIN’2010, Berlin (2010)Mekuria, R.N.: Inter-destination media synchronization for TV broadcasts, Master Thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Network architecture and Services, Delft University of Technology (2011)Pitt Ian, CS2511: Usability engineering lecture notes, localisation of sound sources. http://web.archive.org/web/20100410235208/http:/www.cs.ucc.ie/~ianp/CS2511/HAP.htmlNielsen, J.: Response times: the three important limits. http://www.useit.com/papers/responsetime.html (1994)ITU-T Rec G. 1010: End-User Multimedia QoS Categories. International Telecommunication Union, Geneva (2001)Biersack, E., Geyer, W.: Synchronized delivery and playout of distributed stored multimedia streams. ACM/Springer Multimedia Syst 7(1), 70–90 (1999)Xie, Y., Liu, C., Lee, M.J., Saadawi, T.N.: Adaptive multimedia synchronization in a teleconference system. ACM/Springer Multimedia Syst. 7(4), 326–337 (1999)Laoutaris, N., Stavrakakis, I.: Intrastream synchronization for continuous media streams: a survey of playout schedulers. IEEE Netw. Mag. 16(3), 30–40 (2002)Ishibashi, Y., Tsuji, A., Tasaka, S.: A group synchronization mechanism for stored media in multicast communications. In: Proceedings of the INFOCOM ‘97, Washington (1997)Ishibashi, Y., Tasaka, S.: A group synchronization mechanism for live media in multicast communications. IEEE GLOBECOM’97, pp. 746–752 (1997)Boronat, F., Guerri, J.C., Lloret, J.: An RTP/RTCP based approach for multimedia group and inter-stream synchronization. Multimedia Tools Appl. J. 40(2), 285–319 (2008)Ishibashi, I., Tasaka, S.: A distributed control scheme for group synchronization in multicast communications. In: Proceedings of International Symposium Communications, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, pp. 317–323 (1999)Lu, Y., Fallica, B., Kuipers, F.A., Kooij, R.E., Van Mieghem, P.: Assessing the quality of experience of SopCast. Int. J. Internet Protoc. Technol 4(1), 11–19 (2009)Shamma, D.A., Bastea-Forte, M., Joubert, N., Liu, Y.: Enhancing online personal connections through synchronized sharing of online video, ACM CHI’08 Extended Abstracts, Florence (2008)Ishibashi, Y., Tasaka, S.: A distributed control scheme for causality and media synchronization in networked multimedia games. In: Proceedings of 11th International Conference on Computer Communications and Networks, pp. 144–149, Miami, USA (2002)Ishibashi, Y., Tomaru, K., Tasaka, S., Inazumi, K.: Group synchronization in networked virtual environments. In: Proceedings of the 38th IEEE International Conference on Communications, pp. 885–890, Alaska, USA (2003)Tasaka, S., Ishibashi, Y., Hayashi, M.: Inter–destination synchronization quality in an integrated wired and wireless network with handover. IEEE GLOBECOM 2, 1560–1565 (2002)Kurokawa, Y., Ishibashi, Y., Asano, T.: Group synchronization control in a remote haptic drawing system. In: Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo, pp. 572–575, Beijing, China (2007)Hashimoto, T., Ishibashi, Y.: Group Synchronization Control over Haptic Media in a Networked Real-Time Game with Collaborative Work, Netgames’06, Singapore (2006)Nunome, T., Tasaka, S.: Inter-destination synchronization quality in a multicast mobile ad hoc network. In: Proceedings of IEEE 16th International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications, pp. 1366–1370, Berlin, Germany (2005)Brandenburg, R., van Stokking, H., Van Deventer, M.O., Boronat, F., Montagud, M., Gross, K.: RTCP for inter-destination media synchronization, draft-brandenburg-avtcore-rtcp-for-idms-03.txt. In: IETF Audio/Video Transport Core Maintenance Working Group, Internet Draft, March 9 (2012)ETSI TS 181 016 V3.3.1 (2009-07) Telecommunications and Internet converged Services and Protocols for Advanced Networking (TISPAN); Service Layer Requirements to integrate NGN Services and IPTVETSI TS 182 027 V3.5.1 (2011-03) Telecommunications and Internet converged Services and Protocols for Advanced Networking (TISPAN); IPTV Architecture; IPTV functions supported by the IMS subsystemETSI TS 183 063 V3.5.2 (2011-03) Telecommunications and Internet converged Services and Protocols for Advanced Networking (TISPAN); IMS-based IPTV stage 3 specificationBrandenburg van, R., et al.: RTCP XR Block Type for inter-destination media synchronization, draft-brandenburg-avt-rtcp-for-idms-00.txt. In: IETF Audio/Video Transport Working Group, Internet Draft, Sept 24, 2010Williams, A., et al.: RTP Clock Source Signalling, draft-williams-avtcore-clksrc-00. In: IETF Audio/Video Transport Working Group, Internet Draft, February 28, 201