Operating System and Window System Research for Distributed Multi-media Applications: A Status Report

Abstract

We are currently researching general operating system and window system mechanisms necessary to support distributed multi-media applications, specifically applications which have audio and video I/O components. Digital audio and motion video I/O have such high bandwidth and low delay requirements that special underlying software support mechanisms are needed. Our goal is to determine how functionality is divided between the window system and the operating system, and what types of mechanisms support this functionality. As a first step toward achieving this goal, we are building a distributed real-time I/O-intensive application: multi-media conferencing. These conferences are between geographically distributed users on personal workstations connected by high-speed networks. These conferences include the presentation of real-time digital audio and video I/O of the participants so that they may effectively collaborate despite their physical separation. From the experience we gain by buil..