A distributed algorithm for equitable bandwidth allocation for content distribution in a tree network

Abstract

We present a distributed algorithm for bandwidth allocation for content distribution in tree networks, where the intensive computations are executed independently at the nodes while some information is exchanged among the nodes. The root node has a server that stores and broadcasts multiple programs requested at the nodes through links with limited capacity. The bandwidth allocated for a specific program can be decreased from one link to the next in a path from the root node to an end-node, but it cannot be increased. The objective is to determine equitable bandwidth allocations among all programs across all links, which leads to a formulation of a lexicographic maximin optimization model. The performance function at each of the nodes for a specific program represents customers’ satisfaction as a function of the incoming bandwidth into the node. The distributed algorithm that determines the equitable bandwidth allocations extends the algorithm described in Luss (2010).