Media-aware networking for SVC-based P2P streaming

There are currently two concurrent trends in the Internet. First, the number of Internet users and their connection speeds are increasing rapidly. Second, Internet-based applications are dominating how people receive information, communicate, and entertain themselves. Therefore, we are witnessing an enormous increase in IP-based multimedia traffic, which is putting an enormous strain on the network. Additionally, router and network virtualization are gaining importance, enabling more intelligent networks. Therefore, we argue that networks should not be merely bystanders to this multimedia revolution. In this paper we present a media-aware network solution based on router virtualization that aims at striking a balance between intelligence and adaptation at the edge and in the core of the network. Using an extensive simulative study, we demonstrate that our media-aware network not only helps in enhancing streaming performance during bottlenecks, but also minimizes the side effects of congestions on user perceived quality, making it a need for future Internet multimedia applications.