A comparative analysis of flexible and fixed size timeslots for advance bandwidth reservations in media production networks

Due to high-demand transfers and predictable network traffic in media production networks, timeslot-based advance bandwidth reservation has been proven to be an efficient solution for collaboration among different geographically distributed media production actors. Timeslot-based advance reservation approaches can be deployed based on flexible or fixed timeslot sizes. This paper makes a comparison between predefined fixed and customized flexible timeslot sizes in timeslot-based advance bandwidth reservation in media production networks. We show the restriction of predefined timeslot sizes and elaborate on the issues with scheduling based on flexible time intervals, with a specific focus on the characteristics of media transfer. We end the paper with a discussion on which context is the best fit for fixed timeslot based approaches, and likewise, which benefits from flexible timeslot based approaches.