A Mesh-based Overlay Management Strategy For Peer-to-Peer Live Streaming Platform

With the prevalence of broadband and progress of peer-to-peer technology, most of nowadays prevailing network live streaming platforms are all based on Peer-to-peer technology, solving the poor-scalability and high-cost problems of traditional Client/Server-based live streaming systems. However, the existing Peer-to-peer -based live streaming platforms are builded upon tree-based or simple mesh-based overlay network. Tree-based structures are hard to scale and maintain, no guarantee of low latency, especially upper key node's failure leads to fatal breakage of entire overlay network. As a result, more and more systems turn to mesh-based overlay construction.Mesh-based overlay construction strategy for peer-to-peer live streaming platform AnySee (Version 4.0, AnySee for short below unless mentioned) using optimized adjacent node choosing algorithm and leaguer management to construct mesh-based overlay, improves the scalability and maintenance of the platform and using LAN representative algorithm to fit overlay to underlying physical topology, reduces unnessary bandwidth bottlenecks of overlay and improves the efficiency of transmission of streaming media data. Platform using distributed tracker server to retrieve initial adjacent nodes of node and record all of nodes'information, greatly accelerates the speed of initial member node selection and reduces the startup time of platform. By having tracker system take part in overlay construction and communication among nodes maintain overlay, with local information, node gets space and time near member nodes, which reduces data latency and enhances QoS of partner nodes. Platform is more scalable and stable.Peer-to-peer live streaming platform AnySee is based on Windows and Visual Studio and using C++ programming language. Mesh-based overlay construction strategy for AnySee uses optimized overlay construction algorithm and overlay management technology, so that the platform scalability, maintenance, stability and reliability have been improved. Measurements of successful rate of member node selection, buffer full probability/playback continuity, load of broadcast server and pressure of tracker server suggest that new mesh-based overlay construction strategy improves platform performances of AnySee, compared to Client/Server systems, Source server's CPU usage is decreased by 50%, memory usage by 30% and bandwidth by 45%.