Proactivity in content delivery networks resource management: The stock options case

Abstract

This paper focuses on the management and pricing of resources in Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), which are extensively adopted nowadays as a very efficient mechanism for Internet information provision. We elaborate on a resource management model that is aligned with the concepts and mechanisms in capital markets. We use the concept of Stock Options (SOs) to address the scarcity and potential unavailability of CDN resources. Using a Predictive Reservation Scheme (PRS), network resources (traffic volume) are being monitored through kernel estimators in a given time frame. A Secondary Market (SM) significantly improves the efficiency and robustness of the PRS by allowing the fast exchange of unused resources (stocks) and SOs between the Origin Servers (OSs). This exchange can happen by allowing automatic electronic double auctions at the end of each day or at shorter time intervals. As a result, OSs may acquire resources (if needed) at standard prices, avoiding penalizing tariffs for last-minute requests. The efficiency of our prediction reservation scheme further improves.