Redirection and Protocol Mechanisms in Content Delivery Network-Edge Servers for Adaptive Video Streaming

Abstract

Redirection and protocol techniques are key components of the infrastructure for Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) that aid in the delivery of Multimedia Internet services to end-consumers. Redirection methods are used to route the user’s request to the nearest edge server, minimizing distance, improving delivery times, and lowering latency. Protocol mechanisms, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH), and Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), are used to deliver adaptive video streaming. These protocols are designed to transfer the adaptive streaming and provide high-quality video playback. They also allow the system to adjust the video quality based on the network conditions of the Quality of Service (QoS). Inadequate transmission protocols and poorly designed redirection algorithms are two major challenges that might degrade Cloud–CDN performance. These challenges lead to excessive latency, poor quality of service, and significant packet loss that have potential influences on the user experience. In this paper, firstly, three protocols are proposed by preparing a case study on selecting the optimal protocol for replicating adaptive video streaming content. Secondly, a redirection algorithm based on the Modified Cuckoo Search Algorithm (MCSA) is proposed to provide an accurate redirecting process of selected edge servers to end-users. Test results indicate that, when hybrid FASP/HTTP protocols were chosen (from original server to replicate server and to end-users), the delivery of adaptive video streaming segments was fast with lower latency. The average estimated time needed for replicating video content based on FASP is 25% better than that needed for File catalyst and Signiant protocols. Therefore, the Cuckoo search method presents more efficient results for selecting the optimal edge server for 100 servers, which is 0.296 s, compared to the conventional algorithm, which was 13 s.