Unicast/Multicast Converting TechnologyNTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories

We have established an adaptive unicast/multicast converting technology to allocate caches to the edges of networks for distributing contents and to convert them for the multicast depending on the condition of the networks to transfer contents; let us introduce it.

Because the mobile viewing terminals, VR (Virtual Reality) equipment, and the like such as smartphones and tablets and other new display devices are spreading and equipped with high performance and as new forms of viewing videos such as public viewing are emerging, it is assumed that the traffic for live videos continues to increase in the IP networks in forthcoming times. In particular, for the live distribution where a huge amount of and bursting traffic may occur in the case of an event or the like, it is recognized as an challenge to reduce the cost for investment on the facility by live distribution business operators and network business operators and, at the same time with this, to enhance the revenues from the stable distribution or the like to the viewers.

• By applying the converting technology between unicast and multicast traffic to the edge equipment of network business operators, even in the large-scale live distributions with a large number of simultaneous viewers, it is realized to make efficient the facility resources of network business operators/live distribution business operators and to distribute high-quality video to viewers.

• High-quality video distribution: The high-quality video distribution platforms such as 16K or the like for simultaneous plurality, which has not been realized until today, are provided stably to individual homes and public viewing sites. Ex.) eSports/360°/VR videos
• Software distribution: Congestion in networks is reduced and smooth update is made available by caching the updates for OS's and/or application programs on lower edges for their distribution.
• Stadium distribution: By broadcasting the game at a stadium or the games at different stadiums on time from the Wi-Fi AP (Access Point) or the like with the lower edge functions equipped to the devices of the viewers, the use of low-speed existing networks on premises and the reduction of the load on distribution servers are realized and, thus, low-cost video distribution systems are provided.

Overview of the Operation

The upper edge and the lower edge operate as a cache server of HTTP, respectively, to the distribution server/the upper edge. From these, the responses from the upper edge to the lower edge are sent in the multicast; thus, the data is efficiently transferred to multiple lower edges. The lower edge caches requested files for a short period so that it can make responses to the second HTTP requests and the following ones concerning the same contents in the live system without making requests to the upper edge.

NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories - Access Network Service Systems Project