Efficient and flexible parallel retrieval using priority encoded transmission

Many applications, including web transfers, software distribution, video-on-demand, and peer-to-peer data downloads, require the retrieval of structured documents consisting of multiple components like images, video, and text. Large systems using these applications may be made more scalable by using efficient data distribution techniques like multicast, and by enabling clients to retrieve data from multiple servers in parallel.In this paper we propose a new technique for parallel retrieval of structured documents from multiple servers using priority encoded transmission, which allows some subsets of a transmission to be reconstructed before others. We discuss the application of this technique to bulk and streaming media distribution, and provide performance results from trace-based simulations.