Fcast Scalable Multicast File Distribution: Caching and Parameters Optimizations

Reliable data multicast is problematic. ACK/NACK schemes do not scale to large audiences, and simple data replication wastes network bandwidth. Fcast, " file multicasting " , combines multicast with Forward Error Correction (FEC) to address both these problems. Like classic multicast, Fcast scales to large audiences, and like other FEC schemes, it uses bandwidth very efficiently. Some of the benefits of this combination were known previously, but Fcast contributes new caching methods that improve disk throughput, and new optimizations for small file transfers. Fcast is the first product based on this technology, to our knowledge. This paper describes Fcast's design, implementation, and API.

[1]  J.L. Massey,et al.  Theory and practice of error control codes , 1986, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[2]  Todd Montgomery,et al.  A High Performance Totally Ordered Multicast Protocol , 1994, Dagstuhl Seminar on Distributed Systems.

[3]  Jim Gemmell,et al.  Scalable Reliable Multicast Using Erasure-Correcting Re-sends , 1997 .

[4]  Roger G. Kermode,et al.  A scalable multicast architecture for one-to-many telepresentations , 1998, Proceedings. IEEE International Conference on Multimedia Computing and Systems (Cat. No.98TB100241).

[5]  Luigi Rizzo,et al.  On the feasibility of software FEC , 1997 .

[6]  ZHANGLi-xia,et al.  A reliable multicast framework for light-weight sessions and application level framing , 1995 .

[7]  Sanjoy Paul,et al.  Reliable Multicast Transport Protocol (RMTP) , 1997, IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun..

[8]  Sandeep K. Singhal,et al.  Log-based receiver-reliable multicast for distributed interactive simulation , 1995, SIGCOMM '95.

[9]  Jon Crowcroft,et al.  A multicast transport protocol , 1988, SIGCOMM.

[10]  Jim Gemmell,et al.  Using Multicast FEC to Solve the Midnight Madness Problem , 1997 .

[11]  Luigi Rizzo,et al.  Effective erasure codes for reliable computer communication protocols , 1997, CCRV.

[12]  Donald F. Towsley,et al.  Parity-based loss recovery for reliable multicast transmission , 1997, TNET.

[13]  Jon Crowcroft,et al.  One to Many Reliable Bulk-Data Transfer in the MBone , 1997 .

[14]  Luigi Rizzo,et al.  A reliable multicast data distribution protocol based on software FEC techniques , 1997, The Fourth IEEE Workshop on High-Performance Communication Systems.

[15]  Roger G. Kermode,et al.  Scoped hybrid automatic repeat reQuest with forward error correction (SHARQFEC) , 1998, SIGCOMM '98.

[16]  David A Chappell.  Understanding ActiveX and OLE , 1996 .

[17]  Mark Handley,et al.  SAP: Session Announcement Protocol , 1996 .

[18]  Stanley B. Zdonik,et al.  Dissemination-based data delivery using broadcast disks , 1995, IEEE Wirel. Commun..

[19]  André Schiper,et al.  Lightweight causal and atomic group multicast , 1991, TOCS.

[20]  Jo-Mei Chang,et al.  Reliable broadcast protocols , 1984, TOCS.

[21]  Lorenzo Vicisano.  Notes on a Cumulative Layered Organisation of Data Packets Across Multiple Streams With Different Ra , 1997 .

[22]  Mostafa H. Ammar,et al.  Single connection emulation (SCE): an architecture for providing a reliable multicast transport service , 1995, Proceedings of 15th International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems.

[23]  Van Jacobson,et al.  The synchronization of periodic routing messages , 1993, SIGCOMM '93.

[24]  Madhu Sudan,et al.  A reliable dissemination protocol for interactive collaborative applications , 1995, MULTIMEDIA '95.

[25]  Michael Luby,et al.  A digital fountain approach to reliable distribution of bulk data , 1998, SIGCOMM '98.

[26]  Steven McCanne,et al.  Low-Complexity Video Coding for Receiver-Driven Layered Multicast , 1997, IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun..

[27]  Sneha Kumar Kasera,et al.  Scalable reliable multicast using multiple multicast groups , 1997, SIGMETRICS '97.

[28]  Scot Hillier.  Inside Microsoft Visual Basic, Scripting Edition , 1996 .

[29]  Jon Crowcroft,et al.  A multicast transport protocol , 1988, SIGCOMM 1988.

[30]  Stephen E. Deering,et al.  Host extensions for IP multicasting , 1986, RFC.