Overlay Network Based Optimization of Data Flows in Large Scale Client-Server-based Game Architectures for Deployment on Cloud Platforms

Abstract

In this overview paper, we present results that were obtained by combining a specific architectural design for Networked Virtual Environments (NVE's) with a generic optimization infrastructure for content streaming. Although the two are - at first sight - targeting unrelated application areas, it turns out that the application knowledge available in the NVE architecture can effectively be used to instruct the adaptation infrastructure to change the way in which data is delivered to the end-user. The end-effect of these optimizations is a fine-grained ability for the combined architecture to deliver the required NVE content to the end-user while optimizing bandwidth usage. Such optimizations are very useful in mobile setups, as the available bandwidth fluctuates significantly over time. The resulting architecture can be deployed in a very dynamic way, including on cloud platforms. An experiment is presented that shows the viability of the ideas discussed in the paper.