High quality streaming system with hierarchical cache servers based on inter-stream FEC function

Video streaming using hierarchical cache servers is effective to provide high quality services to many users. However, less-accessed videos tend to be sparsely cached on cache servers far from users. Streaming qualities are degraded due to relatively high packet loss rate and long delay. In order to address the issues on heavy and bursty packet loss over such long distance transmission, we have focused on recovery characteristic of a multi-server Forward Error Correction (FEC) function named “Inter-Stream FEC.” In this paper, we propose a high quality streaming system exploiting hierarchical cache servers. The proposed system improves users´ experience by adaptively applying Inter-Stream FEC. We also propose a parity data request method combines with parity server selection considering cache status of individual server and disjointness between paths. Simulation results show the proposed system can achieve higher restoration performance compared with a streaming system using traditional FEC, particularly when bursty loss occurs.