Towards 5G: Joint Optimization of Video Segment Caching, Transcoding and Resource Allocation for Adaptive Video Streaming in a Multi-Access Edge Computing Network

Caching and transcoding at multi-access edge computing (MEC) server and wireless resource allocation in eNodeB interact with each other and together determine the quality of experience (QoE) of dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) clients. However, the relationship among the three factors has not been explored, which has led to limited improvement in clients’ QoE. Therefore, we propose a joint optimization framework of video segment caching and transcoding in MEC servers and resource allocation to improve the QoE of DASH clients. Based on the established framework, we develop an MEC caching management mechanism that consists of the MEC caching partition, video segment deletion, and MEC caching space transfer. Then, a joint optimization algorithm that combines the video segment caching and transcoding in the MEC server and resource allocation is proposed. In the algorithm, the clients’ channel state and the playback status and cooperation among MEC servers are employed to estimate the client's priority, video segment representation switch and continuous playback time. Considering the above four factors, we develop a utility function model of clients’ QoE. Then, we formulate a mixed-integer nonlinear programming mathematical model to maximize the total utility of DASH clients, where the video segment caching and transcoding strategy and resource allocation strategy are jointly optimized. To solve this problem, we propose a low-complexity heuristic algorithm that decomposes the original problem into multiple subproblems. The simulation results show that our proposed algorithms efficiently improve client's throughput, received video quality and hit ratio of video segments while decreasing the playback rebuffering time, video segment representation switch and system backhaul traffic.