Static and dynamic mapping of media assets on a network of distributed multimedia information servers

This paper presents principles and algorithms for the management of a network of media servers. Such a server network allows the online delivery of broadband multimedia data, e.g. audio and video streams, to a large number of widely distributed clients. Thus, the implementation of large scale distributed broadband media information services is possible if such networks can be handled efficiently. In the paper two new combinatorial optimization problems are defined that have to be solved for an efficient management of the distributed media servers connected by a high-bandwidth communication network. The algorithms consider the case of a static mapping of media assets onto the server network as well as the dynamic migration of media assets on such a network. The first scenario is used in the case that all media assets are loaded for the first time onto the server network. The second scenario is applied dynamically during run-time of an information service taking the varying user access pattern and changing media content of the server network into account. In this paper the algorithms are presented and their efficiency is demonstrated using some benchmark instances. The algorithms are part of a larger distributed system that allows the management of a network of distributed media servers. The principles of this system are presented as well as some applications that have been developed and are supported by this distributed server management system (DSMS).