QROUTE: an integrated framework for QoS-guaranteed multicast

We propose QROUTE, an integrated framework for QoS-guaranteed multicast, in which a feasible multicast tree meeting multiple QoS constraints can be constructed in a distributed fashion using local states at routers. The simplicity in the design and implementation of QROUTE has been demonstrated by prototyping a router testbed, whose measured performance is presented. Compared to other QoS-based multicast routing protocols, QROUTE is more effective because it searches all the available feasible paths in parallel so as to ensure a better chance of successful routing and a more efficient use of network resources. We also evaluate the performance of QROUTE by comparing it with other related protocols through simulations, and find that it has lower blocking probability, lower routing overhead and lower set-up latency; the resulting multicast trees of QROUTE also generally require fewer links than those of the related protocols.