Sprinkler: distributed content storage for just-in-time streaming

ABSTRACT

We envision cities where networking infrastructures, such as Wi-Fi access points (AP), will be equipped with storage capabilities. We propose to utilize the storage as a large distributed video cache. If successful, we envision that a child will be able to seamlessly watch a movie in a car, as her tablet downloads necessary parts of the movie over different Wi-Fi APs. The key challenge arises from the fact that the mobile tablet would not be able to download the entire movie from any single AP. Nonetheless, we show that the APs could be appropriately populated with video "chunks", such that the tablet can almost always get the needed chunk, just-in-time for video playback. Our system minimizes replication of video chunks, offering citizens with far greater number of videos to watch. We believe that such a video service could benefit cellular networks, by offloading their traffic to a sizable extent. This paper takes a first step into exploring such a city-wide content distribution service, and addresses one piece of the puzzle -- efficient content storage.

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Index Terms

• Networks

  • Network types

    • Mobile networks

    • Wireless access networks