Client-server synchronization and buffering for variable rate multimedia retrievals

We consider the use of large buffers and feedback as a mechanism to maintain loosely coupled synchronization between a multimedia server and a client. The multimedia stream is modeled as a fluid flow through rate controlled valves and buffers with multiple thresholds. These thresholds are used to control the rates upstream. The quality of service for the multimedia connection is characterized in terms of the jitter in the received media stream due to buffer underflow and overflow. This quality of service is used to exercise rate and admission control in the presence of congestion. The feedback mechanism is, implemented in GRAMS, an adaptive multimedia client-server system. Experimental statistics are gathered for the purpose of traffic engineering. We employ a fluid flow and first passage time analysis to understand the traffic process through the pipelines and the buffers and to estimate the amount of signaling required by the feedback mechanism.