Performance evaluation of an inter-stream adaptation algorithm for multimedia communications

Controlling the quality of a collaborative multimedia session, which employs multiple streams, is a challenging problem. In this paper, we present and analyze the performance of an inter-stream adaptation algorithm, which dynamically allocates the shared resources reserved for a session among the streams belonging to it. The objective of this dynamic allocation is to optimize the overall session quality. The traac characteristics of the streams are speciied using the M-LBAP (Modiied Linear Bounded Arrival Processes) model. The M-LBAP model provides tight characterization for the traac while maintaining the simplicity and linearity of the LBAP model. Delay bounds for streams sharing a group reservation are analytically derived using the M-LBAP model. Degradation paths speciied using the M-LBAP model are used as the basis for a dynamic rate based algorithm for inter-stream adaptation (RISA). The performance of RISA is contrasted to static resource allocation policies, and it is shown that higher utilization and acceptance ratios are achievable by RISA. These achievable results are reeected on and summarized by a proposed metric for judging the eeective-ness of resource allocation on the overall quality of session.