On QoS Mapping in Adaptive QoS Management for Distributed Multimedia Applications

A generic QoS mapping mechanism for distributed multimedia applications is presented. A generic multilevel QoS model is also proposed. A user can specify the user QoS abstractly in the highest level of the proposed QoS model, and QoS in lower level than user level QoS is expressed in level-specific QoS parameters. Hence two QoS mapping methods are developed. The first method maps the abstract user level QoS into lower level QoS parameters by using userspecific profile data. The second method uses spline functions to perform mapping among lower level QoS parameters than user level QoS. This spline QoS mapping method, which is located as a hybrid of two conventional mapping methods, is adaptive to various user requirements by interpolating sample data, and adaptive to a dynamically changing environment by updating the sample data as the environment changes.