A Network-Based Scalability Model for Distributed Real-Time Resource Management

We consider a challenging class of so-called RealTime Online Interactive Applications (ROIA); popular examples include multi-player online computer games, e-learning and training based on real-time simulations. ROIA combine high demands on scalability and real-time user interactivity with the problem of an efficient and economic utilization of resources with heterogeneous network capabilities. This paper proposes a generic scalability model for ROIA that analyzes the application performance during runtime and predicts the demand for load balancing, i.e., whether and when to add/remove resources or redistribute workload. In an experimental evaluation, we prove the quality of our model by comparing the proposed workload distribution using our model against the optimal workload distribution for a multi-player online game.