Mobile Cloud Computing & Adaptive Streaming20th Mar 2012

Suriya Mohan, Aricent Group, Chennai

� Mobile Cloud Computing� Tablet / Smartphone Evolution

� Cloud Computing – 3 Fundamental Models

� Clouds in Cloud Computing

� Advantages of Cloud Computing

� Mobile Cloud Computing

� Thin Client Application

� Virtual Hybrid Cloud Imaging Server - Photo book Creation

� Adaptive Streaming & OTT Video� Over The Top Video

� Solutions for OTT Challenge

Agenda

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� Adaptive Streaming

� Adaptive Streaming Solutions

� Apple HTTP Live Streaming

� Microsoft Smooth Streaming

� 3GP DASH

� Cloud based Streaming Server� Cloud based Streaming Server

� Multi Client Streaming

� Technology & Features

� Content Adaptation Gateway� Cloud based Content Adaptation Gateway

� End to End Setup & Features

Tablet / Smartphone Evolution

Remote Video On

TV Everywhere

Mobile Cloud

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EPGRemote Record

Video On Demand

Everywhere

Live Streaming

Cloud Computing

Thin Client

Cloud Computing – 3 Fundamental Models

Applications

APIs

Data Content Metadata

Integration, OS & Middleware

APIs

• Saas - Software as a service, sometimes referred

to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery

model in which software and its associated data

are hosted centrally (typically in the (Internet)

cloud) and are typically accessed by users using a

thin client, normally using a web browser over the

Internet

• IaaS, Infrastructure as a Service - Cloud

providers offer computers – as physical or more

often as virtual machines –, raw (block) storage,

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APIs

Connectivity & Delivery

Virtualization

Hardware

IaaS

PaaS

SaaS

often as virtual machines –, raw (block) storage,

firewalls, load balancers, and networks. IaaS

providers supply these resources on demand from

their large pools installed in data centers.

• PaaS, Platform as a Service - Cloud providers

deliver a computing platform and/or solution stack

typically including operating system, programming

language execution environment, database, and

web server. Application developers can develop

and run their software solutions on a cloud platform

without the cost and complexity of buying and

managing the underlying hardware and software

layers

Clouds in Cloud Computing

Application Layer (SaaS)

Provisioning of both physical and virtualized cloud resourcesProvisioning of both physical and virtualized cloud resources

Private Cloud

(Over Intranet)Public Clouds

(Over Internet)

Hybrid Cloud

(Over Internets /

Intranets)

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• Public Cloud - Applications, storage, and other resources are made available to the general public by a service

provider. Public cloud services may be free or offered on a pay-per-usage model.

• Private Cloud - is infrastructure operated solely for a single organization, whether managed internally or by a

third-party and hosted internally or externally.

• Hybrid Cloud - is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community or public) that remain unique

entities but are bound together, offering the benefits of multiple deployment models

Application Layer (SaaS)Application Layer (SaaS)

Platform Layer(PaaS)Platform Layer(PaaS)

Infrastructure Layer (IaaS)Infrastructure Layer (IaaS)

Advantages of Cloud Computing

Access to Larger Market

Lowers App Development

Cost

Bypass Apps Stores and

• Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as

a service rather than a product, whereby shared

resources, software, and information are

provided to computers and other devices as a

utility over a network.

• Cloud computing is a natural evolution of the

widespread adoption of virtualisation, service-

oriented architecture, autonomic, and utility

computing.

• Details are abstracted from end-users, who no

longer have need for expertise in, or control over,

the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that

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Stores and save on

Commissions

Addresses Platform

Fragmentation

the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that

supports them.

• Cloud computing describes a new supplement,

consumption, and delivery model for IT services

based on Internet protocols, and it typically

involves provisioning of dynamically scalable and

often virtualized resources

• Cloud computing providers deliver applications

via the internet, which are accessed from web

browsers and desktop and mobile apps, while

the business software and data are stored on

servers at a remote location

Mobile Cloud Computing

• Mobile cloud computing refers to an environment where both the storage of data and its processing

happens outside the mobile device.

• The app runs on a remote server and a user can get access to it through the browser available in

his mobile device. Gmail, Google Maps etc., are some of the examples of applications making use

of mobile cloud computing.

• With apps getting more feature rich and expected to handle volumes of data, on-the-device storage

and processing would not only be difficult but to an extent impossible

• Mobile Cloud Computing with its capability to store data and process it outside the device, on the

internet, without disturbing the real performance of the app would come handy to app developers.

• Client-Server Model in Cloud Computing reduces the footprint and portability overheads in the

client side by just running a thin client application in the client device and having business logic

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client side by just running a thin client application in the client device and having business logic

and/or data storehouse in the server side

CRITICAL CHALLENGES

• Lowering network latency to meet application and code offload interactivity

• Increasing network bandwidth for faster data transfer between the cloud and

devices

• Providing adaptive monitoring of network conditions to optimize network and

device costs against the user’s perceived performance of cloud applications

Thin Client Application –

Photobook Creation

The Virtual (“Hybrid”) Cloud Imaging Server

Public Clouds

(External)

Printer Clouds

(External)

Image De-noisingEnterprise /

Digital Home

Frog’s Cloud Imaging Server Server Features:Photo Book Creation using Image Processing

Algorithms:

•Image De-Noising

•Panorama Stitching

•Low Light Enhancement

•Vivid colour effect

•Noise reduction

•White Balance

Social Networking Sites

(External)

Frog’s

(Thin Client)

Base Station

(Femto Cell)

Concept:Photobook creation is one of the most technically challenging

workflows for “Photo Product” solution. These problems are only

magnified when the authoring platform is expanded beyond PCs to

mobile and social platforms. Our “Auto Photo book creation” with

“Cloud Imaging Server” uses core imaging algorithms to streamline

the workflow and automate many of the more cumbersome steps,

which both simplifies the creation process and makes it more

amenable for mobile devices and social networks

Today’s Problem Statement:Multimedia information such as “Photos and Videos” are increasingly

viewed and shared through social networking sites such as “YouTube

and Facebook”. In Today’s Scenario, the users even don’t have time

to organize their photos and videos on their Handheld devices. Many

users on day-2-day life snap/capture large numbers of photos either

from Mobile (or) from Digital Camera to capture events in their lives,

but only a very small fraction of Photos are tagged. Although online

sharing makes the content easier to access, users continue to face

many challenges in dealing with multimedia operations.

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Face / Smile Detection

Adaptive Streaming &

Over The Top Video

Over The Top Video

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� OTT, Over the Top is the delivery of video & audio media streams to connected devices via the internet

and there will not be any need for a dedicated network (or) infrastructure provided by the operator, as OTT

is transported through regular internet data protocols and uses open internet or unmanaged networks

� IPTV is delivered over a dedicated and managed network that is used only for broadcasting TV and the

operator has full control over the network

� OTT used HTTP protocol which has already been used as a transport solution for video on demand (VOD)

media embedded into web pages, especially on Flash-based sites, such as YouTube or Dailymotion

� Drawback of Progressive Download

� YouTube does not use real time streaming concept. It uses progressive downloading of one media

file, where the browser downloads the file from the HTTP web server and when it has a sufficient

amount of data, starts to play the content while downloading the rest of the file.

� The main drawback to this approach is the length of time it takes to fill the initial buffer.

� The player downloads other portion of the video where the user is not interested to watch

� OTT Challenge

� Since the video is transferred through open network, the quality of video playback depends on

end user broadband connection speed

Solution for OTT Challenge

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� Content streaming may be subject to stalling if there are fluctuations in bandwidth, leading to

frame freezing

� The arrival of OTT streaming, however, has brought a new approach and its now possible to

achieve levels of streaming quality over HTTP that allow live content to also be broadcast over the

internet

� Adaptive Streaming Solution for OTT Challenge

� Servers in the network will split one media file into multiple segments or chunks or fragments with

different bit rates

� OTT Clients in the network will request for segments of specific bitrate during playback which

ensures smooth playback (limited or no rebuffering & only required segments will be downloaded

instead of downloading entire clip)

Adaptive Streaming

� Adaptive streaming is a hybrid delivery method that acts like streaming but is based on HTTP progressive

download

� In a typical adaptive streaming implementation, the video/audio source is cut into many short segments

("chunks") and encoded to the desired delivery format. Chunks are typically 2-to-4-seconds long.

� At the video codec level, this typically means that each chunk is cut along video GOP (Group of Pictures)

boundaries (each chunk starts with a key frame) and has no dependencies on past or future

chunks/GOPs. This allows each chunk to later be decoded independently of other chunks at the client end

� It requires the use of an encoder which can encode a single source video at multiple bit rates at the server

end.

� The "adaptive" part of the solution comes into play when the video/audio source is encoded at multiple bit

rates, generating multiple chunks of various sizes for each 2-to-4-seconds of video. The client can choose

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rates, generating multiple chunks of various sizes for each 2-to-4-seconds of video. The client can choose

between chunks of different sizes.

� The player client switches between streaming the different encodings depending on available resources.

� It works by detecting a user's bandwidth and CPU capacity in real time and adjusting the quality of a video

stream accordingly.

� Adaptive streaming is the process of efficiently delivering streaming video to users by dynamically

switching among different streams of varying quality and size during playback.

� Another major goal of adaptive streaming is to make this process smooth and seamless to users, so that if

up-scaling or down-scaling the quality of the stream is necessary, it is a smooth and nearly unnoticeable

switch without disrupting the continuous playback.

� "The result: very little buffering, fast start time and a good experience for both high-end and low-end

connections.“

� Apple's HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)

� The Apple variant communicates available chunks by using a text file format .m3u8 (A playlist.

With list of URLs) The top-level playlist contains the list of available qualities, each with their

individual sub-playlist. This sub-playlist explicitly enumerates the individual URLs for each chunk.

� The chunks contain both audio and video in an MPEG-2 Transport Stream format supporting

H264 video and AAC or MP3 audio.

� Microsoft's Smooth Streaming

� Microsoft’s implementation3 uses an XML “Manifest” file to communicate the table of URLs to the

client. The URLs are then formed by filling in a supplied template with the required parameters.

� Each chunk contains either audio or video material in a “fragmented MP4” container. Audio and

Adaptive Streaming Solutions

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� Each chunk contains either audio or video material in a “fragmented MP4” container. Audio and

video are thus requested separately and can be switched to different qualities separately.

� 3GP Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH)

� Server communicates the list of segments using a playlist file named MPD file

� 3GP DASH client checks MPD playlist to find the segment that best matches the current network

bandwidth and continues streaming with the newly selected segment with different bitrate

� Adobe's HTTP Dynamic Streaming

� Adobe uses yet another XML format. It has its own MP4 variant which also fragments the

metadata. The Flash player only supports H.264 and VP6 video and AAC and MP3 audio.

Apple HTTP Live Streaming

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� HTTP Live Streaming (also known as HLS) is an HTTP-based media streaming

� It works by breaking the overall stream into a sequence of small HTTP-based file downloads, each download loading one short chunk of an overall potentially unbounded transport stream (“ts”).

� At the start of the streaming session, client downloads an extended M3U playlist containing the metadata for the various sub-streams which are available.

� As the stream is played, the client may select from a number of different alternate streams containing the same material encoded at a variety of data rates, allowing the streaming session to adapt to the available data rate based on bandwidth adaptation algorithm implemented on the client side

� Apple HLS supports Video On Demand as well

Microsoft Smooth Streaming

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� Smooth Streaming is Microsoft's implementation of HTTP-based adaptive streaming, which is a hybrid media delivery method.

� When a client requests a specific source time segment from the IIS Web server, the server dynamically finds the appropriate Movie Fragment box within the contiguous MP4 file and sends it over the wire as a standalone file, thus ensuring full cacheability downstream.

� ISMC file is an XML document that contains metadata required by a MSS client for streaming the media fragments. The ISMC file contains appropriate fragment duration, audio/video codec details etc.

� A MSS client starts the streaming by downloading the client manifest (ismc) file and parsing the ismc file from server and issues RESTful URL to download the media fragments.

� The client parses the ISMC file and understands the media content available in different bitrates for seamless streaming and downloads required fragments based on current download rate

� Providing multiple encoded bit rates of the same media source also allows clients to seamlessly and dynamically switch between bit rates depending on network conditions and CPU power.

3GP DASH

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� DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) is a multimedia streaming technology where a multimedia file is partitioned into one or more segments and delivered to a client using HTTP.

� A media presentation description (MPD) describes segment information (timing, URL, media characteristics such as video resolution and bit rates).

� Segments can contain any media data, however the specification provides specific guidance and formats for use with two types of containers: MPEG-4 file format or MPEG-2 Transport Stream.

Cloud based Streaming Server

Cloud based Streaming Server – Multi Client Streaming

Storage Server

Edge Server

MP4 Audio Video Fragments

MPEG TS ChunksHTTP Live

Streaming

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Origin Server

Edge Server

Edge Server

3gp Segments

Smooth

Streaming

Dynamic

Adaptive

Streaming

Cloud based Streaming Server - Technology

• The Unified Streaming Server runs on the Origin Server. This is the server that has access to the video files for

VOD presentation or acts as a publishing point for encoders to ingest Live streams. It delivers the Video-On-

Demand/Live content and metadata files required by the different clients.

• In front of the Origin Servers are optional edge servers. These are standard HTTP caching nodes and their

number depend on the expected 'load', i.e. the number of simultaneous viewers.

• Requests are spread over the available edge servers. The initial request will be forwarded to the origin server.

Once the response is retrieved, it is stored in a caching server at the edge and passed on to the requesting

client. All subsequent requests for this object will be served from the cache. The object is removed from the

cache when it’s no longer valid (as specified by the origin server). Valid objects may also be deleted by the

cache management to free up space for more popular objects.

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cache management to free up space for more popular objects.

• When a client (iPhone/Silverlight/Flash) starts a presentation it connects to the closest Edge server. On a

cache-miss the Edge server requests the media fragment from the Origin server and caches it.

• USS delivers video in a series of short fragments. The content is available in different qualities allowing viewers

with high-bandwidth connections to enjoy high definition (HD), while others may receive a lower quality stream

depending on the current network conditions, the screen size and CPU capabilities.

Adaptive Streaming

Streaming

Media Origin

Server

Edge Caching

Server

Low Bandwidth

300 kbps

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• Video served by server dynamically adapts to network conditions

• Server collect reports and understand the client network condition and serve contents

suitable for quality streaming in the client side

• Server supports switching video contents based on client request (Dynamic Adaptive

Streaming) which includes support for Apple HLS, MSFT Smooth Streaming, 3GP DASH

& Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming

• Video served by server dynamically adapts to network conditions

• One time encoding

• Handling multiple clients

• Live Streaming

• Live Video Broadcasting

• Video on Demand

• IPTV Support

• Transcoding

Cloud based Streaming Server - Features

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• Transcoding

• TransMux

• Improved Throughput Efficiency (Saving Bandiwidth)

• Secured Video Delivery (SVD)

• Support for standard HTTP delivery systems

• Uses the MP4 standard container format, the industry standard for adaptive bitrate delivery

(Adaptive Streaming)

• Multi Client Streaming Support - Apple HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft Smooth Streaming,

3gp DASH & Adobe Dynamic Streaming

• Supports PlayReady and AES encryption

Cloud based Streaming Server - Advantages

• Advantages to the Operator

• Operator will be able to save bandwidth pipe and also will be able to serve all the

users with best quality

• One solution will address all different clients like IPhone, Windows Phone & Android

with different adaptive streaming technologies

• Manage space effectively with one time encoding logic

• Advantages to the Content Distributor

• Lower cost to deploy. Generic HTTP caches/proxies can be used and its doesn’t

require specialized servers at each node.

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require specialized servers at each node.

• Better scalability and reach as it dynamically adapts to network conditions and video

rendering performance.

• No more guessing on what bitrates are most likely to be accessible to the audience.

• Every viewer gets the best available experience.

• Advantages to the Viewer

• No disconnects, no buffering and stuttering (the viewer has to meet the minimum

bitrate/cpu requirements)

• Seamless bitrate switching.

Content Adaptation Gateway

Cloud based “Content Adaptation AGteway“

3G Carrier Network

Packet DataPacket DataPacket DataPacket Data

NetworkNetworkNetworkNetwork

RNCRNCRNCRNC

Content Adaptation GatewayContent Adaptation GatewayContent Adaptation GatewayContent Adaptation Gateway

Content Adaptation GatewayContent Adaptation Gateway

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Operator

Deployed

Streaming

Servers

(RTSP/ HTTP)(RTSP/ HTTP)(RTSP/ HTTP)(RTSP/ HTTP)Linux / Windows OS

TransMUXDynamic Rate

Adaptation

Improved

Throughput

Efficiency

Video

Optimization

Content Adaptation GatewayContent Adaptation Gateway

Video

Caching

Over the TOP

(OTT) Video

Multi-user

SupportQoS

Streaming ClientStreaming ClientStreaming ClientStreaming Client

Features:

Video Optimization

Video Transrating

Video Smoothing

Video Pacing – JIT Video Delivery

Video Caching

Client Adaptation

Content Adaptation Gateway – E2E Setup

Home

G/W

PC

IP over Fibre

Broadcast

Server

VoD Server

IP Multicast

IP Unicast

Service ProvidersContent

Providers

End DevicesOperator Network

IP

Router

STB

IP over Fibre

Network

VoD Server

YouTube

Sever

IP Unicast

HTTP

Content

Adaptation

Gateway

OTT Server

Gaming

Server

IP

Router

IP

Router

HTTP

RNC

Node-B

Frog’s Adaptive

Streaming Client

Content Adaptation Gateway - Features

Features Description Benefits

Video Optimization Optimize video properties like framerate,

resolution etc based on client capability and

human perception

Avoiding client side overheads like

Scaling.

Adaptive Video Transrating Change the Video Bitrate dynamically

according to network conditions.

Increases quality of user experience by

reducing stalls (rebuffering).

Client Adaptation Gateway detects each device and its video

profile using a database of device profiles.

Different devices have different profiles -

screen sizes, resolutions, CPUs, players,

and codecs and levels.

Optimize Bandwidth

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and codecs and levels.

Content Caching Caching reduces upstream operating

expenses by storing data in temporary

memory for local distribution.

Caching saves multiple retrievals of the

same video from content distributors,

which saves bandwidth in the upstream

link and minimizes operating expenses.

Network Monitoring Determine optimization parameters based

on subscriber, content & network conditions

(Operator n/w & client connection).

Ensures optimization occurs according to

network conditions.

Video pacing - Just-In-Time Delivery

Transmit data as per client buffer size to

enable smooth playback.

Transmit data as per encoding rate of video.

Eliminates wasted downloads of entire

video in cases where user watches only

initial portion.

Video Smoothing Effective video transmission of variable

bitrate video

Avoid Bandwidth fluctuations

Any queries ?

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