An OpenFlow-Based Elastic Solution for Cloud-CDN Video Streaming Service

Abstract

Media streaming services are responsible for the significant increase of Internet traffic. This fact generates the need for better computing resources management in order to maintain such services always available. Cloud computing offers an elastic infrastructure that provides computing resources on demand in order to maintain such services always available. Moreover, emerging network architectures, such as Software Defined Networks, provide mechanisms that simplify the implementation of advanced network functions. In this context, this paper proposes an elastic approach to manage a video streaming service. The solution includes an OpenFlow-based load balancer, and an elasticity management mechanism that increases or decreases the amount of active streaming servers, considering customer's demand. A prototype was developed using a private cloud infrastructure and experiments were performed to show the viability and effectiveness of our solution, in terms of load balancing and elasticity functionality.