Content distribution over IP: developments and challenges

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the multimedia distribution over Internet IP under the auspices of the NoE Euro-NGI research project ”Routing in Overlay Networks (ROVER)”. The multimedia distribution is supported by several components such as services, content distribution chain, protocols and standards whilst Internet is used for content acquisition, management and delivery as well as an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) infrastructure with QoS facilities. As the convergence between fixed and mobile services of wide and local area networks is also expected to take place in the home networking, this puts an extra burden on multimedia distribution, which requires the different types of wireless access solutions (e.g., WiMAX). In this context, the ROVER research project adopts the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), which offers a wide range of multimedia services over a single IP infrastructure such as authentication and, for wireless services, roaming capabilities. The research project also considers overlay routing as an alternative solution for content distribution.