[Opencdn-users] Spring 2006 update about OpenCDN project

[Alessandro F. <aa...@li...>]

Hi all!

.. it is really a long time from the last message to this list. By now,
release 0.7.4 is out, whose release notes can be found at

http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=404411&group_id=121628

but wait for the 0.7.4.1 bugfixed release.

Yesterday, I participated to the periodic TF-VVC tele-meeting
(http://www.terena.nl/activities/tf-vvc/), and exposed a short summary
of completed, planned, and foreseen activities. Here below, I am
forwarding such message.

Have a good Easter !!!
Alessandro

------- Messaggio inoltrato -------
Da: aa...@li...
Rispondi-a: aa...@li...
A: tf-vvc <tf-vxxx@terxxx>
Oggetto: [tf-vvc] update about OpenCDN project
Data: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 15:58:15 +0200
Hi all, 

as probably my update about TF-VVC activity area B was not so well
understandable, I put it in a written form.

OpenCDN development has slowed down a lot, as I didn't found a so big
interest on it. Anyway, these are the news:

- Identification of LastHop surrogates, by means of an objective Round
Trip Time estimation in between a viewer and different LastHop
candidates, is almost complete, and is undergoing a test and debug
phase. Please wait for release 0.7.4.1 at sourceforge for the debugged
version.

- Integration with VideoLan is ongoing, with the following aspects:

* distribution of a "content producer kit", in order to ease independent
contributions by anyone who will. The package will provide a web-based
GUI to the configuration and operation of an OpenCDN Origin entity,
whose encoding and RTSP capabilities are based on VLC. In this
framework, we have submitted a patch to the VLC codebase for proper
interworking in between VLC and Darwin SS; as the latter can now can use
VLC as a relay "pull-able" source.

* development of a new OpenCDN Node adaptation layer, allowing the use
of VLC as a Streamig Server relay. Although VLC originally was just a
player, now it has streaming, relaying and transcoding capability,
becoming a de-facto "magic tool". Over than be able to build a
completely open and free distribution network, VLC integration will
allow to offer streaming based on completely open video codecs as well,
such as Theora (VLC supports it by HTTP relaying).

- Windows Media Server has not been integrated yet, although at the last
face to face meeting, it was outlined this should be done. But, I am
neither a windows fan nor a user, and I think that people interested in
that technology, may contribute to the development by themselves.

- About the future... OpenCDN is now able to build the distribution
tree, by correctly find a root near to the Origin, and the leaves near
to viewers... but, the topology of the Transit nodes which are in the
middle is still based on footprint information to be inserted by hand,
and this is at the same time cumbersome, and may lead to results not
related to the effective underling topology. In order to avoid that,
topology aware solutions must be found, and a very promising one, is
based on allowing OpenCDN nodes to behave as BGP listeners, and access
the routing information available in the border routers of the LAN where
they reside. As OpenCDN possess a central control entity, it will be
easy to derive a global connectivity view, and use it for building a
topologically-aware distribution network. Perl packages for accessing
BGP router data are already available, so this development may be not so
difficult. But before to undertake it, which is the opinion of network
operators? Would they allow to open BGP routing information, to an
overlay network routing entity?

-- 
Alessandro Falaschi - aa...@li...

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