A flexible middleware for multimedia communication: design, implementation, and experience

Abstract

Distributed multimedia applications require a variety of communication services. These services and different application requirements have to be provided and supported within (1) end-systems in an efficient and integrated manner, combining the precise specification of Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements, application interfaces, multicast support, and security features, and within (2) the network. The Da CaPo++ system presented here provides an efficient end-system middleware for multimedia applications, capable of handling various types of applications in a modular fashion. Application needs and communication demands are specified by values in terms of QoS attributes and functional properties, such as encryption requirements or multicast support. Da CaPo++ automatically configures suitable communication protocols, provides for an efficient run-time support, and offers an easy-to-use, object-oriented application programming interface. While its applicability to real-life applications was shown by prototype implementations, performance evaluations have been carried out yielding practical experiences and numerical results.

A Self-Configuring Communication Virtual Machine

“…Stiller et al [13] also described the design and implementation of a communication middleware called Da CaPo++, which is adaptable to different application needs. Authors claimed that Da CaPo++ automatically configuring suitable communication protocols, and offering an easy to use object-oriented API.…”

CVM – A communication virtual machine

“…In the NCB we use a similar approach. Stiller et al (1999) described the Da CaPo++ system as an end-system middleware for multimedia applications adaptable to the application needs. The authors claimed that Da CaPo++ automatically configures suitable communication protocols, provides an efficient runtime support, and offers an easy to use object-oriented API, which shares some common traits with the low layers of UCM components.…”

Designing Self-adaptive Multimedia Applications Through Hierarchical Reconfiguration

“…Instead of sending QoS messages through components, they are delivered to a reconfiguration manager, which performs reconfiguration operations. This approach is applied in the DaCapo++ [12] communication framework, in the 2KQ framework [16] for resource management and in CANS (Composable Adaptive Network Services) [9] and APC (Automatic Path Creation Service) [18] to design adaptive media transcoding gateways. The main limitation of this approach is that such a manager is tightly-coupled with the targeted application, and especially its architecture.…”