TATree: A topology-aware multicast tree construction method for P2P Streaming

P2P Streaming is a popular alternative for video broadcasting. However, without the support for topology-aware overlay, P2P applications generate considerable inter-domain traffic, causing congestion in the backbone network. This paper proposes a topology-aware multicast tree construction method for P2P streaming. Through investigating the problem, we find out that there is a trade-off between inter-domain traffic and streaming delay. Three heuristic principles are proposed, taking the both factors into account. Based on these principles, TATree, a distributed algorithm for multicast tree construction is designed. TATree utilizes information provided by network coordinates systems and can be applied in super-peers to construct an optimized core tree. To evaluate the effectiveness, we set up two typical scenarios for simulation, one with the support from the underlay network and one without. From the simulation results, it can be observed that the method can reduce inter-domain traffic effectively at the cost of an acceptable increment in streaming delay.