Enabling real-time distributed virtual simulation over the Internet using host-based overlay multicast

Many-to-many multicast transmission is an essential network capability for scalable distributed simulation. The many open issues that make network-layer multicast impractical over the Internet today are likely to continue to be insurmountable and to prevent deployment in a manner that will meet the quality of service (QoS) and many-to-many multicast needs of real-time distributed virtual simulation (RT-DVS). We propose an alternative approach, whereby the IP multicast function is relocated to the simulation host computer and also used to provide for QoS enabled services on a priority basis. This paper explores the concept of such a host-based multicast system with QoS and its suitability for RT-DVS. The paper defines the basic requirements of a host-based multicast protocol to support RT-DVS and proposes a quantitative model for evaluation of system alternatives.