Survivable Interaction Distribution Networks

Interaction Distribution Networks (IDNs) are systems designed to deliver small, interactive data streams in a scalable manner. Compared with Content Distribution Network (CDN), which serves relatively static and bulky data, IDNs may be more suited for latency-sensitive bi-directional interactive streams such as network games or real-time conferencing. Although existing instant messenger (IM) or massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) may be considered as early forms of IDNs, we envision IDNs as capable to serve new forms of scalable interactions to different applications at affordable costs. Designing IDNs that are both scalable and reliable thus is important. This paper discusses the survivability of IDNs and the design measures that can be taken, to ensure that an IDN may still survive hardware and software malfunctions, when deployed on a large scale.