Policy-based multivariate application-level QoS negotiation for multimedia services

A method for provisioning a media flow between a media server and a client of multimedia services in a distributed computer network comprising a plurality of media servers having media content and a plurality of clients, said method comprising:

• receiving a request for media service at a service requestor from said client application, said service requestor implementing a directory means comprising a list of potential negotiators and their corresponding capabilities/specialties for determining a negotiator to which to forward said request;
• receiving a request for media service from said service requestor at a negotiator, said request including a service identifier indicating request for a media service, said negotiator applying pre-conditions to the request, as necessary, according to preferences of a requestor and generating a modified request set;
• receiving said modified request set at a service mapper and locating possible media server devices capable of offering said requested media service, said service mapper returning a media server match set comprising possible media server devices to said negotiator for forwarding to said client application;
• and
• selecting a possible media server from said server match set for providing a requested media service flow to said client application.

A system for provisioning a media flow between a media server and a client of multimedia services in a distributed computer network comprising a plurality of media servers having media content and a plurality of clients, said system comprising:

• negotiator means for receiving a request for media service from a client application, said request including a service identifier indicating request for a media service, said negotiator means applying pre-conditions to a request, as necessary, according to preferences of a requester and generating a modified request set;
• service requestor means interposed between a client application and one or more negotiator means for receiving a request for media service from a client application, and determining a negotiator means to which to forward said request based on its corresponding capabilities/specialties;
• mapping means for receiving said request set and locating possible media server devices capable of offering a requested media service, said mapping means returning a media server match set comprising said possible media server devices to said negotiator means for forwarding to a client application;
• and,
• service interface means for providing insertion points for services to enable bridging of an unfeasible mapping between application requirements and a media server offering into a feasible mapping via an insertion of added-value or subsidizing services onto a resultant media service flow.

An apparatus for searching multimedia content in a distributed network of heterogeneous servers comprising;

• negotiator objects for receiving a generic request for media service from a client application, said request including one or more delivery constraints, and generating a request set including keywords indicating requested content and delivery constraint;
• service requester means interposed between a client application and one or more negotiator means for receiving a request for media service from a client application, and determining a negotiator means to which to forward said request based on its corresponding capabilities/specialties;
• mapping objects responsive to said request set for navigating organizational media server repositories and searching for content in terms of said keywords as well as delivery constraints and locating possible media server devices capable of offering said requested media service in accordance with said delivery constraints, said mapping objects returning a media server match set comprising said possible media server offerings to said negotiator objects for forwarding to a client application;
• and
• means for bridging an unfeasible mapping between application requirements and a media server offering into a feasible mapping via an insertion of added-value or subsidizing services onto a resultant media service flow.