Efficiently distributing video content using a combination of a peer-to-peer network and a content distribution network

A computer program product embodied in a non-transistory computer readable storage medium for reducing network delay in video conferencing using random tree pushing, the computer program product comprising the programming instructions for:

• randomly selecting a plurality of nodes as next hop forwarders for a piece of content;
• adding additional next hop forwarders to said randomly selected plurality of nodes to form a set of next hop forwarders until a total upload bandwidth of all next hop forwarders is no less than a bandwidth required to deliver a video stream to a set of receivers;
• partitioning said set of receivers in a video session and assigning each of said set of receivers to one of said set of next hop forwarders for forwarding said video stream to an assigned receiver either directly or through a multi-hop path;
• wherein said plurality of nodes are randomly selected as next hop forwarders with a probability proportional to its upload bandwidth, based on:
• computing randomized weights W[k]=log(uniform(P[k],C,p))/bw[k], wherein said uniform(P[k],C,p) is a pseudo random number uniformly distributed between 0 and 1 and is generated with pair (P[k], C) as a random seed, wherein said C is said source, wherein said P[1], P[2], . . . , P[n] is said set of receivers, wherein said bw[k] is an upload bandwidth of P[k], wherein said p is a new piece of content to be disseminated, wherein said k and said n are positive integer numbers;
• sorting all P[k] in descending order of W[k];
• finding a smallest m such that bw[k1]+ . . . +bw[km]>=(n−m)*Data_Rate[C], wherein said Data_Rate[C] is a data rate of said video stream generated by said C, wherein said m is a positive integer number;
• and
• designating P[k1], . . . , P[km] as its next-hop forwarders.

A system, comprising:

• a memory for storing a computer program for reducing network delay in video conferencing using random tree pushing;
• and
• a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said computer program, comprises:
• circuitry for randomly selecting a plurality of nodes as next hop forwarders for a piece of content;
• circuitry for adding additional next hop forwarders to said randomly selected plurality of nodes to form a set of next hop forwarders until a total upload bandwidth of all next hop forwarders is no less than a bandwidth required to deliver a video stream to a set of receivers;
• circuitry for partitioning said set of receivers in a video session and assigning each of said set of receivers to one of said set of next hop forwarders for forwarding said video stream to an assigned receiver either directly or through a multi-hop path;
• wherein said plurality of nodes are randomly selected as next hop forwarders with a probability proportional to its upload bandwidth, based on:
• circuitry for computing randomized weights W[k]=log(uniform(P[k],C,p))/bw[k], wherein said uniform(P[k],C,p) is a pseudo random number uniformly distributed between 0 and 1 and is generated with pair (P[k], C) as a random seed, wherein said C is said source, wherein said P[1], P[2], . . . , P[n] is said set of receivers, wherein said bw[k] is an upload bandwidth of P[k], wherein said p is a new piece of content to be disseminated, wherein said k and said n are positive integer numbers;
• circuitry for sorting all P[k] in descending order of W[k];
• circuitry for finding a smallest m such that bw[k1]+ . . . +bw[km]>=(n−m)*Data_Rate[C], wherein said Data_Rate[C] is a data rate of said video stream generated by said C, wherein said m is a positive integer number;
• and
• circuitry for designating P[k1], . . . , P[km] as its next-hop forwarders.