Toolkit support for multiuser audio/video applications

Abstract

Comet is a UNIX/C++ toolkit for writing programs that involve multiple users and that use digital audio and video. Comet provides a simple programming interface: the application builds a graph of objects representing speakers and microphones, mixers, files, and so on. Comet then realizes the graph by creating processes to handle mixing and file I/O if needed, and linking them by network connections to audio/video I/O servers. In addition, Comet addresses the interrelated issues of client requirements and resource management. It determines delay and throughput requirements, process placement, and data type conversion; it deals with resource managers on the application’s behalf. These mechanisms are based on a negotiation protocol among the components of the object graph.