A hybrid incentive-based peer selection scheme for unstructured peer-to-peer media streaming systems

Abstract

The success of peer to peer file sharing protocols such as BitTorrent and Gnutella make peer to peer networks an attractive alternative for implementing media streaming services. However, due to the continuous nature of the content, the key components of such conventional file sharing applications are unable to suffice to the more stringent requirements of media streaming. In this study, we propose an alternative to one of its key components that is the incentive based peer selection routine. The primary motivation of our proposed scheme is the utilization of peer contribution information on both local and global context for a more informed peer selection process.