Test Environment for Performance Evaluation of an Internet Radio

Abstract

This paper presents a test environment designed to improve Internet radio services through the evaluation of different service features. The environment comprises the generation of audio streams, the delivery of those streams through different communication networks, and the access of final users to those contents. A broad set of service architectures can be emulated, and several network configurations can be deployed using the available communication devices. It is also possible to simulate users' behaviour thanks to a workload generator that can be configured using statistical information obtained from real service access data. A case study is also presented, where a glimpse of the possibilities of the environment can be caught. This test environment will allow service administrators or research teams to predict what will happen in a real service if its configuration is modified, or if user behaviour changes. Furthermore, managers will be capable of knowing whether an Internet radio service can be improved or not. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.