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Application-layer versus Network-layer Multicast: Networking Load, Link Stress, and Distribution Delay
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- Author / Creator
- Hosseinimotlagh, Seyedmahyar
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Multicast is the task of disseminating a message from a source to a set of destinations. If supported by the network and switches, multicast can be performed at the network layer. The alternative solution is application-layer multicast (ALM) which disseminates the message through a set of unicast communications. ALM is simple to implement and does not require switches to support multicast. This, however, comes at some price including higher networking load, and slower message dissemination compared to network-layer multicast (NLM). This work analyzes some of these costs/penalties. We show that when ALM is done carefully, its networking load can be bounded to three times that of any NLM, irrespective of the network topology, the number of destination nodes, and the message size. In addition, it can be ensured that ALM does not put significant stress/pressure on any physical link in any network topology. We also analyze how slower ALM is compared to NLM. We implement an ALM algorithm in Amazon EC2 and show that the distribution delay increases slightly as the number of destination nodes increases. Deciding on what layer to use for multicasting depends on the trade-offs one is willing to make. The results presented in this work helps in making such a decision.
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- Subjects / Keywords
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2017
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Master of Science
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.