Peer-Assisted On-Demand Streaming of Stored Media Using BitTorrent-Like Protocols

With BitTorrent-like protocols a client may download a file from a large and changing set of peers, using connections of heterogeneous and timevarying bandwidths. This flexibility is achieved by breaking the file into many small pieces, each of which may be downloaded from different peers. This paper considers an approach to peer-assisted on-demand delivery of stored media that is based on the relatively simple and flexible BitTorrent-like approach, but which is able to achieve a form of “streaming” delivery, in the sense that playback can begin well before the entire media file is received. Achieving this goal requires: (1) a piece selection strategy that effectively mediates the conflict between the goals of high piece diversity, and the in-order requirements of media file playback, and (2) an on-line rule for deciding when playback can safely commence. We present and evaluate using simulation candidate protocols including both of these components.