Genetic algorithm for delay- and degree-constrained multimedia broadcasting on overlay networks

Heterogeneous ISP router policies prevent QoS multimedia applications requiring IP layer multicasting, such as real-time media streaming, video conferencing and distance learning, from wide deployment on the Internet. Therefore recent studies have implemented such applications by application layer multicasting through organizing the multicast group in a peer-to-peer overlay network. QoS requirements limit the transmission time and the number of receivers to which each node can transmit. Such a communication scheme in an overlay network can be regarded as a degree- and delay-constrained minimum-cost broadcasting problem, and appears to be NP-complete. This study proposes a novel genetic algorithm for resolving this difficult broadcasting problem and, then, compares it with some state-of-the-art methods. Simulation results with a series of problems demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.