Heuristic algorithm for application-layer multicast structure

In this paper we investigate the problem of finding minimum delay application layer multicast structures in overlay networks. We analyze large group communication over the Internet. In this work, we create a new model to scale overlay multicast to large groups. This approach utilizes fixed nodes to provide the multicast service to applications. The multicast receivers (dynamic group members) connect to these fixed nodes (static group members) to send or receive multicast traffic. We design a heuristic algorithm to construct the multicast structure. The heuristic algorithm generates a minimum delay structure that balance short latency with small degree. Our work addresses the issue of dynamic network and group situation, where group members connect and leave frequently. We analyze when should redistribute the dynamic group members to maintain the minimum delay. The simulations show that the heuristic solution is scalable for large group sizes, and produces results that are close to optimal for the given multicast structure. The proposed solution is most useful for delay-sensitive applications.