Low-Latency Video Conferencing via Optimized Packet Routing and Reordering

TL;DR

This paper proposes VCRoute and WMJitter, two techniques that optimize packet routing and jitter management to reduce latency and improve performance in geo-distributed video conferencing systems.

Contribution

The paper introduces VCRoute, a novel routing method using Multi-Armed Bandit algorithms, and WMJitter, a watermark-based jitter control mechanism, specifically designed for geo-distributed video conferencing.

Findings

VCRoute effectively reduces end-to-end latency.

WMJitter balances latency and loss rate.

Both methods demonstrate scalability in real network environments.

Abstract

In the face of rising global demand for video meetings, managing traffic across geographically distributed (geo-distributed) data centers presents a significant challenge due to the dynamic and limited nature of inter-DC network performance. Facing these issues, this paper introduces two novel techniques, VCRoute and WMJitter, to optimize the performance of geo-distributed video conferencing systems. VCRoute is a routing method designed for audio data packets of video conferences. It treats the routing problem as a Multi-Armed Bandit issue, and utilizes a tailored Thompson Sampling algorithm for resolution. Unlike traditional approaches, VCRoute considers transmitting latency and its variance simultaneously by using Thompson Sampling algorithm, which leads to effective end-to-end latency optimization. In conjunction with VCRoute, we present WMJitter, a watermark-based mechanism for managing network jitter, which can further reduce the end-to-end delay and keep an improved balance between latency and loss rate. Evaluations based on real geo-distributed network performance demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of VCRoute and WMJitter, offering robust solutions for optimizing video conferencing systems in geo-distributed settings.