Core Technology

Multicast-to-Storage™ (M2S) is a combination of core technologies which form the underlying technology layer of Intercast's VideoXpress video delivery platform.

These core technologies efficiently address the challenges of delivering massive amounts of personalized video content to storage-enabled end points and to effectively manage the available storage in line with individual consumption preferences.

Dynamic Multicast Scheduling

A fundamental principle of the multicast technology utilized by Intercast Networks’ CDS is its requirement of only a single distribution node to simultaneously serve numerous endpoints (or receivers) with the same data. This process becomes very complex when taking into consideration the large variety of personal content item requests and the wide spectrum of dynamic bandwidth requirements and capabilities presented by each user end point.

To manage this complex mission Intercast Networks has developed specialized scheduling algorithms with the ability to handle scheduling tasks in a highly scalable and robust manner. These sophisticated algorithms create a scheduling schema for all subscribed users within subdivided multicast groups. It is based on the aggregated parameters from the user’s preference profile, content-item scheduling attributes as set by the content management system, service provider’s network constraints, content and service priority and last mile bandwidth.

This embedded scheduling engine dynamically assigns data flows to available multicast groups and to time slots, optimizing throughput while taking into account the following constraints:

• Available network resources - bandwidth, multicast groups.
  
  
• Preferred time of operation - for example off-peak windows.
  
  
• Available client resources - broadband link, storage.
  
  
• Active clients and their channel line-up - the scheduling engine constantly receives notifications about users’ content wish-lists and about their download status. It includes this information in its scheduling decisions.
  
  
• Content programming - order of titles, window of availability and more.
  
  

Congestion Control

In order to eliminate any risk of over-utilizing the network or the end user-link, the Intercast Network CDS is equipped with a unique congestion avoidance algorithm. This cutting-edge congestion control mechanism proactively throttles bandwidth usage in accordance with a user’s dynamic bandwidth usage and network policies.

Clients constantly measure delay and delay variance in the network and thus detect congestion issues. The system dynamically adapts to heavy loads in the service provider network and in the client broadband link and avoids overloading and congesting them. If a network is highly loaded –the Intercast Networks system (per configuration) reduces its consumption of network resources until more network resources become available. As such M2S is designed to always function as the lowest priority service over best effort networks.

Forward Error Correction

The Intercast Networks CDS enables point-to-multipoint file distribution with full error-correction capabilities, i.e. clients can receive the content in full even if packets got lost or if the user switched the client on mid-transfer (late-join) or even if the user switched the client off half-way and restarted it days later. Error correction is performed by transmitting additional data files which enables clients to complete missing file fragments.

Intercast Networks developed a specialized error correction method that is designed to serve multiple clients at the same time. In other words, each block and its embedded error correction data serve not just a specific client, but rather serve each of the clients – and their specific personalized requests - who simultaneously receive the data.


Personalization

Personalization optimizes the delivery of content to personal storage according to the wishes and tastes of users (down to the individual user level) and takes the business requirements of network operators into account. Individual user personalization is assured via a wide variety of parameters such as channel subscription, genre preferences, deletion policies, taste learning, recommendation engines and more. These parameters are used to create an underlying user profile which is dynamically adjusted in accordance with consumption data and usage patterns.

Storage Management

Intercast’s sophisticated storage management system utilizes advanced algorithms to optimize the hit-to-cache ratio for content within the consumers’ personal storage space. The storage management system takes into account parameters like usage patterns, preferred content, first-in first-out, favorites and more to ensure that user storage is filled with what they really want to watch and consume.