AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 MPEG4/DMIF: Advantages for PNOs and the multimedia market Guido Franceschini CSELT, IT

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 What’s DMIF ? Delivery Multimedia Information Framework

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 Why DMIF ? too many delivery technologies, each with its own peculiarities no consolidated QoS model no consolidated solution for real time multimedia streaming at certain QoS different APIs for different environments (Local Files, Broadcast sources, Interactive servers through a variety of transports) network operators are not playing an active role (no meaningful billing policies are applicable: e.g. the “flat” Internet)

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 DMIF goals Favour the development of multimedia application with QoS requirements Hide the delivery technology details to the DMIF User Make optimal usage of network resources, given application QoS constraints Allow Network Operators to monitor resources being consumed in a single session, to allow meaningful billing policies Ensure interoperability between end-systems

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 The DMIF approach

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 The generic MPEG4 architecture

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 DMIF communication architecture (1) Local App Network Broadcast source DAI Remote App DAI Local Storage

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 DMIF communication architecture (2) Local App Local DMIF for Broadcast Remote DMIF (emulated) Broadcast source DMIF Filter Remote App. (emulated) DAI

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 DMIF communication architecture (3) Local App Local DMIF for Local Files Remote DMIF (emulated) DMIF Filter Remote App. (emulated) DAI Local Storage

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 DMIF communication architecture (4) Local App Local DMIF for Remote srv Network DNI DMIF Filter Sig map DAI Sig map Remote DMIF (Real) Remote App DNIDAI

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 DMIF communication architecture (5) Local App Local DMIF for Broadcast Local DMIF for Remote srv Local DMIF for Local Files Remote DMIF (emulated) Remote DMIF (emulated) Network DNI Broadcast source DMIF Filter Sig map Remote App. (emulated) Remote App. (emulated) DAI Sig map Remote DMIF (Real) Remote App DNIDAI Local Storage

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 DMIF URLs Still under debate Requirements are: –to represent the location of a Service –to localize the Service on a variety of delivery technologies, including local files, MPEG2 broadcast, IP and ATM networks –to represent any kind of address –to identify the control protocol to be used (including Intelligent Networks ?)

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 QoS in DMIF QoS “media” metrics: used by the application when requesting a channel QoS “transport” metrics: a generic network centric translation of the above QoS “network” (specific) metrics: the final set of metrics used in the native network signaling

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 Advantages for Developers he just writes the application once, e.g. for using data on the disk, and then, by just plugging in more “network drivers” (“signaling mapping” in the previous slides) and by feeding the application with different URLs, that same application would run on any network technology. he can begin to invest in commercial multimedia applications with the assurance that his investment will not be made obsolete by new delivery technologies.

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 Advantages for PNOs the model allows for meaningful and flexible billing policies in presence of QoS it also enables the effective exploitation of Intelligent Networks, by plugging in an appropriate and proprietary “network driver”

AIMS WORKSHOP Heidelberg, 9-11 March 1998 Conclusion The DMIF model would benefit many players of the multimedia industry, and provides solutions for yet unsolved issues like: –meaningful billing policies –permanence of multimedia application in the presence of new delivery technologies –QoS management.