Multi-Platform Simulation of Video Playout Performance 1998

Abstract:  We describe a compositional simulation system, which predicts streamed video performance on multiple platform configurations. System behavior is modeled with a set of key deterministic and stochastic variables, each of which characterizes part of a "virtual system component, " e.g., an IO device, a particular CPU, a codec, etc. These variables are profiled in isolation, by inserting lightweight instrumentation code into the main threads and upcalls involved in the playout datapath. Then, a post-processor converts the derived samples into synthesized probability distribution functions, after which the results are stored in the simulators library. At simulation time, the user selects a set of "virtual components," which are then composed into an "end-user system." The resulting model is used to predict the performance of any video, which usually requires no more than a few seconds. The output is a list of frame-display times, accompanied by statistics on the mean-playout rate, variance, jitter, etc.