Network-Based Service for the Repair of IP Multicast Sessions

1. A system for repairing multicast sessions, the system comprising: a memory that stores instructions; a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising: generating an ordered list of retransmit servers based on a likelihood of each retransmit server having buffered copies of packets missing from a multicast session; accumulating a count of successful responses from each of the retransmit servers in the ordered list; determining a ranking for each of the retransmit servers based on the count of successful responses accumulated from each of the retransmit servers in the ordered list; reordering the ordered list into a reordered list based on the ranking determined for each of the retransmit servers; and sequentially requesting the buffered copies of the packets missing from the multicast session based on the reordered list.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise detecting that the packets are missing from the multicast session.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the buffered copies of the packets missing from the multicast session in a unicast response.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise reordering the ordered list based on a past performance of each of the retransmit servers in previous repair sessions.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving receiver reports from the retransmit servers for the multicast session.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise extracting an interarrival jitter field from each of the receiver reports, wherein the interarrival jitter field is utilized as a ranking criterion for adjusting the ordered list.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise extracting a cumulative number of packets lost field from each of the receiver reports, wherein the cumulative number of packets lost field is utilized as a ranking criterion for adjusting the ordered list.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise extracting round trip delay information from the receiver reports, wherein the round trip delay information is utilized as a ranking criterion for adjusting the ordered list.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise extracting a fraction lost field from the receiver reports, wherein the fraction lost field is utilized as a ranking criterion for adjusting the ordered list.

10. A method for repairing multicast sessions, the method comprising: generating an ordered list of retransmit servers based on a likelihood of each retransmit server having buffered copies of packets missing from a multicast session; accumulating a count of successful responses from each of the retransmit servers in the ordered list; determining, by utilizing instructions from memory that are executed by a processor, a ranking for each of the retransmit servers based on the count of successful responses accumulated from each of the retransmit servers in the ordered list; reordering the ordered list into a reordered list based on the ranking determined for each of the retransmit servers; and sequentially requesting the buffered copies of the packets missing from the multicast session based on the reordered list.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising detecting that the packets are missing from the multicast session.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising transmitting the buffered copies of the packets missing from the multicast session in a unicast response.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising reordering the ordered list based on a past performance of each of the retransmit servers in previous repair sessions.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving receiver reports from the retransmit servers for the multicast session.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising extracting an interarrival jitter field from each of the receiver reports, wherein the interarrival jitter field is utilized as a ranking criterion for adjusting the ordered list.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising extracting a cumulative number of packets lost field from each of the receiver reports, wherein the cumulative number of packets lost field is utilized as a ranking criterion for adjusting the ordered list.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising extracting round trip delay information from the receiver reports, wherein the round trip delay information is utilized as a ranking criterion for adjusting the ordered list.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising extracting a fraction lost field from the receiver reports, wherein the fraction lost field is utilized as a ranking criterion for adjusting the ordered list.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable device comprising instructions, which, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: generating an ordered list of retransmit servers based on a likelihood of each retransmit server having buffered copies of packets missing from a multicast session; accumulating a count of successful responses from each of the retransmit servers in the ordered list; determining a ranking for each of the retransmit servers based on the count of successful responses accumulated from each of the retransmit servers in the ordered list; reordering the ordered list into a reordered list based on the ranking determined for each of the retransmit servers; and sequentially requesting the buffered copies of the packets missing from the multicast session based on the reordered list.

20. The computer-readable device of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise reordering the ordered list based on a past performance of each of the retransmit servers in previous repair sessions.