Cross-layer quality-based resource reservation for scalable multimedia

Resource reservation for Variable Bit Rate (VBR) multimedia streams is a complex task if both the requirements of service providers and of end-users need to be considered. In this paper we present a novel static reservation scheme for VBR multimedia traffic that takes into account the end-user Quality of Experience (QoE). We apply a two-step process for the reservation. In the first step, we map the target user-perceived quality to an upper limit on packet loss. The second step applies a numerical method, that uses a simple video model and a Markov queue model to determine the required bandwidth for the given level of packet loss. For the validation of the video and the system model we use simulation studies. Although our method is static, it is still able to capture the characteristics of a VBR multimedia, which is the main benefit.