Characterization of YouTube Video Streaming Traffic

Abstract: Online digital videos have made a revolutionary evolution since the social networking sites such as YouTube and Hulu have emerged. These websites facilitate video accessable and only a click away. Ever increasing internet traffic and a very significant increase in the use of videos in social networking has led to the problem of network congestion. Consequently, it becomes essential and imperative to analyze the traffic flow and comprehend how it is being delivered from the server. If the flow of traffic is analyzed appropriately and if the analysis methodology is understood properly, the service providers can understand the reasons for network congestion and avoid them. Given the context, a few research studies have thrown light on video delivery procedure of YouTube with emphasis on methodology. A few other works have examined the location of video storage and the strategy involved in sending the video packets, yet the packet delivery strategy for different types of videos (based on popularity) has not been explained in detail. The present research fills this gap. This research explores the origin of the source of the video and the exact strategy being followed by YouTube in delivering popular and non-popular videos. This thesis also discusses the analysis methodology of packet delivery in detail.