NeTS: Small: Cooperative Networked Caching for Cost and Reward Management in Mobile Content Ecosystems

本项目开发了一种用于社交无线网络（或SWNETs）中协作对象缓存的转换机制。其关键思想是通过在移动设备之间通过短距离WiFi风格的无线链路智能地将用户对象存储在SWNETs中，从而减少运营商3G/4G网络的无线带宽紧张。适用的用户对象将包括手机应用程序、mp3音乐、视频剪辑、新闻项目、书籍章节和研究论文。该项目的主要研究目标是开发一种通用的缓存框架，用于管理当今由网络运营商、内容提供商和最终用户组成的移动内容生态系统（mce）中各种形式的成本和回报。研究内容包括：1)MCE利益相关者之间的成本-报酬流的一般公式；2)开发最优分布式协同缓存算法；3)表征网络、用户和对象动态的影响；4)研究生态系统中不合作的影响，并开发控制机制；5)开发协作网络缓存背景下跟踪人类移动的社交无线网络原型。本研究的影响包括社交无线网络对象生命周期管理领域的潜在转变，其最终目标是在当今的移动内容生态系统中实现网络容量和成本收入管理。这项研究可以被认为是新兴社交网络应用的关键促成因素，以及它们如何能被蜂窝和短距离无线网络基础设施共生支持。

This project develops a transformative mechanism for cooperative object caching in Social Wireless Networks (or SWNETs). The key idea is to reduce wireless bandwidth strain in carriers' 3G/4G networks by intelligently storing user objects within SWNETs formed across mobile devices through short range WiFi style wireless links. The applicable user objects would include phone Apps, mp3 music, video clips, news items, book chapters, and research papers. The key research objectives of the project is to develop a generalized caching framework for managing various forms of costs and rewards in today's Mobile Content Ecosystems (MCEs) comprising of the network operators, content providers, and the end-users. The research involves: 1) general formulation of cost-reward flow among the MCE stakeholders, 2) developing optimal distributed cooperative caching algorithms, 3) characterizing the impacts of network, user and object dynamics, 4) investigating the impacts, and developing mechanism for controlling non-cooperation in the ecosystems, and finally 5) developing a prototype Social Wireless Network for tracking human mobility in the context of cooperative network caching. Impacts of this research include a potential transformation of the area of object life-cycle management in Social Wireless Networks with an end-goal of network capacity and cost-revenue management in today's Mobile Content Ecosystems. This research can be considered as a key enabler for the emerging social network applications and how they can be symbiotically supported by the cellular and short range wireless network infrastructure.