Video-on-demand session management

A video-on-demand (VoD) system provides a service which enables a user of the system to request in real time the transmission of a video stream from a collection of available video material. This paper suggests a conceptual model that subclassifies the VoD control and management procedures into three management levels: session, call, and connection. The session management is represented by a finite state machine (FSM) that translates user commands into call layer activities. The states in the session FSM represent active calls between the set-top boxes (STB's) and other entities, whereas the arcs represent distributed protocols for set-up and take-down of calls. This model is used in order to analyze the relationship between the procedures in the various management levels and to discuss the options and trade-offs involved in the design of a VoD session.