The goal of the CoopNet (Cooperative Networking) project is to investigate ways in which selective use of peer-to-peer (P2P) communication can help improve the performance and/or functionality of client-server applications. CoopNet differs from many other P2P systems in a few ways: (a) P2P communication is used to complement rather than replace client-server communication, and (b) a minimal assumption is made about the willingness of peers to cooperate and the duration of such cooperation; an individual peer may participate in CoopNet for just a few minutes.

The initial set of applications we are focussing on are: (a) Web flash crowd alleviation, and (b) streaming media content distribution. To ensure the resilience in the latter, we use Multiple Description Coding (MDC) for efficient redundancy in data and multiple diverse and short trees for redundancy in network path.

We are also conducting a study of peer-to-peer network performance among broadband hosts (DSL, cable modem, etc.) in the Internet.

• Phil Chou
• Venkat Padmanabhan
• Helen J. Wang

• Kunwadee Sripanidkulchai (Kay)
• Karthik Lakshminarayanan

• The Case for Cooperative Networking
  V. N. Padmanabhan and K. Sripanidkulchai
  Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Peer-to-Peer Systems (IPTPS), Cambridge, MA, USA
  March 2002
  PostScript, PDF
  (This is a slightly expanded version of the original IPTPS paper (PostScript, PDF) that includes an addendum.)
  
  
• Distributing Streaming Media Content Using Cooperative Networking
  V. N. Padmanabhan, H. J. Wang, P. A. Chou, and K. Sripanidkulchai
  ACM NOSSDAV, Miami Beach, FL, USA
  May 2002
  PostScript, PDF
  (An expanded version appeared as Microsoft Research Technical Report MSR-TR-2002-37, April 2002 (PostScript, PDF))
  
  
• Layered Multiple Description Coding
  P. A. Chou, H. J. Wang, and V. N. Padmanabhan
  IEEE Packet Video Workshop, Nantes, France
  April 2003
  PDF
  
  
• Network Performance of Broadband Hosts: Measurements & Implications
  K. Lakshminarayanan and V. N. Padmanabhan
  ACM/USENIX Internet Measurement Conference, Miami, FL, USA
  October 2003
  PostScript, PDF
  (This is an updated version of Microsoft Research Technical Report MSR-TR-2003-11, March 2003 (PostScript, PDF))
  
  
• Resilient Peer-to-Peer Streaming
  V. N. Padmanabhan, H. J. Wang, and P. A. Chou
  IEEE ICNP, Atlanta, GA, USA
  November 2003
  PostScript, PDF
  (This is an updated version of Microsoft Research Technical Report MSR-TR-2003-11, March 2003 (PostScript, PDF))
  
  
• Supporting Heterogeneity and Congestion Control in Peer-to-Peer Multicast Streaming
  V. N. Padmanabhan, H. J. Wang, and P. A. Chou
  Proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Peer-to-Peer Systems (IPTPS), San Diego, CA, USA
  February 2004
  PostScript, PDF
  
  

• The Case for Cooperative Networking
  First International Workshop on Peer-to-Peer Systems (IPTPS), Cambridge, MA, USA
  March 2002
  PostScript, PDF
  
  
• Distributing Streaming Media Content Using Cooperative Networking
  ACM NOSSDAV, Miami Beach, FL, USA
  May 2002
  PostScript, PDF
  
  
• CoopNet: Cooperative Networking
  Invited talk at the Georgia Institute of Technology
  September 2002
  PostScript, PDF
  
  
• Resilient Peer-to-Peer Streaming
  Invited talks at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California at Berkeley
  March 2003
  PostScript, PDF