Modelling event communication to enable adaptive behaviour in resource-constrained distributed virtual environments

In this paper we propose a model of event communication to be used in an adaptive, resourceaware mobile multimedia application. Distributed virtual environments (DVEs) must employ application layer adaptation to deal with the variable resource availability of wireless networks and client devices. To enable such adaptation, we propose a model of typical DVE event traffic which is based on the available and required resources as seen at the application level. Building upon existing research which takes overall traffic characteristics into consideration, our model introduces the individual event streams and their effect on the overall network resource requirements (bandwidth, delay and packet loss). The model is evaluated using traffic analysis from a typical multiplayer game (Quake II). We conclude by discussing the importance of the proposed model within the framework of a resource-aware, adaptive DVE system, highlighting the implications for wireless communication.