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Multimedia applications on a unix SVR4 kernel: performance study

  • Session E: Performance Studies
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  • First Online:
Multimedia Telecommunications and Applications (COST237 1996)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1185))

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Abstract

End-system resource management is a key issue for obtaining satisfying QoS in multimedia applications. As these applications are being incorporated into workstations, problems regarding efficient and well suited operating system mechanisms to cope with multimedia data constraints have been outlined. In this paper we present a runtime kernel analysis of an adaptive multimedia application dealing with compressed audio and video, which is structured as different communicating processes, running on Solaris 2.4. These processes are not independent, and their interactions determine the application's overall performance. We show that even if application structure is optimised, the fact that synchronisation between processes exists but is not considered by the process scheduling policy, results in unnecessary data copying and image rejection and consequently poor performances. Our measurements of application performance highlight the need for a system level synchronisation support.

Supported by a grant from the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT), under the SFERE/CONACYT Cooperation program

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Giorgio Ventre Jordi Domingo-Pascual André Danthine

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Waldegg, D.B., Lagha, N., Le Narzul, J.P. (1996). Multimedia applications on a unix SVR4 kernel: performance study. In: Ventre, G., Domingo-Pascual, J., Danthine, A. (eds) Multimedia Telecommunications and Applications. COST237 1996. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1185. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0020860

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0020860

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-62096-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49680-9

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