Developing Media-Specific Traffic Profiles for Reliable Media Over IP Network Testing

In the face of a transformative shift in the media production and broadcasting industry, the adoption of Media over IP solutions has become prevalent, facilitated by standards such as SMPTE ST 2110 and AES67. Despite this critical need, proper network testing is often sidestepped due to budget, time, and equipment availability constraints. Addressing this gap, the author’s previous work introduced an accessible approach to Media over IP network load testing, leveraging off-the-shelf hardware and open-source software. However, this innovative solution highlighted a crucial area for further exploration—developing media-specific traffic profiles. Traditional traffic profiles, such as internet mix (IMIX), fall short in accurately representing media traffic’s unique characteristics and demands. This paper builds upon previous foundational work explaining the methods and considerations towards such profiles, exploring one of the approaches for the actual creation of such profiles based on the data from labs and large operational facilities, aiming to mirror real-world media traffic patterns and load scenarios more accurately. This work contributes to the ongoing evolution of the media industry’s transition to IP, offering valuable insights and tools to broadcasters, integrators, and network engineers.

Ievgen Kostiukevych | European Broadcastion Union
Thomas Kernen | NVIDIA | Zurich, Switzerland
Willem Vermost | VRT | Brussels, Belgium
Pavlo Kondratenko | European Broadcasting Union | Geneva, Switzerland