Re: Proposal for Integrating Deadline-Aware Streams into Multipath QUIC using DMTP

[Tony John <[e-mail]>]

Hi Ian,

Thank you for your feedback. While it's possible to implement 
deadline-aware streams in Multipath QUIC using implementation-specific 
APIs, this approach may lack endpoint coordination because deadlines are 
not communicated between endpoints through the protocol. By introducing 
a transport parameter and a custom frame, endpoints can negotiate 
support and exchange deadline information directly within the protocol, 
enabling coordinated scheduling decisions at the transport layer. 
Standardizing this mechanism avoids the limitations of 
implementation-specific solutions, promoting wider adoption and 
interoperability of deadline-aware streams across different 
implementations of Multipath QUIC.

Best regards,

Tony

On 10/31/2024 14:23, Ian Swett wrote:
> I'm unclear what is needed from QUIC or Multipath QUIC?  One can 
> already implement deadline aware streams and expose that as an API, 
> but I don't see why the wire format would need to change or why a 
> transport param would be necessary?
>
> Doing deadline aware scheduling over multiple paths seems like a 
> difficult problem to me, and likely better suited to research than the 
> IETF, but I'm not an expert.
>
> Ian
>
> On Thu, Oct 31, 2024 at 7:50 AM Marten Seemann 
> <[e-mail]> wrote:
>
>     The paper is paywalled. I don't have access, and I'd assume that
>     this applies to many participants on this mailing list.
>
>     On Thu, 31 Oct 2024 at 17:12, Tony John <[e-mail]> wrote:
>
>         Dear QUIC Working Group,
>
>         I would like to initiate a discussion on integrating
>         deadline-aware streams as an extension to the Multipath QUIC
>         protocol. Given the increasing demand for real-time
>         applications such as teleoperation, live video streaming, and
>         online gaming, there's a growing need for transport protocols
>         that can efficiently handle strict latency requirements.
>
>         Motivation
>
>         Multipath QUIC enhances performance by utilizing multiple
>         paths simultaneously, but it currently lacks mechanisms to
>         guarantee data delivery within specific timeframes.
>         Introducing deadline-aware streams to Multipath QUIC could
>         enable applications to meet stringent latency constraints,
>         optimizing for low-latency and high-reliability scenarios.
>
>         Additionally, the ability to have multiple paths using the
>         same 4-tuple opens up the possibility of leveraging paths from
>         path-aware networks like SCION, source routing, and others.
>         This expands the pool of available paths beyond traditional
>         IPv4 and IPv6 routes, potentially increasing the effectiveness
>         of deadline-aware mechanisms like those proposed in the
>         Deadline-aware Multipath Transport Protocol (DMTP).
>
>         Relevant Discussions
>
>         I would like to acknowledge the previous discussion
>         <https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/quic/Ie6Ju6cNCocNNktldJJrvZfsXQ8/>on
>         adding deadline awareness to QUIC. The discussion indicates
>         interest in deadline-aware mechanisms and their applicability
>         to QUIC.
>
>         Proposal
>
>         Building upon these ideas, I propose integrating
>         deadline-aware streams into Multipath QUIC as an optional
>         extension. The key aspects of the proposal are:
>
>          *
>
>             New Transport Parameter and Frame Type: Introduce a new
>             transport parameter to signal support for deadline-aware
>             streams during the QUIC handshake and define a new frame
>             type called DEADLINE_CONTROLto signal deadlines for
>             specific streams.
>
>          *
>
>             Leveraging DMTP Concepts: Utilize strategies from the
>             Deadline-aware Multipath Transport Protocol (DMTP), such
>             as smart retransmissions and Forward Error Correction
>             (FEC), to optimize packet delivery based on latency deadlines.
>
>          *
>
>             Custom Scheduler and Congestion Controller: Implement
>             DMTP's mechanisms as a custom scheduler and congestion
>             controller within the Multipath QUIC framework.
>
>         How DMTP Fits In
>
>         DMTP is tailored for deadline-sensitive communication over
>         multiple paths. Its key concepts include:
>
>          *
>
>             Path Optimization: Dynamically selecting paths based on
>             metrics like latency, bandwidth, and packet loss,
>             complementing Multipath QUIC's ability to manage multiple
>             paths effectively.
>
>          *
>
>             Adaptive FEC: Integrating FEC to reduce the need for
>             retransmissions, enhancing Multipath QUIC's congestion
>             control mechanisms.
>
>          *
>
>             Smart Retransmissions: Retransmitting packets only if they
>             are predicted to meet the deadline, avoiding unnecessary
>             retransmissions and improving efficiency.
>
>         For more detailed information on DMTP, please refer to our
>         paper
>         <https://doi.org/10.23919/IFIPNetworking57963.2023.10186417>.
>         We have developed a prototype implementation of DMTP, which we
>         plan to open-source shortly.
>
>         Request for Feedback
>
>         I am interested in the community's perspective on this proposal:
>
>          *
>
>             Value of Exploration: Do you see value in exploring
>             deadline-aware streams as an extension to Multipath QUIC?
>
>          *
>
>             Potential Challenges: Are there potential challenges or
>             compatibility concerns we should be aware of?
>
>         I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or guidance on how
>         best to proceed. Thank you for considering this proposal. I
>         look forward to your feedback and the possibility of
>         discussing this further.
>
>         Best regards,
>
>         M.Sc. Tony John
>
>         Research Associate
>
>         Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany
>