Traffic optimization for TCP-based Massive Multiplayer Online Games

This paper studies the use of a traffic optimization technique named TCM (Tunneling, Compressing and Multiplexing) to reduce the bandwidth of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games), which employ TCP to provide a soft real-time service. In order to optimize the traffic and to impro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in2012 International Symposium on Performance Evaluation of Computer & Telecommunication Systems (SPECTS) pp. 1 - 8
Main Authors Saldana, J., Sequeira, L., Fernandez-Navajas, J., Ruiz-Mas, J.
Format Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published IEEE 01.07.2012
Subjects
Bandwidth
Context
Games
header compression
IP networks
MMORPG
Multiplexing
online gaming
Protocols
real-time
Servers
TCM
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Summary:This paper studies the use of a traffic optimization technique named TCM (Tunneling, Compressing and Multiplexing) to reduce the bandwidth of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games), which employ TCP to provide a soft real-time service. In order to optimize the traffic and to improve bandwidth efficiency, TCM can be applied when the packets of a number of players share the same link, which occurs in some scenarios, as e.g. the traffic between proxies and servers of game-supporting infrastructures. First, TCP/IP headers are compressed using standard algorithms that avoid sending repeated fields; next, a number of packets are blended into a bigger one and finally, they are sent using a tunnel. The expected compressed header size has been obtained using traffic traces of a real game. Next, simulations using a traffic model of a popular MMORPG have been performed in order to estimate the expected bandwidth savings and the reduction in packets per second. The obtained bandwidth saving is about 60 percent. Packets per second are also significantly reduced. In addition, the added delays are shown to be small enough so as not to impair players' experienced quality.
ISBN:1467322350
9781467322355