This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating an advanced network deduplication (dedup) technology for smartphones and tablets, called Smart-Cache, to fill the ever increasing need for better wireless network performance driven by the explosion in the number of wireless users.
The translated smart-cache solution consists of a suite of strategies to extend traditional dedup to mobile environments, and has the following unique features: (1) Asymmetric caching, which allows the dedup destination (dd-dst) to feedback to the dd-src the contents of its cache that otherwise might not be known to the dedup source (dd-src). (2) PreActing, that allows the dd-dst to opportunistically prefetch content when the latter is connected through a low-cost network access so that when such content is actually accessed through a high-cost network, the costs may be minimized.
The research contributions of these two variations lie in the underlying algorithms that are purpose-built to handle the unique challenges present in mobile environments. Preliminary trace-based performance analysis shows that smart-cache significantly improves the performance by reducing traffic consumption over cellular networks to the tune of 85% to 96%. Asymmetric caching by itself shows an improvement of 125% over symmetric caching.
The project accomplishes this goal by developing a viable prototype of the smart-cache solution so that an important credibility gap in the commercialization process for the technology may be addressed. While there are several avenues for productizing the smart-cache solution, we choose to build a prototype that could be adopted by both wireless network operators and third party solution providers. At a high level, we propose to build the following: - Smart-cache server: The project involves the building of a smart-cache server as a stand-alone network appliance that can be deployed within the wireless operators network or within a proxy environment of a third-party solutions provider. Building such an appliance allows for ready deployment in a target environment without concerns about the availability of computational resources. While the product form will be that of an appliance, the implementation will entirely be in software running on a Linux operating system. Hence, the prototype can easily be ported onto virtual machines in the target environment if necessary. - Smart-cache clients: The project involves the building of a smart-cache client for both Android and iOS devices. These two mobile platforms by far dominate the mobile device landscape today. While operating systems such as Windows Mobile and Blackberry RIM are other relevant platforms, solutions can later be developed or ported for these other platforms after the proposed prototyping effort is successfully accomplished.
The partnership engages the Georgia Tech VentureLab to provide guidance in wireless market dynamics and other aspects of commercialization and productization as they pertain to the potential to translate smart-cache along a path that may result in a competitive commercial reality.
The potential economic impact of smart-cache is profound, which will contribute to the U.S. competitiveness in telecommunication industry. A wireless service provider could adopt smart-cache to immediately reduce the usage of expensive spectrum. Alternatively, a third party solutions provider could offer smart-cache as a cost and performance optimization service directly to the end-user. The project also makes the following broader impact contributions: (i) Industry: 85% of enterprise knowledge workers are expected to have smartphones within the next few years. The work on smart-cache will directly benefit the broad swathe of enterprises as better mobile access will improve employee productivity and customer engagement. (ii) Education: In addition we see the effort positively impacting both undergraduate and graduate level students through aggressive involvement of the students in both research and teaching.
