Active management framework for distributed multimedia systems

The successful deployment of next-generation distributed multimedia systems is significantly dependent on the efficient management support that improves the performance and reliability of such applications at run-time. In this paper, we describe an active management framework based on programmable monitoring agents and event-filter-action recursive model. Active management enables users to define reconfigurable and self-directed monitoring tasks that can be automatically customized at run-time in order to track the system behavior. Using this active management framework, the monitoring agents can be programmed to modify their monitoring tasks dynamically based on observed events information, and initiate the appropriate management actions accordingly. This paper also emphasizes the importance of active management for supporting a scalable, highly responsive and nonintrusive distributed management infrastructure. The presented framework, which is referred to as HiFi monitoring system, supports a comprehensive environment including code instrumentation, user subscription, agents administration, event filtering and action service. Examples of using HiFi in managing large-scale distributed multimedia systems are also shown.