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Main Authors: Agarwal, Neil, Pan, Rui, Yan, Francis Y., Netravali, Ravi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.03339
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author Agarwal, Neil
Pan, Rui
Yan, Francis Y.
Netravali, Ravi
author_facet Agarwal, Neil
Pan, Rui
Yan, Francis Y.
Netravali, Ravi
contents Rate control algorithms are at the heart of video conferencing platforms, determining target bitrates that match dynamic network characteristics for high quality. Recent data-driven strategies have shown promise for this challenging task, but the performance degradation they introduce during training has been a nonstarter for many production services, precluding adoption. This paper aims to bolster the practicality of data-driven rate control by presenting an alternative avenue for experiential learning: leveraging purely existing telemetry logs produced by the incumbent algorithm in production. We observe that these logs contain effective decisions, although often at the wrong times or in the wrong order. To realize this approach despite the inherent uncertainty that log-based learning brings (i.e., lack of feedback for new decisions), our system, Mowgli, combines a variety of robust learning techniques (i.e., conservatively reasoning about alternate behavior to minimize risk and using a richer model formulation to account for environmental noise). Across diverse networks (emulated and real-world), Mowgli outperforms the widely deployed GCC algorithm, increasing average video bitrates by 15-39% while reducing freeze rates by 60-100%.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_03339
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Mowgli: Passively Learned Rate Control for Real-Time Video
Agarwal, Neil
Pan, Rui
Yan, Francis Y.
Netravali, Ravi
Networking and Internet Architecture
Rate control algorithms are at the heart of video conferencing platforms, determining target bitrates that match dynamic network characteristics for high quality. Recent data-driven strategies have shown promise for this challenging task, but the performance degradation they introduce during training has been a nonstarter for many production services, precluding adoption. This paper aims to bolster the practicality of data-driven rate control by presenting an alternative avenue for experiential learning: leveraging purely existing telemetry logs produced by the incumbent algorithm in production. We observe that these logs contain effective decisions, although often at the wrong times or in the wrong order. To realize this approach despite the inherent uncertainty that log-based learning brings (i.e., lack of feedback for new decisions), our system, Mowgli, combines a variety of robust learning techniques (i.e., conservatively reasoning about alternate behavior to minimize risk and using a richer model formulation to account for environmental noise). Across diverse networks (emulated and real-world), Mowgli outperforms the widely deployed GCC algorithm, increasing average video bitrates by 15-39% while reducing freeze rates by 60-100%.
title Mowgli: Passively Learned Rate Control for Real-Time Video
topic Networking and Internet Architecture
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.03339