Our FRM (Forsway Reliable Multicast) technology features live video streams over multicast as well as video on demand for our Odin routers. Sending live video via multicast opens up several new methods of offering content in Forsway’s ecosystem.

-“Forsway’s multicast solution provides streaming content to everyone without broadband – a low cost “Starlink” solution.”

The new Forsway multicast innovation delivers live video using existing standards such as HLS which allows seamless integration with third party devices. Reliable Multicast also comes with an API, allowing operators to easily build custom apps on top of Forsway’s multicast platform.

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Network Agnostic: Forsway Reliable Multicast can be run over virtually any IP network, even unstable networks where long outages could occur.

  • Can be run over virtually any IP network, even unstable networks where long outages could occur.

  • Reliable Multicast offers a variety of options in order to transmit content in a highly robust manner.

  • Comes with an advanced queue management system for full transmission operational control.

  • Supports transcoding of video streams to suit most network conditions.

  • Forsway Odin F-60 terminal enables edge computing / storing & sharing of content.

Mimir featured in Forsway Xtend architecture

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Architecture

The FRM system is comprised four key components. The FRM server and client transmits/receives data in a reliable way. A Web based UI and REST API is used on the transmitter and receiver device to configure and control the server and client components as well as storing content and meta-data. See Figure 1 for a schematic overview

Mimir featured in Forsway Xtend architecture

Click on image to enlarge

Reliable Multicast features and functionality

Directory Synchronization

Directory Synchronization allows a Reliable Multicast system admin to mirror entire directory structures on the server hard drive to any number of Reliable Multicast clients. It is similar to dropbox/onedrive/google drive, yet instead of syncing files between devices via the cloud, files are synced in one direction from the server to the clients. Thus, all clients have an up-to-date version of the server folder (click for example). On the client, Forsway technology enables you to access the synced files in different ways:

  1. Use a browser to access the direct sync Web UI
  2. Build your own apps using the REST API
  3. Or, use the “WebDav” standard which allows system-level integration with 3rd party device

Robust Transmission

Reliable Multicast offers a variety of options in order to deliver content in a highly robust manner.

  • Negative Acknowledgment Transmission – Reliable Multicast is built with full support for Negative Acknowledgment, meaning that clients can detect and notify the sender of any data loss in a transmission. The sender calculates and schedule repair segments which will restore losses in the network infrastructure. Reliable Multicast fully implements the NACK-Oriented Reliable Multicast (NORM) Transport Protocol as described by RFC 5740.

  • Forward Error Correction – Reliable Multicast includes configurable forward error correction (FEC) via Reed-Solomon codes. FEC codes can be sent both proactively, requiring no client feedback, as well as in response to client feedback of lost data. The Reliable Multicast system coordinates multiple client FEC requests in order to minimize network overhead.

  • Carousel Mode – Data can be sent in a “carousel type mode” in which data is immediately scheduled for re-transmission upon completion. This allows clients to repair potentially incomplete transmissions.

Network Agnostic

Reliable Multicast can be run over virtually any IP network, even unstable networks where long outages could occur.

Flexible API inlucded

The Reliable Multicast system includes an API which allows for the creation of custom applications built on top of the Reliable Multicast platform. An API is present on both the server and client. The server side API can be used to configure and control the operations of the Reliable Multicast system while the client side API can be used in order to access data multicasted to the clients.

File Package Framework

The Reliable Multicast system has a built-in, extensible framework for different types of file-based data such as media files (audio, video, podcasts), Video on demand, websites, etc. This framework can be used in order to multicast a wide variety of content while providing a means to sort and categorize data. The file package framework is fully extensible allowing for user-defined content to be created.

Advanced Queue Management

The Reliable Multicast system comes with an advanced queue management system allowing the administrator fine-grained operational control over the transmissions. Data can for example be queued with various bandwidth restrictions, parallel/sequential ordering, various robustness and scheduling.

Live Streaming

The Reliable Multicast system fully supports Live streaming of video. Any MPEG-TS stream can be transmitted via the Reliable Multicast system and consumed on the clients. The system fully support the HLS standard which enable playback on multiple devices as well as via the web. Additionally, the system supports transcoding of video streams in order to suit most network conditions.