Streaming Video Alliance claims caching milestone
Details
Joseph O'Halloran
| 27 August 2021
The global technical association developing solutions to address critical challenges in delivering a high-quality video experience at scale, the Streaming Video Alliance is asserting that with its Open Caching Testbed Initiative it has set a new standard for interoperability.
Streaming video all 27Aug2021
Through the collaboration of a content owner Disney Streaming acting as content origin, a CDN service provider (Broadpeak), and a network operator (Telefónica), the testbed— and based on a forthcoming guidelines document— the Alliance says that it can demonstrate how a real-world Open Caching Network can be set up from scratch.

In the demonstration, Disney, Broadpeak and Telefónica implemented several of the Open Caching specifications to demonstrate that the Open Caching concept and technology operate as intended and that it can connect caches from multiple entities involved in delivering streaming video content. The Alliance added that the testbed also validates the Open Caching concept and the Alliance’s specifications.

The primary challenge that the testbed is said to have solved is to have provided a clear path for creating interoperability between different caching systems hosted by different companies within the streaming video ecosystem: content providers, CDNs, and network operators (ISPs). The launch of the testbed also represents an initial Open Caching network architecture. The testbed will continue to expand with new Open Caching APIs as they are codified from specifications documents. It will also provide Alliance member companies an environment to test implementations with already validated systems.

“The open caching interoperability testbed represents some of the ground-breaking work our members are committed to at the Alliance,” explained Streaming Video Alliance executive director Jason Thibeault. “I applaud the Open Caching Working Group for their dedication to bringing this full circle from initial concept to a real-world implementation with potential to have a lasting impact on the streaming industry.”

“We’re very pleased with the testbed results, the first of more to come based on the newly defined Open Caching APIs. There are additional Alliance member companies ready to participate in trials and contribute to further developments on this front,” added Guillaume Bichot, head of exploration at Broadpeak and one of the project leads of the Alliance Open Caching Testbed. “While there’s more work to be done, we’re making solid progress and executing on our mission to provide a shared testing environment that grows along with the new OC specifications and permits members to start an open caching development from the ground up.”

The testbed will be available according to a schedule of availability that will be provided to Alliance member companies. Only Alliance member companies will be able to access the testbed at this time.