Research Article
Better Performance in LTE Networks with Edge Assistance: The World of Warcraft Case
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.22-7-2015.2260154, author={Miguel B\^{a}guena and Andreas Pamboris and Peter Pietzuch and Mihail Sichitiu and Pietro Manzoni}, title={Better Performance in LTE Networks with Edge Assistance: The World of Warcraft Case}, proceedings={12th EAI International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems: Computing, Networking and Services}, publisher={ACM}, proceedings_a={MOBIQUITOUS}, year={2015}, month={8}, keywords={edge computing; massively multiplayer online games; lte; 4g}, doi={10.4108/eai.22-7-2015.2260154} }- Miguel Báguena
Andreas Pamboris
Peter Pietzuch
Mihail Sichitiu
Pietro Manzoni
Year: 2015
Better Performance in LTE Networks with Edge Assistance: The World of Warcraft Case
MOBIQUITOUS
ICST
DOI: 10.4108/eai.22-7-2015.2260154
Abstract
To improve the performance of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) in mobile networks, we explore the potential benefits of an edge-assisted deployment model: part of the MMOG backend service executes closer to the end user at the edge of the LTE network. We investigate the impact on game latency of (1) the exact placement of such edge servers; (2) the number of cooperating game clients; (3) the amount of client requests served at the network edge; (4) the hardware capabilities of edge servers; and (5) user roaming. Based on our analysis, we show that edge assistance can in fact increase the performance of online games over LTE networks as long as at most 50% of the user requests are processed at the network edge. Furthermore, we argue that the Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) is the most appropriate place for hosting edge servers and show that TCP performance in the proposed setting is not affected by user roaming.