Applying Adaptive Traffic Management: | White Paper

Applying
Adaptive Traffic
Management:
Improving
Network Capacity
and the
Subscriber
Experience

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Applying Adaptive
Traffic Management:
Improving Network Capacity
and the Subscriber Experience
Table of Contents
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Adaptive Traffic Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Adaptive Traffic Management Improves the Network
for Subscribers and Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Step One: Detect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step Two: Decide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Step Three: React . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Adaptive Traffic Management versus Deep Packet Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Adaptive Traffic Management Is Subscriber- Centric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Adaptive Traffic Management Implementation Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Adaptive Traffic Management Based on Subscriber QoE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Adaptive Traffic Management Based on RAN Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Static Congestion Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Dynamic Congestion Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Adaptive Traffic Management Based on a Specific Application . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Adaptive Traffic Management Based on a Global View of Subscribers . . . . . . 12

Deploying Adaptive Traffic Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

3G Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
LTE/4G Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Appendix: Underlying Techniques of Adaptive Traffic Management . . . . . . . . . . .16

Application Detection and Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Content-Layer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Citrix ByteMobile Content-Layer Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Content Caching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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Executive Summary
Adaptive Traffic Management dynamically applies
the appropriate traffic management techniques, at
the right time, to the subscribers who need it
As smart mobile devices become ubiquitous, mobile network operators (MNOs)
are at a turning point. Networks are becoming stressed by the exponential growth
in demand for mobile bandwidth – growth that is both unpredictable
and transient. The resulting poor page download speeds and stalling
videos mean disappointed and frustrated subscribers.

Because mobile networks must operate within defined radio interface

What is QoE?
and spectrum restrictions, mobile network operators are looking at Quality of experience is a
all areas of potential efficiency gains within the network – managing measure of a subscriber’s
network traffic is a critical requirement. Adaptive Traffic Management perception of and satisfaction
dynamically applies the appropriate traffic management techniques, at with a service – for example,
the right time, to the subscribers who need it – based on policy inputs, web browsing, file downloads
subscriber quality of experience (QoE) requirements and the condition or video playback. QoE is
of the radio access network (RAN). This allows mobile network related to, but differs from,
operators (MNOs) to: quality of service (QoS), which
• deliver the highest possible QoE to all subscribers is a measure of the service
delivered at the network level.
• extend the capacity of existing 3G networks
QoE can be thought of as
• control the impact of over-the-top (OTT) video traffic in new 3rd perceived QoS: the quality of
Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) long-term evolution (LTE) the subscriber’s experience is
or 4G (LTE -Advanced) networks based only on what the
subscriber perceives, not the
• increase revenue
network-level measurement of
the service. For example, does
Adaptive Traffic Management a subscriber experience stalling,
blockiness, blur, or jerkiness in
Citrix ByteMobile’s Adaptive Traffic Management offers MNOs a a video, regardless of the
solution to the challenge created by the explosion in mobile network download speed? Mobile video
traffic. Leveraging holistic information about each subscriber’s content is fast becoming the
application, web and video traffic, Adaptive Traffic Management majority of all mobile network
applies sophisticated traffic management techniques to help MNOs traffic, so a subscriber’s QoE
deliver the highest possible QoE to all subscribers. By dynamically when watching video is of
monitoring traffic for each subscriber – from the IP layer to the utmost importance.
content layer – Adaptive Traffic Management intelligently adjusts
subscribers’ traffic based on policy inputs, applications used by QoE is the single-most
each subscriber, real-time subscriber QoE, and the changing significant factor in a real-
condition of the radio access network (RAN). world evaluation of the
subscriber experience.
Adaptive Traffic Management monitors RAN conditions and tracks Subscribers now expect a
the user experience index (UXI ) of each subscriber by measuring high-quality, TV-like viewing
experience-related variables such as video stalling, video resolution experience – a video
connection that is smooth,
without any annoying stalling
– whenever they want it, on
whatever device they choose,
wherever they are.
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and web object download speed – all in real time. To deliver the highest possible QoE
to all subscribers, one or more of the following traffic management techniques is
selectively and dynamically applied:

• Application detection and control: Identifying applications used by each subscriber

and applying flow and session-based blocking, shaping and marking

• Content layer control: Applying application and automated-software-download

control, just-in-time (JIT) video delivery, streaming media policy control and
lossless web optimization

• Content-layer optimization: Applying Quality-Aware Transcoding (QAT) with

standards-based video compression techniques and Dynamic Bandwidth
Shaping (DBS)

• Content caching: Storing video, web and software auto-update content closer
to the subscriber
Dependent on the individual subscriber experience, traffic management techniques are
dynamically selected and applied. A unique approach to traffic control, Adaptive Traffic

Management combines network intelligence and awareness of the application and content
layers (L4–L7) with the ability to take immediate corrective action. With the power to detect and
respond to network anomalies before they affect subscribers, MNOs using Adaptive Traffic
Management can offer a consistent, high-quality experience for all subscribers.

Adaptive Traffic Management Improves the Network for

Subscribers and Operators
Adaptive Traffic Management intelligently uses traffic management techniques to
maximize network resources and improve the subscriber experience. Adaptive
Traffic Management helps improve subscriber QoE and deliver a more deterministic
mobile data service by applying the right traffic control techniques, in the right

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amount, to the subscribers who need it, at the right time. Adaptive Traffic
Management applies appropriate traffic management techniques in a targeted
fashion based on network policy inputs, subscriber QoE and RAN conditions,
in these three steps:

• Detect: Collect and monitor subscriber experience and application traffic,

as well as network conditions, in real time

• Decide: Determine the correct level of traffic management to optimize QoE

for all subscribers, based on current subscriber QoE and network conditions

• React: Intelligently apply the appropriate traffic management technique at

the right time

In this way, Adaptive Traffic Management helps MNOs dynamically address poor
network conditions and the impact of multiple subscribers in a cell to maintain the
best possible QoE for all subscribers.
Adaptive Traffic Management is applied in 3 steps: Detect, Decide and React.

Step One: Detect

To ensure a high QoE for all subscribers, Adaptive Traffic Management uses a
single platform to collect and monitor subscriber and application traffic in real
time, including:

• User experience index for each subscriber: Monitoring factors such as video
stalling, video resolution, web page download time, and file download time to
determine the user experience index (UXI), a numerical expression of the quality
of experience for each subscriber that can change over time. The UXI represents
holistic knowledge of the user experience measured dynamically for all subscribers
on a cell and allows for decisions that help ensure efficient control of resources
under network load.

• External network Intelligence: Leveraging RAN intelligence data directly from

RAN elements, network probes or other sources that may indicate a congestion
condition and the subscribers who are affected.

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• Global view of applications: Identifying applications used by each subscriber;

for example, email, P2P, web traffic, messaging, streaming video or audio,
progressive download video, social media or gaming.

Step Two: Decide

Adaptive Traffic Management decides what action to take based on the UXI and a
global view of applications traversing network hotspots, selectively applying traffic
management techniques – web optimization, application detection and control,
content layer control and content layer optimization to prevent stalling, create
headroom and ensure the highest possible QoE for all subscribers.

Step Three: React

Finally, Adaptive Traffic Management reacts. Essentially, Adaptive Traffic Management
intelligently applies appropriate traffic management techniques, starting with the
least intensive, and graduating to the most intensive when network conditions indicate
the need.

Adaptive Traffic Management versus Deep Packet Inspection

A Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) tool typically processes only a few packets of each
subscriber application flow, using application detection capabilities to identify and
classify the application. The DPI tool then hands off the IP flow to a network
processor to apply shaping, blocking, or packet marking, if necessary. Once the
DPI tool has classified the flow, it essentially loses sight of the flow, as it does not
examine any subsequent packets.

This becomes a problem in mobile networks, where dynamically changing network

conditions are the norm. In addition, DPI tools cannot consistently identify complex
embedded traffic like progressive download videos. To do so, the DPI tool would
need to hold packets longer, significantly reducing the amount of traffic the DPI
tool could handle. In the limited number of cases in which a DPI tool can identify
the flow, the DPI tool only applies bulk traffic management functions to the entire
flow. For flows like video, whose bit rate varies based on the content being delivered
– for example, high-motion versus still scenes – DPI tools do not control each
packet and cannot preserve high QoE.

Adaptive Traffic Management Is Subscriber-Centric

DPI tools are network-centric, and, as such, DPI tools may specify generic corrective
actions that do not rectify the situation, can waste network resources, and can
negatively impact other subscribers, potentially degrading their service. For
example, if a RAN is congested, some DPI tools cap service delivery for an entire
application class, thereby negatively impacting subscribers who are not contributing
to the issue. Some DPI tools can limit service across all traffic from certain

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subscribers, including applications that are not creating problems, thereby

impairing the performance of the non-problematic applications.

Unlike DPI tools, Adaptive Traffic Management is fully aware of the subscriber,
application and content. Adaptive Traffic Management processes each packet of
every session and does not lose sight of the session after classifying it. Adaptive
Traffic Management dynamically applies various traffic management techniques
throughout the subscriber session, depending on the nature of the session, the
dynamic condition of the underlying network and the resultant QoE being delivered.

Adaptive Traffic Management is subscriber QoE–centric, enabling MNOs to gain

a better understanding of the specific interactions between IP traffic and RAN
congestion and to better satisfy subscribers, reduce churn and increase revenue.

Adaptive Traffic Management is Subscriber-Experience Centric.

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Adaptive Traffic Management Implementation Scenarios

Adaptive Traffic Management offers several solutions to ensure that MNOs can
consistently deliver a high QoE to all subscribers. Adaptive Traffic Management
can be based on:

• Subscriber QoE

• RAN input

• A specific application

• A global view of subscribers

Adaptive Traffic Management Based on Subscriber QoE

Because QoE – the subjective measure of a subscriber’s experiences with a
service – is of prime importance to both subscribers and MNOs – QoE is a
major consideration for Adaptive Traffic Management.

Envision a scenario in which a subscriber is watching a video and the traffic on the
subscriber’s cell increases significantly, perhaps because many other subscribers
sign on or some existing subscribers initiate activities that consume large amounts
of bandwidth. The additional network traffic generated by the other subscribers’
sessions negatively impacts the first subscriber’s video connection, stalls the video
and thus generates a poor UXI.

In this scenario, Adaptive Traffic Management will employ content optimization

– essentially, serving a video with increased video compression if a subscriber
requests another video within a specified period of time – thereby reducing the
load on the cell.

Adaptive Traffic Management based on subscriber QoE.

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Table 1. Adaptive Traffic Management Based on Subscriber QoE

Scenario Condition Detect Decide React

Subscriber is Traffic on the If no prior history If UXI is not As the subscriber
watching a subscriber’s exists, track UXI; if satisfactory, decide continues further
video. cell increases prior history exists, to apply content video sessions,
significantly update UXI. optimization. Adaptive Traffic
due to Management
additional Detect the onset of employs content
traffic video stalling. optimization to
from other prevent stalling.
subscribers.

 
Adaptive Traffic Management Based on RAN Input
At the network core, traffic is aggregated, which has a slight smoothing effect and
makes peak loading more predictable. However, network traffic at individual cell
sites is much less predictable. At the cell level, traffic volumes, applications and
subscribers vary greatly from site to site, from day to day, and by time of day,
making congestion a local, transient phenomenon. The reality of mobile broadband
networks is that bandwidth usage is constantly changing – a certain cell gets
unpredictably congested one minute and is at only a small percentage of capacity
the next.

However, in many cases MNOs know when certain cells will experience heavy loads
– for example, the cells around a stadium during a playoff game or the cells
around a major shopping venue during a major holiday weekend.

This combination of predictable and unpredictable congestion leads to two Adaptive

Traffic Management scenarios based on RAN input:

• Static: MNOs predict congestion of a specific cell by day and time

• Dynamic: Random congestion of a cell is indicated by a RAN element or

network probe

Adaptive Traffic Management based on RAN imput.

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Static Congestion Scenario

An MNO may know that a specific cell will be congested on a specific day at a
specific time, based on historical projections or previous knowledge of a specific
event. In this case, based on that projection, the MNO can designate a location ID
and time period as “congested.” Adaptive Traffic Management can use these
projections to proactively apply traffic management techniques to all subscriber
sessions for the specified location and time period, thereby protecting subscribers’
QoE before they experience any problems.

Picture a scenario in which an MNO knows many people will congregate in a

specific location – for example, the World Cup final at the Maracanã Stadium in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 13, 2014 at 16:00. The MNO knows that many
subscribers gathered in one place at one time are certain to generate a great
deal of network traffic. In this scenario, Adaptive Traffic Management proactively
applies traffic management for all subscribers, reducing the load on the cell and
ensuring the highest possible QoE for all subscribers.

  Table 2. Adaptive Traffic Management Based on Static RAN Input

Scenario Condition Detect Decide React

MNO knows MNO specifies Detect the arrival of a If MNO provides • Serve videos with
that many the location specified time period network policies, increased traffic
subscribers and time of for predetermined cell decide on a level of management for
will assemble predicted locations. traffic management all new subscribers
in a specific network based on policy. of the cell at the
place at a congestion. Detect when a specified time
specific time. subscriber connects or and for new video
and retrieve operator- sessions by current
provided location ID. If MNO monitors UXI: subscribers
• If no previous UXI • If MNO tracks
exists, track UXI UXI and RAN
and decide when input, apply video
to apply traffic optimization for
management subscribers with
unsatisfactory UXI
• If existing UXI is
unsatisfactory,
decide traffic
management based
on policy

Dynamic Congestion Scenario

At the cell level, network traffic changes by the millisecond based on instantaneous
loads from many different subscribers. To respond to this dynamic network traffic,
Adaptive Traffic Management assesses real-time network conditions, monitoring
inputs from network probes or other RAN elements from different RANs that may
indicate congestion. In addition, Adaptive Traffic Management can identify the
condition of a cell by detecting Dynamic Bandwidth Shaping (DBS) across subscriber
sessions within the cell.

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If dynamic RAN inputs or application of DBS indicate congestion, Adaptive Traffic

Management applies traffic management to all new subscribers in the problem cell.

Consider a scenario in which a subscriber is watching a video and many other

subscribers in that same cell begin watching videos or begin using their smartphone
applications for social networking or web browsing. The additional network traffic
generated by the other subscribers negatively impacts the first subscriber’s video
connection and stalls his video.

In this scenario, if the subscriber requests another video within a specified period
of time, Adaptive Traffic Management serves a video with increased video compression,
reducing the load on the cell.

  Table 3. Adaptive Traffic Management Based on Dynamic RAN Input

Scenario Condition Detect Decide React

Subscriber is Other Detect network probe If the MNO provides Serve videos with
watching a subscribers or other RAN element network policies, increased content
video. in the same indicating congestion decide on the optimization for all
network right level of video new subscribers of
location or optimization based on the cell and for video
(cell) begin policy. sessions by current
watching Detect prevalence subscribers.
videos. of DBS application or
to videos for If the MNO tracks
subscribers within • If the MNO uses UXI and RAN input
a cell. UXI, and no or the prevalence of
previous UXI exists, DBS, apply content
track UXI optimization for
subscribers with
• If existing UXI is either unsatisfactory
unsatisfactory, UXI and RAN inputs
decide on the or DBS tracking that
right level of traffic indicates congestion.
management based
on policy

Adaptive Traffic Management Based on a Specific Application

Video consumes a major percentage of mobile bandwidth, but other applications
– like peer-to-peer file sharing, large emails, or auto-update downloads – can
also consume significant bandwidth. Adaptive Traffic Management works for
these applications as well.

Imagine a scenario in which a subscriber is watching a video and then initiates a

P2P session and downloads a large file. The additional network traffic generated
by the subscriber’s action negatively impacts the subscriber’s video connection
and risks stalling the video.

In this scenario, rather than apply traffic management to the video stream,
Adaptive Traffic Management may apply bandwidth shaping to the P2P session
and file download, reducing the load on the cell and allowing the video to be
viewed without having to resort to content-optimization techniques.

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Adaptive Traffic Management based on a Specific Application

  Table 4. Adaptive Traffic Management Based on a Specific Application

Scenario Condition Detect Decide React

Subscriber is Subscriber Detect changes If UXI is not Apply bandwidth
watching a initiates a P2P in UXI across all satisfactory or shaping to P2P
video. file sharing subscribers. subscriber is about session and file
session and to experience a download sessions.
downloads a video stall, decide to
large file. apply P2P bandwidth
shaping and/or file
download throttling
based on rate plan or
network policy.

Adaptive Traffic Management

Based on a Global View of Subscribers
To address the growing challenge of OTT streaming and progressive download
video and to counteract the impact of congestion, MNOs can deploy Adaptive
Traffic Management with a global view, applying lossless optimization and policy
control at the content and application layers. This allows MNOs to:

• Control encrypted and non-encrypted streaming video through Streaming

Policy Control (SPC)

• Minimize waste of progressive download videos through JIT video delivery

• Shift automated software downloads away from peak hours through software
download policy control

• Apply bandwidth shaping to P2P traffic and file downloads to limit their impact
during times of network congestion

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Adaptive Traffic Management dynamically measures the UXI for all subscribers in
real time. When the UXI begins to deteriorate for a specific subscriber, Adaptive
Traffic Management invokes the appropriate traffic management technique for
other subscribers – for example, SPC for streaming video or bandwidth shaping
for P2P traffic – while applying software download policy control for all subscribers.

Envision a scenario in which a high-value subscriber is watching a video and the

traffic on the subscriber’s cell increases slightly, perhaps because other subscribers
begin to watch streaming videos or have begun to engage in P2P file transfers.
The additional network traffic generated by other subscribers impacts the first
high-value subscriber.

In this scenario, Adaptive Traffic Management applies SPC to streaming video

as needed and throttles P2P traffic to all subscribers to maintain QoE.

Adaptive Traffic Management based on a Global View

Table 5. Adaptive Traffic Management Based on a Global View

Scenario Condition Detect Decide React

High-value Traffic on Detect changes If UXI is not • Apply SPC
subscriber high-value in UXI across all satisfactory for to specific
is watching subscriber’s subscribers. high-value subscriber subscribers to
an HTTP cell increases based on policy, rate control their video
progressive when other plan or subscriber resolution.
download subscribers class:
video from a initiate P2P • Apply bandwidth
subscription sessions • Decide how shaping to
service. or watch aggressively P2P sessions
streaming to apply P2P for specific
videos. bandwidth shaping subscribers.
and SPC for
streaming traffic. • Detect changes
to UXI for all
• Decide which subscribers,
subscribers qualify especially for high-
for improvement value subscriber

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Deploying Adaptive Traffic Management

To maintain the highest possible QoE for all subscribers, MNOs can easily deploy
Adaptive Traffic Management in both existing 3G networks and new 4G networks.

3G Networks
Although 3G networks were a welcome improvement when first introduced, better
technologies – 3GPP LTE and true 4G networks – have since been developed. In
light of this, MNOs may not want to invest in additional 3G capacity, preferring
that new capital expenditures go to more modern 4G networks.

However, with the rapid uptake of smartphones and the explosion of high-bandwidth
media – music and video – 3G networks can reach capacity during peak hours.
Applying Adaptive Traffic Management can help increase the effective capacity of
existing 3G networks without requiring significant additional investment in 3G
network equipment. By applying the right traffic management techniques for the
subscribers who need it, at the right time, Adaptive Traffic Management ensures
that 3G subscribers continue to receive high QoE.

LTE/4G Networks
With new LTE and LTE-Advanced networks, MNOs have an opportunity to
segment their subscriber base, leveraging subscriber intelligence to create
new plans that can deliver deterministic, high Q o E . Operators can add
new models based on subscriber application and content interests and QoE
to their existing quota-based plans.

Although these networks seem to have sufficient capacity today, with the exponential
growth of high-bandwidth traffic they will become capacity constrained. To forestall
this inevitability, forward-thinking MNOs will start adding controls to LTE and 4G
traffic by applying Adaptive Traffic Management as soon as possible to help manage
traffic growth.

In addition, certain applications and OTT video are designed to be optimized to

maintain high QoE for a single subscriber: video servers transmit data as fast as
the network permits, consuming all available bandwidth for the duration of the
video delivery at the expense of other subscribers and applications. By applying
Adaptive Traffic Management, MNOs can start controlling the bandwidth
consumed by OTT video traffic before there is a problem and before other
subscribers’ QoE suffers.

Conclusion
By applying the right traffic management techniques to the right subscribers at the
right time, based on policy inputs, subscriber QoE and RAN conditions, Adaptive
Traffic Management can help MNOs deliver the highest possible QoE to all subscribers,
extend the capacity of existing 3G networks without additional capital expenditures,
control OTT traffic in new LTE or 4G networks, and increase revenue.

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Abbreviations

Abbreviation Meaning

Codec Encoder/decoder

DBS Dynamic Bandwidth Shaping

DPI Deep packet inspection

HTTP Hypertext transport protocol

JIT Just-in-time

LTE Long-term evolution

MNO Mobile network operator

MOS Mean opinion score

MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group

OTT Over-the-top

P2P Peer-to-peer

QAT Quality Aware Transcoding

QoE Quality of Experience

QoS Quality of Service

RAN Radio access network

RNC Radio Network Controller

RTMP Real-time messaging protocol

SLA Service level agreement

SPC Streaming policy control

TCP Transmission control protocol

UXI User experience index

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Appendix: Underlying Techniques of Adaptive Traffic Management

Application Detection and Control
Application detection and control examines the application payload of a packet
or traffic stream and makes traffic management decisions for that data based on
its content.

Application detection classifies traffic into categories: video streaming, web traffic,
video chat, P2P and file downloads, social network, email and the like. It can classify
traffic at the subscriber level and at a global level. Control can be applied on a
global or per-subscriber basis.

Content-Layer Control
Unlike typical deep packet inspection (DPI) tools, when making traffic management
decisions Adaptive Traffic Management uses information not only from the protocol
layers but also from the content layers. For content-layer traffic, it uses Citrix
ByteMobile lossless optimization capabilities, whereby web and video content are
subjected to standards-based techniques that reduce the amount of data across
the network while the original content is generated or recreated at the subscriber’s
smartphone, tablet or laptop. These lossless techniques do not impact the original
video or web object (e.g., image). Content-layer control, which works primarily at
the content layer but can also operate at the transport layer, consists of the
following:

• Policy control, to address streaming video, automated software updates and

application throttling

• Lossless video optimization, consisting of video pacing using JIT video delivery

• Lossless web optimization, such as lossless image compression and page

compression with protocol and transport optimization

Citrix ByteMobile Content-Layer Optimization

Content-layer optimization achieves a balance between compression and quality
of subscriber experience by performing Quality Aware Transcoding (QAT), detecting
the quality of the web object or video, and applying lossy compression at the
necessary level:

• For video, QAT may remove any inefficiency in the original encoding of the video
by replacing inefficient codecs, tuning the encoding profile for higher efficiency,
removing video frames that cannot be seen, or eliminating redundant frame data.
QAT can be configured to deliver a range of video compression, from visually
lossless to slightly degraded.

• For images, QAT uses informed transcoding techniques (for example, JPEG
compression with varying quality factors) to balance the quality of the image
while reducing the amount of network bandwidth consumed in transmitting it.

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Adaptive Traffic Management can apply QAT dynamically, based on the changing
speed of the subscriber’s connection. For example, if a subscriber’s connection
speed slows, the system automatically increases the compression level of the
video to reduce required bandwidth and prevent stalling. This type of dynamic
QAT is referred to as Dynamic Bandwidth Shaping (DBS).

In all cases, Adaptive Traffic Management delivers videos and web objects at the
appropriate levels of compression based on policy inputs, subscriber QoE and the
condition of the RAN. In this way, Adaptive Traffic Management helps maintain the
highest possible QoE for all subscribers and expands network capacity by up to 50%.

Content Caching
Content caching involves storing streaming and progressive download video and
web content relatively close to the subscriber, helping MNOs eliminate the impact
of content server delays, decrease the volume of internet traffic and reduce the
required hardware footprint. Although caching is simple in principle, to be effective
it must be:

• Transparent: Content server changes must not impair caching, and caching
must not impair content server functions, such as traffic measurement or
advertising

• Effective: Popular videos should be cached using algorithms that maximize

the cache hit rate while balancing storage requirements

• Efficient: Videos should be saved to the cache only during subscriber

downloads, avoiding the creation of additional traffic on the internet
backhaul for a video that few subscribers view in its entirety

In this way, caching accelerates video content delivery to ensure smooth viewing
without interruptions or buffering delays. Serving videos from the cache eliminates
the several seconds of delay introduced by the content server and internet peering
links. It also reduces bandwidth use and costs of peering and transit links, as video
downloads are served more frequently by the local cache rather than by out-of-
network servers.

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 Applying Adaptive Traffic Management: | White Paper 18

Corporate Headquarters India Development Center Latin America Headquarters

Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA Bangalore, India Coral Gables, FL, USA

Silicon Valley Headquarters Online Division Headquarters UK Development Center

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About Citrix ByteMobile

Citrix ByteMobile Smart Capacity™ enables mobile operators to dynamically improve mobile subscriber quality of
experience (QoE), increase available network capacity and better monetize over-the-top content. The T-Series
Adaptive Traffic Management System is the industry’s only fully integrated traffic management system –
delivering adaptive web and video optimization, DPI, caching, load balancing, analytics and policy control in an
integrated, centrally managed architecture for efficient and streamlined deployment of multi-Tbps-scale
traffic management across the mobile network.

About Citrix
Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) is the cloud company that enables mobile workstyles—empowering people to work
and collaborate from anywhere, easily and securely. With market-leading solutions for mobility, desktop
virtualization, cloud networking, cloud platforms, collaboration and data sharing, Citrix helps organizations
achieve the speed and agility necessary to succeed in a mobile and dynamic world. Citrix products are in
use at more than 260,000 organizations and by over 100 million users globally. Annual revenue in 2012 was
$2.59 billion. Learn more at www.citrix.com.

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