Overlay Multicast Optimization: IBM ILOG CPLEX

IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio delivers advanced and complex optimization libraries that solve linear programming (LP) and related problems, e.g., mixed integer. Moreover, the optimization tool provides users with its Academic Research Edition, which is available for teaching and noncommercial research at no-charge. This paper describes the usage of CPLEX C++ API for solving linear problems and, as an exhaustive example, optimization of network flows in overlay multicast is taken into account. Applying continuous and integral variables and implementing various constraints, including equations and inequalities, as well as setting some global parameters of the solver are presented and widely explained. Keywords—Overlay multicast, maximum flows, linear programming, mixed integer programming.