A benchmarking environment for performance evaluation of tree-based rekeying algorithms

While a vast number of solutions to multicast group rekeying were published in the last years, a common base to evaluate these solutions and compare them with each other is still missing. This paper presents a unified and comprehensive way to evaluate the performance of different rekeying algorithms. A rekeying benchmark estimates rekeying costs from a system point of view, which allows a reliable comparison between different rekeying algorithms. For this purpose, two metrics are defined: the Join Rekeying Time (JRT) and the Disjoin Rekeying Time (DRT). By means of four simulation modes, these metrics are estimated in relation to both the group size and the group dynamics. A benchmark prototype, implemented in Java, demonstrates the merit of this unified assessment method by means of two comprehensive case studies.