  This paper presents a case for exploiting the synergy of dedicated and
opportunistic network resources in a distributed hosting platform for data
stream processing applications. Our previous studies have demonstrated the
benefits of combining dedicated reliable resources with opportunistic resources
in case of high-throughput computing applications, where timely allocation of
the processing units is the primary concern. Since distributed stream
processing applications demand large volume of data transmission between the
processing sites at a consistent rate, adequate control over the network
resources is important here to assure a steady flow of processing. In this
paper, we propose a system model for the hybrid hosting platform where stream
processing servers installed at distributed sites are interconnected with a
combination of dedicated links and public Internet. Decentralized algorithms
have been developed for allocation of the two classes of network resources
among the competing tasks with an objective towards higher task throughput and
better utilization of expensive dedicated resources. Results from extensive
simulation study show that with proper management, systems exploiting the
synergy of dedicated and opportunistic resources yield considerably higher task
throughput and thus, higher return on investment over the systems solely using
expensive dedicated resources.
