Temporal synchronization of various data streams in multimedia information supporting voice, video, graphics and text, that are exchanged between users over a high speed network are discussed. During delivery of such data, maintaining the required association between data units across various streams in real-time is necessary to sustain quality of service in the presence of data loss and/or delay in the network. Solving this synchronization problem requires framing of data streams whereby various points in the data streams deliverable simultaneously to a user are identified. A solution in which the temporal axis of an application is segmented into intervals in which each interval is a unit of synchronization and holds a data frame is presented. Simultaneous data delivery involves delivering all data segments belonging to an interval within a certain real-time delay, as specifiable by the application. Based on the approach, end-to-end transport protocols that compensate for the data skew that may arise due to data loss/delay is described. Simulation experiments confirm the viability of the protocols. Major uses of the protocols are in broadband ISDNs and metropolitan area networks (MANs).
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