This paper proposes an algorithm for aggregating virtual channel connections (VCCs) onto virtual path connections (VPSs) in asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks. We focus on the interesting problem of multiplexing onto an available bit rate (ABR) VPC. ABR VPCs are particularly useful for connecting enterprise sites over the Internet, providing a virtual private network (VPN). The VPC/VCC hierarchy is also important for supporting Internet differentiated services over ATM. The coupling between the flow control mechanisms for VCCs and VPCs is not standardized. We propose fairness definitions for VPC bandwidth allocation, and describe an algorithm for allocating the VPC capacity to the multiplexed VCCs. Preliminary simulation results indicate that the algorithm achieves the required fair allocations, while controlling queue sizes.

This paper describes the "explicit rate indication for congestion avoidance" (ERICA) scheme for rate-based feedback from asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switches. In ERICA, the switches monitor their load on each link and determine a load factor, the available capacity, and the number of currently active virtual channels. This information is used to advise the sources about the rates at which they should transmit. The algorithm is designed to achieve high link utilization with low delays and fast transient response. It is also fair and robust to measurement errors caused by the variations in ABR demand and capacity. We present performance analysis of the scheme using both analytical arguments and simulation results. The scheme is being considered for implementation by several ATM switch manufacturers.

An explicit rate switch scheme monitors the load at each link and gives feedback to the sources. We define the overload factor as the ratio of the input rate to the available capacity. In this paper, we present three overload-based switch schemes which provide MCR (minimum cell rate) guarantees for the ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) ABR (available bit rate) service. The switch schemes proposed use the overload factor and other terms including current source rate and target utilization to calculate feedback rates. A dynamic queue control mechanism is used to achieve efficient usage of the link, control queues and, achieve constant queuing delay at steady state. The proposed algorithms are studied and compared using several configurations. The configurations were chosen to test the performance of the algorithms in the presence of link bottlenecks, source bottlenecks and transient sources. Finally, a comparison of the proposed algorithms based on the simulation results is given.

In a wireless environment, due to topology changes and characteristics of media (interference in radio signals) the bandwidth of a link is unpredictable and possibly very low, the error rates are variable and extremely high. Provisioning and guaranteeing quality of service (QoS) in such an environment is a very challenging problem. In this paper we propose an adaptive and QoS framework to support multimedia applications in a wireless networking environment. The proposed framework is hierarchical in nature with cluster of mobile end hosts connected to a base station, base stations are connected to a supervisory node, which in turn is connected to the wired infrastructure. The changing conditions in wireless due to interference and possibly mobility, entitle that the real-time applications needing stringent QoS should be adaptable. The framework uses a generic feedback mechanism to support adaptability at all layers of the wireless network. An overview of existing wireless architectures which support QoS is given. The architectures discussed are WAMIS (wireless adaptive multimedia information system), SWAN (seamless wireless ATM network), MMWN (multimedia support for mobile wireless networks), and QGMC (QoS guarantees in mobile computing). The proposed approach is compared with these existing methods.

The available bit rate (ABR) service is designed to fairly allocate the bandwidth unused by higher priority services. The network indicates to the ABR sources the rates at which they should transmit to minimize their cell loss. Switches must constantly measure the demand and available capacity, and divide the capacity fairly among the contending connections. In order to compute the fair and efficient allocation for each connection, a switch needs to determine the effective number of active connections. We propose a method for determining the number of active connections and the fair bandwidth share for each. We prove the efficiency and fairness of the proposed method analytically, and simulate it for a number of configurations.

The ABR rate allocation schemes can achieve high link utilizations by maintaining non-zero (small) queues in the steady state, and draining queues when the sources do not have data to send. The queue length (and queuing delays) can be controlled if part of the available bandwidth is used for draining queues in the event of queue build up. A simple threshold function can allocate such bandwidth to drain queues. Better control of the queues, and hence delay, can be achieved using more sophisticated queue control functions. We study the design and analysis of several such queue control functions: the step, linear, hyperbolic and inverse hyperbolic functions. Analytical explanation and simulation results consistent with analysis are presented. From the study, we conclude that the inverse hyperbolic is the best queue control function. To reduce complexity, the linear function can be used since it performs satisfactorily in most cases.

We give a general definition of weighted fairness and discuss how a pricing policy can be mapped to general weighted (GW) fairness. The GW fairness can be achieved by calculating the excess fairshare (weighted fairshare of the left over bandwidth) for each VC. We show how a switch algorithm can be modified to support the GW fairness by using the excess fairshare term. We use ERICA+ as an example switch algorithm and show how it can be modified to achieve the general fairness. Simulations results are presented to demonstrate that, the modified switch algorithm achieves GW fairness. An analytical proof for convergence of the modified ERICA+ algorithm is given in the appendix.

ABR traffic management for point-to-multipoint connections controls the source rate to be the minimum rate supported by all the branches of the multicast tree. A number of algorithms have been developed for extending ABR congestion avoidance algorithms to perform feedback consolidation at the branch points. This paper discusses various design options and implementation alternatives for the consolidation algorithms, and proposes a number of new algorithms. The performance of the proposed algorithms and the previous algorithms is compared under a variety of conditions. Results indicate that the algorithms we propose eliminate the consolidation noise (caused if the feedback is returned before all branches respond), while exhibiting a fast transient response.

The ATM guaranteed frame rate (GFR) service is intended for best effort traffic that can benefit from minimum throughput guarantees. Edge devices connecting LANs to an ATM network can use GFR to transport multiple TCP/IP connections over a single GFR VC. These devices would typically multiplex VCs into a single FIFO queue. It has been shown that in general, FIFO queuing is not sufficient to provide rate guarantees, and per-VC queuing with scheduling is needed. We show that under conditions of low buffer allocation, it is possible to control TCP rates with FIFO queuing and buffer management. We present analysis and simulation results on controlling TCP rates by buffer management. We present a buffer management policy that provides loose rate guarantees to SACK TCP sources when the total buffer allocation is low. We study the performance of this buffer management scheme by simulation.

Compressed video is well known to be self-similar in nature. We model VBR carrying long-range dependent, multiplexed MPEG-2 video sources traffic. The actual traffic for the model is generated using fast-Fourier transform of the fractional Gaussian noise sequence. Our model of compressed video sources bears similarity to an MPEG-2 transport stream carrying video, i.e., it is long-range dependent and generates traffic in a piecewise constant bit rate manner. We study, the effect of such VBR traffic on ABR carrying TCP traffic. The effect of such VBR traffic is that the ABR capacity is highly variant. We find that a switch algorithm like ERICA+ can tolerate this variance in ABR capacity while maintaining high throughput and low delay. We present simulation results for terrestrial and satellite configurations.

We study the performance of selective acknowledgements (SACK) with TCP over the ATM-UBR service category. We examine various unspecified bit rate (UBR) drop policies, TCP mechanisms and network configurations to recommend optimal parameters for TCP over UBR. We discuss various TCP congestion control mechanisms compare their performance for LANs and WANs. We describe the effect of satellite delays on TCP performance over UBR and present simulation results for LANs, WANs and satellite networks. SACK TCP improves the performance of TCP over UBR, especially for large delay networks. Intelligent drop policies at the switches are an important factor for good performance in local area networks.