Traffic splitting in a network: split traffic models and applications

Abstract

The contemporary high-speed networks, e.g. the Internet and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks provide a convenient and cost-effective communication platform to carry the emerging multimedia applications. However, problems, such as network congestion caused by overloaded traffic get worse day by day. Thus, how to properly control the system while maintaining the quality of service (QoS) for users becomes an important and challenging issue. To reach the goal of QoS guarantee, load sharing or traffic balancing is one of important techniques to improve the whole network performance. In this paper, we focus on the probabilistic routing policy and analyze split traffic models under such a probabilistic routing policy with input traffic models of the batch Markovian arrival process (BMAP) and discrete-time BMAP (D-BMAP) which can be employed to characterize the multimedia traffic in current and future networks. We successfully show that the split traffic on each routing path from an original BMAP (D-BMAP) input is still a BMAP (D-BMAP). The detailed traffic structure is also acquired. Applying traffic splitting along with the output process characterization, we propose a network-wise performance evaluation method suitable for mesh networks with a probabilistic routing algorithm to get the end-to-end delay, delay variance, and cell loss probability. With numerical experiments, we show that (i) the probabilistic routing policy with a random routing matrix performs well for systems; (ii) the proposed method of network-wise performance analysis has good accuracy. q

Implementation of P4-Based Schedulers for Multipath Communication

“…This 213 parameter is used as an indicator when performing packet 214 distribution. Theoretically, probabilistic path selection as in 215 [9], [10] can be realized with the same method. With P4, 216 we can use the basic function of generating random values 217 (i.e., in a given value range) and attaching them to the packet 218 headers.…”

“…They can split multipath traffic at the packet level and/or at the flow level [7], [8]. Among them, the main route selection methods are probabilistic routing and roundrobin routing [9]- [12]. However, to date, when using existing technologies, these schedulers have required configuration changes to the devices' control planes, resulting in costly deployment and maintenance.…”

“…In previous works, 121 several proposed traffic splitters have achieved efficient load 122 balancing in the network. Among them, the most common 123 methods are to select the packet forwarding destinations 124 either probabilistically or with specified patterns [9]- [12]. 125 Other works have considered traffic at the packet level or the 126 flow level [7], [8].…”