Chapter 13

Traffic and Congestion Control in ATM Networks

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
• Because of the high speed and small cell
size, ATM network present difficulties in
effectively controlling the congestion

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Introduction
• Control needed to prevent switch buffer
overflow
• High speed and small cell size gives
different problems from other networks
• Limited number of overhead bits
• ITU-T specified restricted initial set
– I.371
• ATM forum Traffic Management
Specification 41

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Overview
• Congestion problem
• Framework adopted by ITU-T and ATM forum
– Control schemes for delay sensitive traffic
• Voice & video
– Not suited to bursty traffic
– Traffic control
– Congestion control
• Bursty traffic
– Available Bit Rate (ABR)
– Guaranteed Frame Rate (GFR)

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Requirements for ATM Traffic
and Congestion Control
• Most packet switched and frame relay
networks carry non-real-time bursty data
– No need to replicate timing at exit node
– Simple statistical multiplexing
– User Network Interface capacity slightly
greater than average of channels
• Congestion control tools from these
technologies do not work in ATM

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Problems with ATM Congestion
Control
• Most traffic not amenable to flow control
– Voice & video can not stop generating
• Feedback slow
– Small cell transmission time with propagation delay
• Wide range of applications
– From few kbps to hundreds of Mbps
– Different traffic patterns
– Different network services
• High speed switching and transmission
– Volatile congestion and traffic control

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Key Performance Issues-
Latency/Speed Effects
• E.g. data rate 150Mbps
• Takes (53 x 8 bits)/(150 x 106) =2.8 x 10-6 seconds to
insert a cell
• Transfer time depends on number of intermediate
switches, switching time and propagation delay.
Assuming no switching delay and speed of light
propagation, round trip delay of 48 x 10-3 sec across
USA
• A dropped cell notified by return message will arrive
after source has transmitted N further cells
• N=(48 x 10-3 seconds)/(2.8 x 10-6 seconds per cell)
• =1.7 x 104 cells = 7.2 x 106 bits
• i.e. over 7 Mbits

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Key Performance Issues-
Cell Delay Variation
• For digitized voice delay across network must be small
• Rate of delivery must be constant
• Variations will occur
• Dealt with by Time Reassembly of CBR cells (see next
slide)
• Results in cells delivered at CBR with occasional gaps
due to dropped cells
• Subscriber requests minimum cell delay variation from
network provider
– Increase data rate at UNI relative to load
– Increase resources within network

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Time Reassembly of CBR Cells

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Network Contribution to Cell
Delay Variation
• In packet switched network
– Queuing effects at each intermediate switch
– Processing time for header and routing
• Less for ATM networks
– Minimal processing overhead at switches
• Fixed cell size, header format
• No flow control or error control processing
– ATM switches have extremely high throughput
– Congestion can cause cell delay variation
• Build up of queuing effects at switches
• Total load accepted by network must be controlled

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Cell Delay Variation at UNI
• Caused by processing in three layers of
ATM model
• None of these delays can be predicted
• None follow repetitive pattern
• So, random element exists in time
interval between reception by ATM stack
and transmission

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Origins of Cell Delay Variation

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 ATM Traffic-Related Attributes
• Six service categories (see chapter 5)
– Constant bit rate (CBR)
– Real time variable bit rate (rt-VBR)
– Non-real-time variable bit rate (nrt-VBR)
– Unspecified bit rate (UBR)
– Available bit rate (ABR)
– Guaranteed frame rate (GFR)
• Characterized by ATM attributes in four categories
– Traffic descriptors: Describe the traffic characteristic of a
source and of a connection. A network will establish of a
connection for this source for this source only if sufficient
resources are available to support traffic volume.
– QoS parameters
– Congestion
– Other
Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion
Control in ATM Networks
 ATM Traffic-Related Attributes
• Six service categories (see chapter 5)
– Constant bit rate (CBR)
– Real time variable bit rate (rt-VBR)
– Non-real-time variable bit rate (nrt-VBR)
– Unspecified bit rate (UBR)
– Available bit rate (ABR)
– Guaranteed frame rate (GFR)
• Characterized by ATM attributes in four categories
– Traffic descriptors
– QoS parameters: Characterize the performance of an ATM
connection in terms of the QOS that it provides. For a given
connection a user will request a particular QOS.
– Congestion: Feedback attribute in ABR

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
ATM Service Category
Attributes

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Traffic Parameters
• Traffic pattern of flow of cells
– Intrinsic nature of traffic
• Source traffic descriptor
– Modified inside network
• Connection traffic descriptor

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Source Traffic Descriptor (1)
• Peak cell rate
– Upper bound on traffic that can be submitted
– Defined in terms of minimum spacing between cells T
– PCR = 1/T
– Mandatory for CBR and VBR services
• Sustainable cell rate
– Upper bound on average rate
– Calculated over large time scale relative to T
– Required for VBR
– Enables efficient allocation of network resources between
VBR sources
– Only useful if SCR < PCR

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Source Traffic Descriptor (2)
• Maximum burst size
– Max number of cells that can be sent at PCR
– If bursts are at MBS, idle gaps must be enough to keep overall
rate below SCR
– Required for VBR
• Minimum cell rate
– Min commitment requested of network
– Can be zero
– Used with ABR and GFR
– ABR & GFR provide rapid access to spare network capacity up
to PCR
– PCR – MCR represents elastic component of data flow
– Shared among ABR and GFR flows

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Source Traffic Descriptor (3)
• Maximum frame size
– Max number of cells in frame that can be
carried over GFR connection
– Only relevant in GFR

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Connection Traffic Descriptor
• Includes source traffic descriptor plus:-
• Cell delay variation tolerance
– Amount of variation in cell delay introduced by
network interface and UNI
– Bound on delay variability due to slotted nature of
ATM, physical layer overhead and layer functions
(e.g. cell multiplexing)
– Represented by time variable τ
• Conformance definition
– Specify conforming cells of connection at UNI
– Enforced by dropping or marking cells over definition

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Quality of Service Parameters-
maxCTD
• Cell transfer delay (CTD)
– Time between transmission of first bit of cell at
source and reception of last bit at destination
– Typically has probability density function (see next
slide)
– Fixed delay due to propagation etc.
– Cell delay variation due to buffering and scheduling
– Maximum cell transfer delay (maxCTD)is max
requested delay for connection
– Fraction α of cells exceed threshold
• Discarded or delivered late

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Quality of Service Parameters-
Peak-to-peak CDV & CLR
• Peak-to-peak Cell Delay Variation
– Remaining (1-α) cells within QoS
– Delay experienced by these cells is between
fixed delay and maxCTD
– This is peak-to-peak CDV
– CDVT is an upper bound on CDV
• Cell loss ratio
– Ratio of cells lost to cells transmitted

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Cell Transfer Delay PDF

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Congestion Control Attributes
• Only feedback is defined
– ABR and GFR
– Actions taken by network and end systems
to regulate traffic submitted
• ABR flow control
– Adaptively share available bandwidth

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Other Attributes
• Behaviour class selector (BCS)
– Support for IP differentiated services.
– Provides different service levels among UBR
connections
– Associate each connection with a behaviour
class
– May include queuing and scheduling
• Minimum desired cell rate

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Traffic Management Framework
• Objectives of ATM layer traffic and
congestion control
– Support QoS for all foreseeable services
– Not rely on network specific AAL protocols
nor higher layer application specific protocols
– Minimize network and end system
complexity
– Maximize network utilization

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Timing Levels
• Cell insertion time
• Round trip propagation time
• Connection duration
• Long term

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Traffic Control and Congestion
Functions

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Traffic Control Strategy
• Determine whether new ATM connection
can be accommodated
• Agree performance parameters with
subscriber
• Traffic contract between subscriber and
network
• This is congestion avoidance
• If it fails congestion may occur
– Invoke congestion control

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Traffic Control
• Resource management using virtual
paths
• Connection admission control
• Usage parameter control
• Selective cell discard
• Traffic shaping
• Explicit forward congestion indication

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Resource Management Using
Virtual Paths
• Allocate resources so that traffic is
separated according to service
characteristics
• Virtual path connection (VPC) are
groupings of virtual channel connections
(VCC)

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Applications
• User-to-user applications
– VPC between UNI pair
– No knowledge of QoS for individual VCC
– User checks that VPC can take VCCs’ demands
• User-to-network applications
– VPC between UNI and network node
– Network aware of and accommodates QoS of VCCs
• Network-to-network applications
– VPC between two network nodes
– Network aware of and accommodates QoS of VCCs

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Resource Management
Concerns
• Cell loss ratio
• Max cell transfer delay
• Peak to peak cell delay variation
• All affected by resources devoted to VPC
• If VCC goes through multiple VPCs,
performance depends on consecutive VPCs
and on node performance
– VPC performance depends on capacity of VPC and
traffic characteristics of VCCs
– VCC related function depends on
switching/processing speed and priority

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
VCCs and VPCs Configuration

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Allocation of Capacity to VPC
• Aggregate peak demand
– May set VPC capacity (data rate) to total of VCC peak rates
• Each VCC can give QoS to accommodate peak demand
• VPC capacity may not be fully used
• Statistical multiplexing
– VPC capacity >= average data rate of VCCs but < aggregate
peak demand
– Greater CDV and CTD
– May have greater CLR
– More efficient use of capacity
– For VCCs requiring lower QoS
– Group VCCs of similar traffic together

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Connection Admission Control

• User must specify service required in both

directions
– Category
– Connection traffic descriptor
• Source traffic descriptor
• CDVT
• Requested conformance definition
– QoS parameter requested and acceptable value
• Network accepts connection only if it can
commit resources to support requests

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Procedures to Set Traffic
Control Parameters

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Cell Loss Priority
• Two levels requested by user
– Priority for individual cell indicated by CLP bit
in header
– If two levels are used, traffic parameters for
both flows specified
• High priority CLP = 0
• All traffic CLP = 0 + 1
– May improve network resource allocation

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Usage Parameter Control
• UPC
• Monitors connection for conformity to
traffic contract
• Protect network resources from overload
on one connection
• Done at VPC or VCC level
• VPC level more important
– Network resources allocated at this level

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Location of UPC Function

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Peak Cell Rate Algorithm
• How UPC determines whether user is
complying with contract
• Control of peak cell rate and CDVT
– Complies if peak does not exceed agreed
peak
– Subject to CDV within agreed bounds
– Generic cell rate algorithm
– Leaky bucket algorithm

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Generic
Cell
Rate
Algorithm

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Virtual Scheduling Algorithm

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Cell Arrival at
UNI (T=4.5δ)

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Leaky Bucket Algorithm

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Continuous Leaky Bucket
Algorithm

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Sustainable Cell Rate Algorithm
• Operational definition of relationship
between sustainable cell rate and burst
tolerance
• Used by UPC to monitor compliance
• Same algorithm as peak cell rate

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 UPC Actions
• Compliant cell pass, non-compliant cells discarded
• If no additional resources allocated to CLP=1 traffic,
CLP=0 cells C
• If two level cell loss priority cell with:
– CLP=0 and conforms passes
– CLP=0 non-compliant for CLP=0 traffic but compliant for
CLP=0+1 is tagged and passes
– CLP=0 non-compliant for CLP=0 and CLP=0+1 traffic
discarded
– CLP=1 compliant for CLP=0+1 passes
– CLP=1 non-compliant for CLP=0+1 discarded

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Possible Actions of UPC

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Selective Cell Discard
• Starts when network, at point beyond
UPC, discards CLP=1 cells
• Discard low priority cells to protect high
priority cells
• No distinction between cells labelled low
priority by source and those tagged by
UPC

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Traffic Shaping
• GCRA is a form of traffic policing
– Flow of cells regulated
– Cells exceeding performance level tagged or
discarded
• Traffic shaping used to smooth traffic flow
– Reduce cell clumping
– Fairer allocation of resources
– Reduced average delay

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Token Bucket for Traffic
Shaping

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Explicit Forward Congestion
Indication
• Essentially same as frame relay
• If node experiencing congestion, set
forward congestion indication is cell
headers
– Tells users that congestion avoidance should
be initiated in this direction
– User may take action at higher level

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 ABR Traffic Management
• QoS for CBR, VBR based on traffic contract
and UPC described previously
• No congestion feedback to source
• Open-loop control
• Not suited to non-real-time applications
– File transfer, web access, RPC, distributed file
systems
– No well defined traffic characteristics except PCR
– PCR not enough to allocate resources
• Use best efforts or closed-loop control

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Best Efforts
• Share unused capacity between
applications
• As congestion goes up:
– Cells are lost
– Sources back off and reduce rate
– Fits well with TCP techniques (chapter 12)
– Inefficient
• Cells dropped causing re-transmission

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Closed-Loop Control
• Sources share capacity not used by CBR
and VBR
• Provide feedback to sources to adjust
load
• Avoid cell loss
• Share capacity fairly
• Used for ABR

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Characteristics of ABR
• ABR connections share available capacity
– Access instantaneous capacity unused by CBR/VBR
– Increases utilization without affecting CBR/VBR QoS
• Share used by single ABR connection is
dynamic
– Varies between agreed MCR and PCR
• Network gives feedback to ABR sources
– ABR flow limited to available capacity
– Buffers absorb excess traffic prior to arrival of
feedback
• Low cell loss
– Major distinction from UBR
Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion
Control in ATM Networks
 Feedback Mechanisms (1)
• Cell transmission rate characterized by:
– Allowable cell rate
• Current rate
– Minimum cell rate
• Min for ACR
• May be zero
– Peak cell rate
• Max for ACR
– Initial cell rate

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Feedback Mechanisms (2)
• Start with ACR=ICR
• Adjust ACR based on feedback
• Feedback in resource management (RM)
cells
– Cell contains three fields for feedback
• Congestion indicator bit (CI)
• No increase bit (NI)
• Explicit cell rate field (ER)

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Source Reaction to Feedback
• If CI=1
– Reduce ACR by amount proportional to
current ACR but not less than CR
• Else if NI=0
– Increase ACR by amount proportional to
PCR but not more than PCR
• If ACR>ER set ACR<-max[ER,MCR]

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Variations in ACR

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Cell Flow on ABR
• Two types of cell
– Data & resource management (RM)
• Source receives regular RM cells
– Feedback
• Bulk of RM cells initiated by source
– One forward RM cell (FRM) per (Nrm-1) data cells
• Nrm preset – usually 32
– Each FRM is returned by destination as backwards RM (BRM)
cell
– FRM typically CI=0, NI=0 or 1 ER desired transmission rate in
range ICR<=ER<=PCR
– Any field may be changed by switch or destination before
return

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 ATM Switch Rate Control
Feedback
• EFCI marking
– Explicit forward congestion indication
– Causes destination to set CI bit in ERM
• Relative rate marking
– Switch directly sets CI or NI bit of RM
– If set in FRM, remains set in BRM
– Faster response by setting bit in passing BRM
– Fastest by generating new BRM with bit set
• Explicit rate marking
– Switch reduces value of ER in FRM or BRM

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Flow of Data and RM Cells

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 ARB Feedback v TCP ACK
• ABR feedback controls rate of
transmission
– Rate control
• TCP feedback controls window size
– Credit control
• ARB feedback from switches or
destination
• TCP feedback from destination only
Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion
Control in ATM Networks
 RM Cell
Format

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 RM Cell Format Notes
• ATM header has PT=110 to indicate RM cell
• On virtual channel VPI and VCI same as data cells on
connection
• On virtual path VPI same, VCI=6
• Protocol id identifies service using RM (ARB=1)
• Message type
– Direction FRM=0, BRM=1
– BECN cell. Source (BN=0) or switch/destination (BN=1)
– CI (=1 for congestion)
– NI (=1 for no increase)
– Request/Acknowledge (not used in ATM forum spec)

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Initial Values of RM Cell Fields

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 ARB
Parameters

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 ARB Capacity Allocation
• ATM switch must perform:
– Congestion control
• Monitor queue length
– Fair capacity allocation
• Throttle back connections using more than fair
share
• ATM rate control signals are explicit
• TCP are implicit
– Increasing delay and cell loss

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Congestion Control Algorithms-
Binary Feedback
• Use only EFCI, CI and NI bits
• Switch monitors buffer utilization
• When congestion approaches, binary
notification
– Set EFCI on forward data cells or CI or NI on FRM
or BRM
• Three approaches to which to notify
– Single FIFO queue
– Multiple queues
– Fair share notification
Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion
Control in ATM Networks
 Single FIFO Queue
• When buffer use exceeds threshold (e.g. 80%)
– Switch starts issuing binary notifications
– Continues until buffer use falls below threshold
– Can have two thresholds
• One for start and one for stop
• Stops continuous on/off switching
– Biased against connections passing through more
switches

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Multiple Queues
• Separate queue for each VC or group of VCs
• Separate threshold on each queue
• Only connections with long queues get binary
notifications
– Fair
– Badly behaved source does not affect other VCs
– Delay and loss behaviour of individual VCs
separated
• Can have different QoS on different VCs

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Fair Share
• Selective feedback or intelligent marking
• Try to allocate capacity dynamically
• E.g.
• fairshare =(target rate)/(number of connections)
• Mark any cells where CCR>fairshare

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Explicit Rate Feedback
Schemes
• Compute fair share of capacity for each VC
• Determine current load or congestion
• Compute explicit rate (ER) for each connection
and send to source
• Three algorithms
– Enhanced proportional rate control algorithm
• EPRCA
– Explicit rate indication for congestion avoidance
• ERICA
– Congestion avoidance using proportional control
• CAPC

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Enhanced Proportional Rate
Control Algorithm(EPRCA)
• Switch tracks average value of current load on
each connection
– Mean allowed cell rate (MARC)
– MACR(I)=(1-α)*(MACR(I-1) + α*CCR(I)
– CCR(I) is CCR field in Ith FRM
– Typically α=1/16
– Bias to past values of CCR over current
– Gives estimated average load passing through
switch
– If congestion, switch reduces each VC to no more
than DPF*MACR
• DPF=down pressure factor, typically 7/8
• ER<-min[ER, DPF*MACR]
Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion
Control in ATM Networks
 Load Factor
• Adjustments based on load factor
• LF=Input rate/target rate
– Input rate measured over fixed averaging
interval
– Target rate slightly below link bandwidth (85
to 90%)
– LF>1 congestion threatened
• VCs will have to reduce rate

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Explicit Rate Indication for
Congestion Avoidance (ERICA)
• Attempt to keep LF close to 1
• Define:
fairshare = (target rate)/(number of connections)
VCshare = CCR/LF
= (CCR/(Input Rate)) *(Target Rate)
• ERICA selectively adjusts VC rates
– Total ER allocated to connections matches target
rate
– Allocation is fair
– ER = max[fairshare, VCshare]
– VCs whose VCshare is less than their fairshare get
greater increase
Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion
Control in ATM Networks
 Congestion Avoidance Using
Proportional Control (CAPC)
• If LF<1 fairshare<-fairshare*min[ERU,1+(1-LF)*Rup]
• If LF>1 fairshare<-fairshare*min[ERU,1-(1-LF)*Rdn]
• ERU>1, determines max increase
• Rup between 0.025 and 0.1, slope parameter
• Rdn, between 0.2 and 0.8, slope parameter
• ERF typically 0.5, max decrease in allottment of fair share
• If fairshare < ER value in RM cells, ER<-fairshare
• Simpler than ERICA
• Can show large rate oscillations if RIF (Rate increase factor) too
high
• Can lead to unfairness

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 GRF Overview
• Simple as UBR from end system view
– End system does no policing or traffic shaping
– May transmit at line rate of ATM adaptor
• Modest requirements on ATM network
• No guarantee of frame delivery
• Higher layer (e.g. TCP) react to congestion causing
dropped frames
• User can reserve cell rate capacity for each VC
– Application can send at min rate without loss
• Network must recognise frames as well as cells
• If congested, network discards entire frame
• All cells of a frame have same CLP setting
– CLP=0 guaranteed delivery, CLP=1 best efforts

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 GFR Traffic Contract
• Peak cell rate PCR
• Minimum cell rate MCR
• Maximum burst size MBS
• Maximum frame size MFS
• Cell delay variation tolerance CDVT

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Mechanisms for supporting
Rate Guarantees
• Tagging and policing
• Buffer management
• Scheduling

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Tagging and Policing
• Tagging identifies frames that conform to
contract and those that don’t
– CLP=1 for those that don’t
• Set by network element doing conformance check
• May be network element or source showing less important
frames
– Get lower QoS in buffer management and
scheduling
– Tagged cells can be discarded at ingress to ATM
network or subsequent switch
– Discarding is a policing function

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Buffer Management
• Treatment of cells in buffers or when arriving
and requiring buffering
• If congested (high buffer occupancy) tagged
cells discarded in preference to untagged
• Discard tagged cell to make room for untagged
cell
• May buffer per-VC
• Discards may be based on per queue
thresholds

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 Scheduling
• Give preferential treatment to untagged cells
• Separate queues for each VC
– Per VC scheduling decisions
– E.g. FIFO modified to give CLP=0 cells higher
priority
• Scheduling between queues controls outgoing
rate of VCs
– Individual cells get fair allocation while meeting
traffic contract

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Components of GFR
Mechanism

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 GFR Conformance Definition
• UPC function
– UPC monitors VC for traffic conformance
– Tag or discard non-conforming cells
• Frame conforms if all cells in frame conform
– Rate of cells within contract
• Generic cell rate algorithm PCR and CDVT specified for
connection
– All cells have same CLP
– Within maximum frame size (MFS)

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
 QoS Eligibility Test
• Test for contract conformance
– Discard or tag non-conforming cells
• Looking at upper bound on traffic
– Determine frames eligible for QoS guarantee
• Under GFR contract for VC
• Looking at lower bound for traffic
• Frames are one of:
– Nonconforming: cells tagged or discarded
– Conforming ineligible: best efforts
– Conforming eligible: guaranteed delivery

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks
Simplified Frame Based GCRA

Chapter 13 Traffic and Congestion

Control in ATM Networks