Dynamics of an Explicit Rate Allocation Algorithm for Atm Networks

In this paper we study the performance of an explicit rate allocation algorithm for ATM networks using the available bit-rate (ABR) class of service. We examine the behavior of ABR traac with simple cell sources, and demonstrate that the allocation algorithm is fair and maintains network eeciency in a variety of network conngurations. We also study the behavior of TCP/IP sources using ABR service in a network of switches employing the rate allocation algorithm; the results show substantial improvements in fairness and eeciency in comparison with the performance of TCP in an underlying datagram-based network. We study the performance of ABR traac in the presence of higher-priority variable bit-rate (VBR) video traac and show that the overall system achieves high utilization with modest queue sizes in the switches, and the ABR ows adapt to the available rate in a fairly short interval. We also demonstrate the scalability of the rate allocation algorithm with respect to the number of connections.