Experiences in Programming a Traffic Shaper

We report some experiences gained in programming a rate-based traffic shaper, seemingly a straightforward task. Specifically, we discuss how to compensate for an often-overlooked problem with inaccurate sleep functions, and how to accommodate intermittent data arrival streams. The objective is to produce an accurate, yet simple, robust, and efficient traffic shaper. email address: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] © 1999 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. The SMLTechnical Report Series is published by Sun Microsystems Laboratories, of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. Unlimited copying without fee is permitted provided that the copies are not made nor distributed for direct commercial advantage, and credit to the source is given. Otherwise, no part of this work covered by copyright hereon may be reproduced in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or storage in an information retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. TRADEMARKS Sun, Sun Microsystems, Java, and the Sun logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All SPARC trademarks are used under license and are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. For information regarding the SML Technical Report Series, contact Jeanie Treichel, Editor-in-Chief .