Supporting Quality of Service in the Head - End of Hybrid Fiber - Coaxial Networks

Many cable operators have begun the process of upgrading their cable systems in anticipation of delivering a wide range of interactive digital services to the home. These newer hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) networks can take advantage of unused bandwidth in broadcast cable television (CATV) and allow for an inexpensive and simple way for home users to have access to many broadband digital applications. The current trend toward more demanding network applications means that these HFC networks will need to support quality of service (QoS) control mechanisms which allocate network resources and can offer users certain network performance guarantees. The unique topology and characteristics of HFC networks present several interesting challenges for controlling and managing access to the system, and solutions developed for other kinds of networks may not be readily applicable. This paper explores techniques to understand these challenges and meet them with possible solutions. The primary goal will be to devise, study, and implement algorithms which demonstrate that support for QoS mechanisms, such as different classes (or priorities) of service, can be implemented with changes only to the head-end of these HFC systems. This solution offers flexibility in the design and distribution of cable modems by making this restriction. Thesis Supervisor: John T. Wroclawski Title: Research Scientist