A priority-based multiservice dynamic bandwidth allocation for ethernet Passive optical networks

International audienceOne of the most cost-effective solutions to meet the explosive increase in bandwidth demand is a Passive Optical Network (PON). This technology is intended to offer a simple, scalable solution which is capable of delivering multiservice access to end-customers. Standards for PONs have been approved, but QoS provisioning and bandwidth distribution within a PON have been left to the implementer. In particular, many proposals have focused on the central issue of upstream traffic management in PONs. Upstream traffic management relies on a Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation (DBA) mechanism that distributes transmission opportunities to the end users, based on their requirements. An ideal DBA should support both Committed Bandwidth (CB) and Best Effort (BE) services, with a good control of the usual QoS characteristics (delay, jitter, and loss) while utilizing the available bandwidth with a good efficiency. The present paper presents a simulation based analysis that shows how a simple priority based DBA meets these requirements, and outperforms several of the better known DBA proposals