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 traffic with simple cell sources, and demonstrate that the allocation algorithm is fair and maintains network efficiency in a variety of network configurations. 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 efficiency in comparison with the performance of TCP in an underlying datagram-based network. We study the performance of ABR traffic in the presence of higher-priority variable bitrate (VBR) video traffic and show that the overall system achieves high utilization with modest queue sizes in the switches, and the ABR flows adapt to the available rate in a fairly short interval. We also demonstrate the scalability of the rate allocation algorithm with respect to the nu..