When channels with limited buffer space are shared by multiple bursty data sources then some fraction of submitted packets is lost when the buffer becomes full. Feedback signals enable the sources to reduce their burst sizes when the buffer becomes congested. On the other hand, if there is plenty of free space in the buffer then burst sizes are allowed to increase. Such systems may be designed with a variety of queueing disciplines and packet discard policies. The Study Group was asked to analyse the packet-loss process for packet submission using either first-in-first-out or weighted fair queueing, and for packet discard using either drop-tail or random early discard policies.

Problem presented by
José Gil, Motorola Research

Study Group contributors
David Allwright (Smith Institute)
Paul Dellar (Imperial College London)
Robert Leese (Smith Institute)
Malwina Luczak (London School of Economics)
Steven Noble (Brunel University)
Domingo Salazar (University of Oxford)