Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of pricing-based distributed resource allocation via scheduling in a communication network. Introducing the temporal aspect in the resource allocation problem presents new challenges e.g. in accounting for the durations and deadlines of the resource requests. Dynamic real-time pricing concepts are discussed for the decentralized sharing of network resources. A numerical example illustrates the benefit of congestion based pricing in a dynamic communication network. The quality of service that results from decentralized resource allocation is studied from the point of view of a power-controlled wireless network. The model is based on a dynamic noncooperative game and is related to recent work on centrally optimal (Pareto-optimal) distributed dynamic resource allocation. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

This paper focuses on the selection of bandwidth-guaranteed channels for communication sessions that require it. The basic idea comes from Minimum Interference Routing: select a feasible path that puts the least possible restriction on the transmission capacity offered by the network for other communicating parties. This is achieved by circumventing some critical bottleneck links. The main contribution of the paper is a method to assess the degree of link criticality facilitating efficient route precomputation even in the case, when up to date resource availability information is not immediately available. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Recently MPLS is used for building up VPNs in IP backbone, called MPLS VPNs. In this paper, we discuss issues on finding routes with QoS requirements (i.e., QoS routing) in MPLS VPNs. We first present background on MPLS VPNs as well as QoS routing. Then we discuss both the benefits and problems resulted from introducing QoS routing into MPLS VPNs. We particularly present an architecture of MPLS VPNs with QoS routing capability, on which we discuss some important issues on running QoS routing in MPLS VPNs. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel and incremental approach to Inter-Domain QoS Routing. Our approach is to provide a completely distributed Overlay Architecture and a routing layer for dynamic QoS provisioning, and to use QoS extensions and Traffic Engineering capabilities of the underlying BGP layer for static QoS provisioning. Our focus is mainly on influencing how traffic is exchanged among non-directly connected multi-homed Autonomous Systems based on specific QoS parameters. We provide evidence supporting the feasibility of our approach by means of simulation. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

In this paper, the concept of fairness in computer networks is investigated. We motivate the need of examining fairness issues by providing example future application scenarios where fairness support is needed in order to experience sufficient service quality. Fairness definitions from political science and their application to computer networks are described and a state-of-the-art overview of research activities in fairness, from issues such a queue management and tcp-friendliness to issues like fairness in layered multi-rate multicast scenarios, is given. We contribute with this paper to the ongoing research activities by defining the fairness challenge with the purpose of helping direct future investigations to with spots on the map of research in fairness. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Part 4: Project Management, Engineering Management, and Quality Management; International audience; Improving the service quality in public transportation is essential for convinced users to abandon the use of private cars. However, to improve service quality, companies need to adopt a quality management system and strategic planning which is not an easy task. This paper presents a way of simplifying a Quality Management System (QMS) and developing a Simple Strategic Planning (SSP) to be adopted for bus transportation companies. A methodology is developed and showed in this paper, together with a case study that illustrate the system. A Brazilian Bus Company applied the methodology and reached an improvement of their service levels with low costs. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Lots of research works have been performed for about ten years around the QoS problem in the Internet, both but separately at the Transport and at the IP levels. Taking into account the emerging traffic engineering-based QoS solutions (Diffserv-oriented), this paper targets the integration of new Transport services and protocols together with these solutions. Starting from performance measurements performed over a national DiffServ platform, contributions exposed here deal with the proposition and the implementation of a session level protocol allowing the application programmers to be masked with the complexity of choosing the underlying new Transport and IP services, still being provided with a per flow QoS. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Recently, much research in quality of service (QoS) routing has focused on the unicast communication technique. However, Content Delivery Network (CDN) approach becomes popular because CDN enables effective and inexpensive improvement of Internet service quality. Therefore, we analyze in this paper a network processing two kinds of demands: content demands to CDN servers and standard unicast demands. Since MPLS defines effective mechanism for traffic engineering, we assume that the CDN is located in MPLS network. To examine the QoS performance of CDN-enabled MPLS network we propose new constraint-based algorithms for CDN server selection and evaluate relative performance of these algorithms and the most effective existing QoS unicast routing algorithms in terms of the demand rejection ratio. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book