A novel approach to quality of service in active networks

Abstract

This work presents the two approaches usually chosen in order to obtain quality of service (QoS) in active networks. The first one, we call the "active approach", allows us to define protocols (or services) adapted to flow contents (in particular their semantics) but does not permit us to set priorities to flows. The second one uses QoS provided by the IP network layer (under active networks). The weakness of this latter approach is then identified: while it simplifies the implementation of QoS in active networks, the obtained QoS is almost as flexible as the service offered by IP layer. We propose a new approach where QoS is managed at "active network" layer rather than at IP layer. This new approach is far more flexible and allows us to provide QoS mechanisms not limited by those at the IP layer. We show that our solution offers QoS with a better granularity: packet-grained rather than flow-grained We have performed many experiments that validate this flexible approach of QoS at the active network layer in particular on the high-speed active node Tamanoir.