Network access fairness control for concurrent traffic in gigabit LANs

Abstract

This paper describes a new buffer insertion ring with network access fairness control for gigabit LANs. The basic buffer insertion ring has the maximum spatial reuse on the multiple ring segments by allowing concurrent traffic. But, it is well known that the buffer insertion technique suffers from the possibility of station starvation. To solve this problem, a new notion of fairness based on mutual interference between pairs of stations in bandwidth usage is defined. The adjustable fairness definition serves as a basis for conditions to trigger backpressure signals. A cooperative backpressure mechanism is also invented for flow regulation. The effectiveness of the proposed network access mechanism is demonstrated by comparisons with other buffer insertion rings via simulations.