Techniques for Eliminating Packet Loss in Congested TCP/IP Networks

Abstract

The congestion control mechanisms used in tcp have been the focus of numerous studies and have undergone a number of enhancements. However, even with these enhancements, tcp connections still experience alarmingly high loss rates, especially during times of congestion. To alleviate this problem, the ietf is considering active queue management mechanisms, such as red, for deployment in the network. In this paper, we first show that even with red, loss rates can only be reduced marginally in times of congestion. We then show that the solution to this problem lies in understanding the traffic generated by an aggregation of a large number of sources. Given this, we then propose and experiment with more adaptive active queue management algorithms and more intelligent end-host mechanisms which can significantly reduce loss rates across congested links. When used together, these mechanisms can effectively eliminate packet loss while maintaining high link utilizations under the most difficul..