Concave Switching in Single and Multihop Networks

Switched queueing networks model wireless networks, input queued switches and numerous other networked communications systems. For single-hop networks, we consider a {($\alpha,g$)-switch policy} which combines the MaxWeight policies with bandwidth sharing networks -- a further well studied model of Internet congestion. We prove the maximum stability property for this class of randomized policies. Thus these policies have the same first order behavior as the MaxWeight policies. However, for multihop networks some of these generalized polices address a number of critical weakness of the MaxWeight/BackPressure policies. For multihop networks with fixed routing, we consider the Proportional Scheduler (or (1,log)-policy). In this setting, the BackPressure policy is maximum stable, but must maintain a queue for every route-destination, which typically grows rapidly with a network's size. However, this proportionally fair policy only needs to maintain a queue for each outgoing link, which is typically bounded in number. As is common with Internet routing, by maintaining per-link queueing each node only needs to know the next hop for each packet and not its entire route. Further, in contrast to BackPressure, the Proportional Scheduler does not compare downstream queue lengths to determine weights, only local link information is required. This leads to greater potential for decomposed implementations of the policy. Through a reduction argument and an entropy argument, we demonstrate that, whilst maintaining substantially less queueing overhead, the Proportional Scheduler achieves maximum throughput stability.Comment: 28 page

MKAS : A modular knockout ATM switch

Simple Knockout Switch [11 exhibits excellent traffic performance (cell loss, cell delay and maximum throughput etc.) under uniform as well as non-uniform traffic patterns (2-6). But being a single stage, its hardware complexity is directly proportional to the switch size N. This problem may bind its implementation for largescale requirements because of the technological and physical constraints of packaging (e. g. chip or board size). Here, we are proposing a two-stage Modular Knockout ATM Switch architecture, which is extendable to large-scale switch sizes without sacrificing any significant decrease in switch performance. The concept of Generalised Knockout Principle in conjunction with Simple Knockout Principle has been utilised to filter, route and resolve the output contention problems in distributed fashion. Using distributed address filtration and shared concentration techniques simplifies the switch functions and reduces the switch complexity to large extent in terms of filters, switching elements and input output interconnection wires

Store-Forward and its implications for Proportional Scheduling

The Proportional Scheduler was recently proposed as a scheduling algorithm for multi-hop switch networks. For these networks, the BackPressure scheduler is the classical benchmark. For networks with fixed routing, the Proportional Scheduler is maximum stable, myopic and, furthermore, will alleviate certain scaling issued found in BackPressure for large networks. Nonetheless, the equilibrium and delay properties of the Proportional Scheduler has not been fully characterized. In this article, we postulate on the equilibrium behaviour of the Proportional Scheduler though the analysis of an analogous rule called the Store-Forward allocation. It has been shown that Store-Forward has asymptotically allocates according to the Proportional Scheduler. Further, for Store-Forward networks, numerous equilibrium quantities are explicitly calculable. For FIFO networks under Store-Forward, we calculate the policies stationary distribution and end-to-end route delay. We discuss network topologies when the stationary distribution is product-form, a phenomenon which we call \emph{product form resource pooling}. We extend this product form notion to independent set scheduling on perfect graphs, where we show that non-neighbouring queues are statistically independent. Finally, we analyse the large deviations behaviour of the equilibrium distribution of Store-Forward networks in order to construct Lyapunov functions for FIFO switch networks

Benchmarking and viability assessment of optical packet switching for metro networks

Optical packet switching (OPS) has been proposed as a strong candidate for future metro networks. This paper assesses the viability of an OPS-based ring architecture as proposed within the research project DAVID (Data And Voice Integration on DWDM), funded by the European Commission through the Information Society Technologies (IST) framework. Its feasibility is discussed from a physical-layer point of view, and its limitations in size are explored. Through dimensioning studies, we show that the proposed OPS architecture is competitive with respect to alternative metropolitan area network (MAN) approaches, including synchronous digital hierarchy, resilient packet rings (RPR), and star-based Ethernet. Finally, the proposed OPS architectures are discussed from a logical performance point of view, and a high-quality scheduling algorithm to control the packet-switching operations in the rings is explained