RESOURCE-ALLOCATION FOR WORST-CASE TRAFFIC IN ATM NETWORKS

This paper addresses the problem of resource allocation for ATM connec tions carrying either CBR or VER applications, for the first generatio n of ATM equipments. Evaluating the resources needed for the transfer phase of an ATM connection is a first step in the design of a CAC taki ng into account both call and transfer level QoS. The required amount of resources is estimated on the basis of traffic characteristics nego tiated at call set-up, under the assumption that the offered traffic i s a purely periodic pattern of active and inactive periods; this assum ption is currently considered to yield upper bounds for the amount of resources which must be allocated to a connection. The traffic charact eristics, and the corresponding periodic patterns of traffic are obtai ned using the ITU-T specification of ATM traffic control. We identify three frameworks (allocation on the basis of PCR, burst loss and burst delay framework in case of statistical multiplexing) and principles o n which resource allocation can be based in each of these frameworks a re highlighted. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.