Optimization of the utilization of a packet switched backbone network by using a control system for low priority traffic

Up-to-date broadband packet switched backbone networks transfer data of a large number of flows, coming from different access networks and having varying requirements for the quality of the transmission service. The performance of the control systems of the networks should be optimized so that the networks can serve the individual data flows according to their transmission quality requirements, and at the same time the utilization of the network should be optimized. This paper describes the fuzzy-logic based control system for the low-priority controllable traffic. Data rates and paths of controllable traffic flows are adjusted in real-time by the control system. All computationally intensive control functions are distributed to edge switches of the network, and a special control protocol transfers the control information between edge switches. The simulation tests verify the high performance of the control system