Flow control in high-speed communication networks

Flow control within a virtual circuit on a high-speed network is modeled using fluid-flow queues with a fixed propagation delay for each channel. Data from other virtual circuits are modeled as disturbances of the available service capacities. The resulting dynamics are shown to form a linear hybrid system. This model allows the design of flow control mechanisms on a mathematical basis. Simulation results show a marked improvement over window flow control for a single channel, and a marginal improvement over window flow control for a virtual circuit of three tandem channels