Theory of Flow Control in Shared Networks and Its Application in the Canadian Telephone Network

A shared network is largely oversubscribed by independent users who make random demands on the network. Network flow control is required for the orderly operation of the network under all potential traffic loads. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of the theory of flow control to circuit-switched and packet-switched networks and pro- ,. poses 4 complementary controls and 1 subtended control to constitute "flow control." They are traffic control, routing and delay control, congestion control, network management control, and end-end flow control. This paper introduces the concept of the "R-T function" to illustrate the synthesis of delays and routing freedoms, and to demonstrate the continuum between overload and congestion phenomena. The application of the qualitative theory of flow control to the Canadian Telephone Network is reviewed and the agreement between the theory and the practice is demonstrated. The telephone network is a prime example of a circuit-switched network which has received the benefit of extensive simulation and analytical studies, as well as a long experience to validate the conclusions reached in this paper.