Resource allocation between persistent and transient flows

The flow control algorithms currently used in the Internet have been tailored to share available capacity between users on the basis of the physical characteristics of the network links they use rather than the characteristics of their applications. However, real-time applications typically have very different requirements from file transfer or Web browsing, and treating them identically can result in a perception of poor quality of service even when adequate bandwidth is available. This is the motivation for differentiated services. In this paper, we explore service differentiation between persistent (fixed duration) and transient (fixed volume) flows, and also between transient flows of markedly different sizes; the latter is stimulated by current discussion on Web mice and elephants. We propose decentralized bandwidth allocation algorithms that can be implemented by end-systems without requiring the support of a complex network architecture, and show that they achieve performance very close to what is achievable by the optimal centralized scheme.