IMPROVED ALGORITHM FOR FEEDBACK CONSOLIDATION IN MULTICAST ABR CONNECTIONS

A number of algorithms has been proposed for extending ABR congestion avoidance algorithms in ATM networks to perform feedback consolidation at the branch points. Schemes that attempt to maximize accuracy of feedback information tend to be slow in providing feedback to the source when the conditions in the network change. Accuracy can be traded for speed by having a switch generate feedback information before it has all the necessary information from downstream paths. This can cause consolidation noise, leading to a heavy rate at the source. In this paper, we propose improved algorithm for feedback consolidation, which combines benefits from the previous algorithms with reduced overhead. The performance of the proposed algorithm and a set of previously developed algorithms are compared under a variety of conditions. Results show that the proposed algorithm exhibits a fast transient response with accurate feedback and doesn't suffer from consolidation noise.