CAREER Proposal: Fundamental Algorithmic, Architectural and Economic Issues in Designing High Speed QoS-capable Data Networks

一个广泛的研究计划概述了调查中出现的高速，服务质量（QoS）能力的数据网络设计的基本问题。几个关键问题确定在一个整体的架构框架内，类似于考虑由IETF工作组区分服务（MSERV）的下一代互联网（NGI）。该研究计划由技术和经济组成部分，每一个包含几个问题，面临着研究界。 为各个用户提供差异化QoS的关键问题是网络资源在用户之间的公平分配。网络可以通过在交换节点处采用分组调度机制（如加权公平调度（WFQ））来实现这一点。 结果表明，这些方案有效地在不同用户的流之间建立了带宽防火墙，从而保证了一个流的QoS不受其他流的支配。但是像WFQ这样的方案受到维数灾难的影响：它们需要交换机/路由器维护流状态信息以区分各个流的数据包。这使得它们太复杂而不能在大型高速网络中使用。 或者，如果可以激励用户将其流量调节为规定的参数，则网络可以免除必须建立带宽防火墙的负担。这大大降低了路由器设计的复杂性。使用经济学思维，研究人员认为，可以通过向用户收取因其病态流量对其他流量造成的损害来提供必要的激励。但是，收费方案的可行性取决于其可实施性：虽然它们降低了路由器的成本，但它们需要安装设备来监控每个流量并相应地产生费用。 这项研究计划利用这两个相互关联的电流，并采取统一的方法。解决的中心问题是：（一）可以实现简单的routermechanisms的设计提供QoS保证，以个别流？(ii)能否设计简单有效的收费机制，鼓励用户对其流量进行调节？提议者进行的初步工作给出了一个令人鼓舞的答案，这些问题，并建议一个一般的方法来提供QoS的问题，以最小的实现开销。整个计划涉及设计算法，考虑建筑问题，分析数学模型，并使用博弈论和经济思想。解决方案的鲁棒性将通过广泛的网络拓扑结构和参数值的广泛模拟进行测试。将通过模拟并可能通过原型设计来探讨实施这些措施的复杂性。 教育计划包括开发一个先进的网络课程，旨在紧密结合理论和实践，在未来两年开发网络本科课程，启动跨学科的教育和研究活动，并让本科生和研究生参与研究。

A broad research program is outlined for investigating fundamental issues arising in the design of high speed, quality-of-service (QoS) capable data networks. Several key problems are identified within an over all architectural framework, similar to that considered by the IETF Working Group on Differentiated Services (DIFFSERV) for the Next Generation Internet (NGI). The research program consists of technological and economic components, each containing several problems that confront the research community. The essential issue of providing differentiated QoS to individual users is the fair allocation of network resources among the users. The network can accomplish this by employing packet scheduling mechanisms like Weighted Fair Queueing (WFQ) at the switching nodes. It has been shown that these schemes effectively erect bandwidth firewalls between the flows of different users, thus guaranteeing that the QoS of one flow is not at the mercy of other flows. But schemes like WFQ suffer from the curse of dimensionality: They require switches/routers to maintain flow state information for distinguishing the packets of individual flows. This renders them too complex to be used in large high speed networks. Alternatively, if users can be incentivised to condition their flows to prescribed parameters, then the network can be spared the burden of having to erect bandwidth firewalls. This considerably reduces the complexity of router design. Using economic thinking researchers argue that the requisite incentive can be provided by charging users for the damage caused to other traffics by their ill-conditioned flows. But the feasibility of charging schemes depends on their implementability: Although they reduce the cost of routers, they require the installation of devices for monitoring each flow and for producing a charge accordingly. This research program taps into both these interrelated currents and takes a unifiedapproach. The central questions addressed are: (i) Can implementationally simple routermechanisms be designed for providing QoS guarantees to individual flows? (ii) Can simple and effective charging mechanisms be devised for incentivising users to condition their flows? Preliminary work conducted by the proposer gives an encouraging answer to these questions, and suggests a general approach to the problem of providing QoS with minimal implementation overhead. The overall program involves devising algorithms, considering architectural issues, analyzing mathematical models, and using game theoretic and economic ideas. The robustness of solutions will be tested through extensive simulation of a wide range of network topologies and parameter values. The complexity of implementing them will be explored through simulation and possibly through prototype design. The education plan consists of developing an advanced networking course which aims to closely integrate theory and practice, developing an undergraduate course in Networking over the next two years, initiating cross-disciplinary education and research activities, and involving undergraduate and graduate students in research.