Individual QoS versus aggregate QoS: a loss performance study

This paper explores the differences that can exist between individual and aggregate loss guarantees in an environment where guarantees are only provided at the aggregate level. The focus is on understanding which traffic parameters are responsible for inducing possible deviations and to what extent. In addition, we seek to evaluate the level of additional resources, e.g., bandwidth or buffer, required to ensure that all individual loss measures remain below their desired target. This paper's contributions are in developing analytical models that enable the evaluation of individual loss probabilities in settings where only aggregate losses are controlled, and in identifying traffic parameters that have a major influence on the differences between individual and aggregate losses. The latter allows us to further construct practical tools and guidelines for rapidly assessing if specific traffic sources can be safely multiplexed into a common service class.