NBBS path selection framework

This paper describes the path selection function in Networking BroadBand Services (NBBS), which is IBM's architecture for high-speed, multimedia networks. The distinguishing feature of a multimedia network is its ability to integrate different applications with different traffic characteristics and service requirements in the network, such as voice, video, and data. In order to meet their service requirements, it is necessary for the network to provide unique quality-of-service (QOS) guarantees to each application. QOS guarantees, specified as multiple end-to-end performance objectives, translate into path and link constraints in the shortest path routing problem. For a general cost function, shortest path routing subject to path constraints is known to be a nonpolynomial- (NP-) complete problem. The NBBS path selection algorithm, a heuristic solution based on the Bellman-Ford algorithm, has a polynomial order of complexity. The algorithm finds a minimum hop path satisfying an end-to-end delay (or delay variation) constraint, that in most cases also optimizes a load balancing function. To reduce the number of path constraints, other QOS requirements such as packet loss ratio are implemented as a link constraint. The notion of primary and secondary links is used to minimize the long-term overall call blocking probability by dynamically limiting the hop count of a given path. The path selection algorithm developed for point-to-point connections is described first, followed by its extension to the case of point-to-multipoint connections.