Available bandwidth estimation for Gbps-class applications using 10-Gbps network interface card's hardware assistance

To use network bandwidth more efficiently, an available bandwidth estimation (ABE) algorithm has been extensively studied. An ABE system injects probe packets into networks with defined attributes such as inter-packet gaps (IPGs). Then comparing them in both the sender and receiver provides available bandwidth after analytical processes. Our goals are to construct an useful ABE system for high-speed networks where giga-bit-per-second-class traffic flows. To easily take advantage of the ABE results, we built an ABE system on an off-the-shelf PC to work closely with applications in the same system. An off-the-shelf PC architecture; however, lacks performance required for precise ABE analysis. To break such performance limitations, we implemented hardware assistance, which is useful for accurately controlling probe packet attributes and fine-resolution ABE analysis, in a 10-Gbps network interface card. We evaluated our ABE system in experimental networks with background traffic of Gbps-class video streaming. The results gave an accurate estimation, although there was a tradeoff between accuracy and probe packet disturbance to video streaming.