A fuzzy buffer management scheme for ATM and IP networks

We address the relevant issue of managing traffic flows with different priorities in packet switched networks, namely ATM and IP networks. We consider a reference model in which two traffic flows with different priorities are multiplexed within the buffer of a cell-based switch. The solution we propose, based on the fuzzy system theory, is able to guarantee the QoS requirements of high-priority traffic flow, allowing at the same time the exploitation of unused buffer resources to accommodate low-priority traffic flow in order to maximize the total throughput. The performance assessment of the fuzzy scheme demonstrates that our solution outperforms other popular mechanisms, based on conventional logic, such as threshold and push out mechanisms.