Integration of Traffic Shaping with Time-Sensitive Networking for Effective Traffic Management

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) has recently become an important standard to support time-sensitive reliable low-latency data transmission in industrial and real-time applications. This work explores the use of different traffic shaping algorithms, namely, credit-based shaping (CBS) and time-aware shaping (TAS) alongside frame preemption-a TSN instance which gives precedence to high-importance frames by means of lower-priority traffic interruption-to extend TSN's traffic management capabilities. By controlling data flow and allowing for high priority packets to pass through unimpeded, traffic shaping algorithms serve an essential function in making the network more efficient and reducing congestion rates. The work compares these algorithms in isolation and also in combination over a network model, comprising of four switches and three end users for each switch, using the OMNeT++ simulation environment. This study aims to contribute insights into optimal shaping techniques for TSN, enhancing its suitability for critical network applications.