Implications of Various Preemption Configurations in TSN Networks

Time-sensitive networking (TSN) is a set of standards developed by the IEEE 802.1 task group to support high-bandwidth and low-latency predictable network communication. Configuration of TSN networks is a daunting task as there are several novel features in TSN and numerous possibilities can arise by considering combinations of these features. This letter investigates the impact of various unexplored frame-preemption configurations in TSN networks on the timing behaviors of various traffic classes. These configurations correspond to different combinations of settings in TSN with respect to the credit-based shaper, time-aware shaper, hold and release mechanism, and frame preemption. This letter provides the evaluation of these configurations by means of an analytical discussion and simulation experiments. The results and implications discussed in this letter can serve as useful guidelines for the network designers when configuring TSN networks with regards to the addressed features.