Analysis of a window-constrained scheduler for real-time and best-effort packet streams

Describes how dynamic window-constrained scheduling (DWCS) can guarantee real-time service to packets from multiple streams with different performance objectives. We show that: (1) DWCS can guarantee that no more than x packets miss their deadlines for every y consecutive packets requiring service, as long as the minimum aggregate bandwidth requirement of all real-time packet streams does not exceed the available bandwidth; (2) using DWCS, the delay of service to real-time packer streams is bounded even when the scheduler is overloaded; (3) DWCS can ensure that the delay bound of any given stream is independent of other streams; and (4) a fast response time for best-effort packet streams, in the presence of real-time packet streams, is possible. Furthermore, if a feasible schedule exists, each stream is guaranteed a minimum fraction of available bandwidth over a finite window of time.