Quality of Service (QoS) and Traffic Shaping Techniques
This section introduces QoS in the context of transport and network performance, focusing on methods for improving traffic behavior and predictability. It emphasizes the Leaky Bucket and Token Bucket algorithms as practical approaches for traffic shaping and policing.
Learning Goals
- Define Quality of Service (QoS) and identify key performance metrics such as bandwidth, delay, jitter, and packet loss.
- Explain the purpose of traffic shaping and policing in improving predictable network performance.
- Describe the operation of the Leaky Bucket algorithm and demonstrate how it smooths bursty traffic into a controlled output rate.
- Describe the operation of the Token Bucket algorithm and explain how it permits controlled bursts while enforcing long-term rate limits.
- Compare Leaky Bucket and Token Bucket algorithms and determine which technique is more appropriate for a given traffic pattern or QoS requirement.