Integrating voice and data services in token rings

An access protocol for efficient voice-data integration in a token ring network is described. It is based on the adoption of a variable size of voice packet that is determined by the actual load conditions. To take into account efficiency problems of token rings related to the ratio of average packet size and ring latency, two versions of the access protocol are described that adopt different token releasing strategies, namely, single-token and multiple-token. In each of these protocols, vice and data users are serviced according to a specific priority scheme, which bounds voice packet delay and guarantees a minimum data bandwidth fairly allocated among data stations.