Algorithms for flow control and call set-up in multi-hop broadband ISDN

An algorithm for the decentralized control of traffic flow in multihop broadband ISDN and a concomitant algorithm for call setup are proposed. The approach in flow control is to strategically detain packets at points along their routes in anticipation of probable congestion ahead of them. The goal is to avoid buffer overflowing caused by concentrated packet accumulation at a single node on the network. A typical traffic control decision involves just two primitive operations: a READ and a logical AND. Hence, a submicrosecond execution time is expected. This quickness enables the traffic control to be implementable on the packet (or cell) level for broadband communications with a moderate packet size. This algorithm also strives for high utilization of broadband facilities and preserves the order among sequential packets. The concomitant algorithm for call setup is solely executed at the traffic originating node(s) and thus requires no internode communications. This leads to a simple process of calls setup that ensures the continuous flow of ongoing calls and, at the same time, avoids buffer overflowing