Random early marking: an optimisation approach to Internet congestion control

In this paper we present an optimisation approach to congestion flow control. The initial context of this approach was as a rate-based flow control in ATM networks. We describe techniques that enable us to implement this flow control in an explicit congestion notification-capable TCP/IP network. These techniques require only minimal changes to existing TCP host behaviour and RED active queue management routers. We call the collection of techniques random early marking (REM). We present the results of a simulation study that looks at the dynamic behaviour of REM and compares it to that of TCP-ECN with RED and drop-tail queue management. We also show how REM can be used to provide differential service between different users.