Load-controlled scheduling of traffic on high-speed metropolitan area networks

An access protocol is described that is particularly appropriate for high-speed local and metropolitan area networks. It permits efficient use of the shared transmission medium, in particular where the electrical length of the medium may be many times the duration of an average packet, as well as sharing of the medium in an almost arbitrary manner among a number of competing traffic types or user classes. Each station independently measures the traffic flow on the medium and adjusts its own transmission rate according to the measured rate. The scheduling algorithm has been tested on slotted unidirectional buses and rings. By simulation the performance of the algorithm is compared to other efficient algorithms. The algorithm can control the admitted traffic of a particular type to within 2% (of full load) of the target value