A study of reservation dynamics in integrated services packet networks

The integrated services packet network (ISPN) architecture proposed within the Internet community incorporates a resource reservation mechanism for those applications requiring quality of service (QoS) guarantees. Resource reservation introduces a new form of resource contention that can lead to reduced network throughput and thrashing. We establish several necessary conditions to induce thrashing. We also look at the effects several different reservation models and user behavior can have on network stability. Our work is unique from previous network resource reservation investigations in that we consider the effects of reservations for multipoint-to-multipoint applications. We conclude with examples of how simple modifications to user behavior can result in significant increases in system stability.