Design, implementation, and evaluation of a software-based real-time Ethernet protocol

ABSTRACT

Distributed multimedia applications require performance guarantees from the underlying network subsystem. Ethernet has been the dominant local area network architecture in the last decade, and we believe that it will remain popular because of its cost-effectiveness and the availability of higher-bandwidth Ethernets. We present the design, implementation and evaluation of a software-based timed-token protocol called RETHER that provides real-time performance guarantees to multimedia applications without requiring any modifications to existing Ethernet hardware. RETHER features a hybrid mode of operation to reduce the performance impact on non-real-time network traffic, a race-condition-free distributed admission control mechanism, and an efficient token-passing scheme that protects the network against token loss due to node failures or otherwise. To our knowledge, this is the first software implementation of a real-time protocol over existing Ethernet hardware. Performance measurements from experiments on a 10 Mbps Ethernet indicate that up to 60% of the raw bandwidth can be reserved without deteriorating the performance of non-real-time traffic. Additional simulations for high bandwidth networks and faster workstation hardware indicate that the protocol allows reservation of a greater percentage of the available bandwidth.

REFERENCES

• 1: Carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) access method and physical layer specifications. ISO//IEC 8802-3, (dth edition), (1993-07-08).
• 2: IEEE/ANSI Standard 802.5, Token ring access method and physical layer specifications. IEEE Inc., New York.
• 3: IEEE/ANSI Standard 802.4- 1985, Token passing bus access method and physical layer specifications. IEEE Inc., New York, 1985.
• 4: Draft Proposed ANSI Standard, FDDI Token Ring Media Access Control. 1986.
• 5: Agrawal, G., Chen, B., Zhao, W., and Davari, S. Guaranteeing synchronous message deadlines with timed token protocol. Proc. of IEEE Intl. Conf. or, Distributed Computing $ys., June 1992.
• 6: Anindo Banerjea , Bruce A. Mah, The Real-Time Channel Administration Protocol, Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Network and Operating System Support for Digital Audio and Video, p.160-170, November 18-19, 1991
• 7: D. R. Boggs , J. C. Mogul , C. A. Kent, Measured capacity of an Ethernet: myths and reality, ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, v.18 n.4, p.222-234, August 1988
• 8: Chen, B., Agrawal, G., and Zhao, W. Optimal synchronous capacity allocation for hard real-time communications with timed token protocol. Proc. IEEE Real-time Systems Syrup., Dec. 1992.
• 9: Chiueh, Tzi-cker and Venkatramani, Chitra. Supporting real-time traffic on ethernet. Proceedings of IEEE Real-time Systems Syrup., Dec. 1994.
• 10: Chiueh, Tzi-cker, Venkatramani, Chitra, and Vernick, Michael. Design and implementation of the stony brook video server. Technical report, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1995. Submitted to ACM Multimedia.
• 11: R. Court, Real-time Ethernet, Computer Communications, v.15 n.3, p.198-201, April 1992 [doi>10.1016/0140-3664(92)90081-O]
• 12: Gopal, P.M. and Wong, J.W. Analysis of hybrid tokencsma/cd protocol for bus networks. Computer Networks ISDN Syst., Sept. 1985.
• 13: Grow, R.M. A timed token protocol for local area networks. Proc. Electro//8~, Token Access Protocols, May 1982.
• 14: James F. Kurose , Mischa Schwartz , Yechiam Yemini, Controlling window protocols for time-constrained communication in a multiple access environment, Proceedings of the eighth symposium on Data communications, p.75-84, October 03-06, 1983, North Falmouth, Massachusetts, United States
• 15: Meng-Tsong Shieh , Jang-Ping Sheu , Wen-Tsuen Chen, Decentralized token-CSMA/CD protocol for integrated voice/data LANs, Computer Communications, v.14 n.4, p.223-234, May 1991 [doi>10.1016/0140-3664(91)90015-S]
• 16: A. Valenzano , P. Montuschi , L. Ciminiera, Some Properties of Timed Token Medium Access Protocols, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, v.16 n.8, p.858-869, August 1990 [doi>10.1109/32.57628]
• 17: W. Zhao , K. Ramamritham, Virtual time CSMA protocols for hard real-time communication, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, v.13 n.8, p.938-952, Aug. 1987 [doi>10.1109/TSE.1987.233512]
• 18: Zhao, W, Stankovic, J., and Ramamritham, K. A multi-access window protocol for transmission of time constrained messages. Proc. of IEEE Intl. Conf. on Distributed Computing Sys., June 1988.
• 19: Wei Zhao , John A. Stankovic , Krithi Ramamritham, A Window Protocol for Transmission of Time-Constrained Messages, IEEE Transactions on Computers, v.39 n.9, p.1186-1203, September 1990 [doi>10.1109/12.57059]

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design

          Nouns: Ethernet

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.3 SPECIAL-PURPOSE AND APPLICATION-BASED SYSTEMS
      Subjects: Real-time and embedded systems
  C.4 PERFORMANCE OF SYSTEMS
      Subjects: Design studies

General Terms:
Design, Performance