Explicit Rate Adjustment (ERA): Responsiveness, Network Utilization Efficiency and Fairness for Layered Multicast

Abstract

To provide layered multicast with responsiveness, efficiency in network utilization, scalability and fairness (including inter-protocol fairness, intra-protocol fairness, intra-session fairness and TCP-friendliness) for layered multicast, we propose in this paper a new multicast congestion control, called Explicit Rate Adjustment (ERA). Our protocol uses an algorithm relying on TCP throughput equation and Packet-bunch Probe techniques to detect optimal bandwidth utilization; then adjusts the reception rate accordingly. We have built ERA into a network simulator (ns2) and demonstrate via simulations that the goals are reached.

Keywords

• Layered Multicast Congestion Control
• TCP-friendliness
• Packet-bunch Probe