Re: [tcmtf] Answers to possible questions in the BOF

["Jose Saldana" <[e-mail]>]

Question 5: Is there a significant amount of traffic of services based on
small packets? Is it interesting to compress it? Why?

 

Answer (some ideas):

 

Although the vast majority of Internet traffic corresponds to big packets
(file transfers, video downloads), this best-effort traffic does not present
tight delay requirements.

 

However, many of the services using small packets have stringent delay
requirements, so the network has to deliver them faster. And this share of
the traffic is really critical for network operators: if I wait 5 seconds to
watch a video, it is not a problem. However, if my VoIP call or my online
game have a latency of 100ms, it can be a serious problem.

 

In addition, some of these small-packet services are present on certain
network segments where bandwidth may be scarce (residential access,
aggregation networks, satellite links), or a pps limit exists. In the
context of mobile networks:

 

- New VoIP services are using data links instead of establishing traditional
voice calls (e.g., viber)

- Online games are being played with tablets and smartphones:
<http://www.juniperresearch.com/viewpressrelease.php?id=534&pr=364>
http://www.juniperresearch.com/viewpressrelease.php?id=534&pr=364

- Internet of Things: many "things" will send small packets with a certain
frequency

- New traffic patterns: "Major changes in traffic characteristics are the
increases in small packets, short connections, signaling and data traffic,
and abnormal traffic. For Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UTMS)
networks in idle status, all these changes lead to sharp increases on
signaling and other system resource load. They also bring severe threat on
network performance, and affect application data throughput capability and
network profitability in the long run." (Huawei Smartphone Solutions White
Paper).

 

The mobility of the users has some other implications: The network may
experience a "traffic rush" in certain places or moments (e.g., a sports
event, the World release of a new game), so TCM-TF would provide a certain
degree of flexibility (a tradeoff): I don't have to over-dimension my
network. When a traffic rush is detected, I can get advantage of this
tradeoff, compressing traffic up to 50 or 60%, at the cost of a small added
latency. The service would work a bit more slowly, but it would at least
work.

 

In addition, if I only "awake" TCM-TF optimization when I have a lot of
traffic, then I will add a really tiny latency, since I will have lots of
packets to multiplex, and in 5ms I may be able to create an MTU-sized
multiplexed packet.

 

Any other ideas?

 

Jose

 

De: [e-mail] [mailto:[e-mail]] En nombre de Jose
Saldana
Enviado el: lunes, 24 de junio de 2013 13:00
Para: [e-mail]
Asunto: [tcmtf] Answers to possible questions in the BOF

 

I would like to start a thread about possible questions people may ask in
the BOF. Obviously, we also need answers, so we should cooperate.

 

This is different from the "questions to ask in the BOF". This will be
discussed separately.

 

Thanks!

 

Jose