Window flow control in frame-relay networks

Abstract

Flow-control issues in frame-relay networks are investigated. The intermediate nodes perform the routing and store-and-forward functions. In the case of transmission error or buffer overflow, these nodes simply discard frames. Error recovery and flow control are performed by the end nodes. Simulation results show that a properly tuned dynamic-window flow-control mechanism provides both good throughput/delay performance and fairness. In the cases considered, a linear window-increase strategy performs slightly better than a parabolic one. However, the parabolic strategy is less susceptible to transmission errors.