Scheduling Packets with Values and Deadlines in Size-bounded Buffers

TL;DR

This paper explores offline algorithms for buffer management in network switches with multiple size-bounded buffers, focusing on maximizing packet value before deadlines, and provides optimal solutions for certain variants to inform online algorithm design.

Contribution

It introduces optimal offline algorithms for specific variants of the multi-buffer model, enhancing understanding and aiding online algorithm development.

Findings

Optimal offline algorithms for some model variants

Insights into buffer management for deadline-sensitive packets

Improved understanding of multi-buffer scheduling complexities

Abstract

Motivated by providing quality-of-service differentiated services in the Internet, we consider buffer management algorithms for network switches. We study a multi-buffer model. A network switch consists of multiple size-bounded buffers such that at any time, the number of packets residing in each individual buffer cannot exceed its capacity. Packets arrive at the network switch over time; they have values, deadlines, and designated buffers. In each time step, at most one pending packet is allowed to be sent and this packet can be from any buffer. The objective is to maximize the total value of the packets sent by their respective deadlines. A 9.82-competitive online algorithm has been provided for this model (Azar and Levy. SWAT 2006), but no offline algorithms have been known yet. In this paper, We study the offline setting of the multi-buffer model. Our contributions include a few optimal offline algorithms for some variants of the model. Each variant has its unique and interesting algorithmic feature. These offline algorithms help us understand the model better in designing online algorithms.