Analysis of the virtual rate control algorithm in TCP networks

The virtual rate control (VRC) algorithm has been proposed for active queue management (AQM) in TCP networks. This algorithm uses an adaptive rate control instead of queue length control in order to respond quickly to traffic change with high utilization and small loss. By introducing the notion of virtual target rate, the VRC algorithm can maintain an input rate around the target rate, while attempting to regulate the queue length. In this paper, we analyze the stability of the VRC algorithm in a linearized model. From the results of our analysis, we provide a design guideline for the system to remain stable. We show the validity of our analysis and the effectiveness of the VRC algorithm compared to RED, PI, REM and AVQ algorithms through ns-2 simulations.

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