Networks with Advance Reservations: Applications, Architecture, and Performance

In general, two types of resource reservations in computer networks can be distinguished: immediate reservations which are made in a just-in-time manner and advance reservations, i.e., the reservation of resources a long time before they are actually used. Advance reservations are essential for Grid computing but can also be useful for a variety of other applications that require network quality-of-service (QoS), such as content distribution networks with large amounts of content that must be distributed among the servers in a timely fashion. With the emerged MPLS standard and its explicit routing features, it is possible to overcome the unpredictable routing behavior which has so far prevented the implementation of advance reservation services. In this paper, additional opportunities are described that arise for network operators and customers with the implementation of advance reservations in computer networks. This includes the search for suitable transmission intervals or transmission rates. Furthermore, network operators can use the additional knowledge about future network status in order to improve the performance of the network. This paper discusses these issues and describes the software architecture of a management system that implements the previously mentioned services and optimization mechanisms. The paper is complemented with a performance evaluation of the management architecture, focused on the benefit for clients and operators.