Congestion Control

Transport Layer 3-1

Principles of Congestion Control

Congestion:
 informally: “too many sources sending too much
data too fast for network to handle”
 different from flow control!
 manifestations:
 lost packets (buffer overflow at routers)
 long delays (queueing in router buffers)
 a top-10 problem!

Transport Layer 3-2

 Scenario 1: Queuing Delays
Host A
in : original data out
 two senders, two
receivers
unlimited shared
 one router,
Host B
output link buffers

infinite buffers
 no retransmission

 large delays
when congested
 maximum
achievable
throughput
Transport Layer 3-3
 Scenario 2: Retransmits
 one router, finite buffers
 sender retransmission of lost packet

Host A in : original data out

'in : original data, plus

retransmitted data

Host B finite shared output

link buffers

Transport Layer 3-4

Scenario 3: Congestion Near Receiver
 four senders
Q: what happens as 
 multihop paths in
and  increase ?
 timeout/retransmit in
Host A out
in : original data
'in : original data, plus
retransmitted data
finite shared output
link buffers

Host B

Transport Layer 3-5

Approaches towards congestion control
Two broad approaches towards congestion control:

End-end congestion Network-assisted

control: congestion control:
 no explicit feedback from  routers provide feedback
network to end systems
 congestion inferred from  single bit indicating
end-system observed loss, congestion (SNA,
delay DECbit, TCP/IP ECN,
 approach taken by TCP ATM)
 explicit rate sender
should send at

Transport Layer 3-6

 TCP Congestion Control
 end-end control (no network How does sender
assistance) perceive congestion?
 sender limits transmission:
 loss event = timeout or
LastByteSent-LastByteAcked
 CongWin
3 duplicate acks
 Roughly,  TCP sender reduces
rate (CongWin) after
CongWin
loss event
rate = Bytes/sec
RTT function of
 CongWin is dynamic, three mechanisms:
perceived network congestion  AIMD
 slow start
 conservative after
timeout events

Transport Layer 3-7

TCP AIMD
multiplicative decrease: additive increase: increase
cut CongWin in half CongWin by 1 MSS every
after loss event RTT in the absence of
loss events: probing
c o n g e s tio n
w in d o w

2 4 K b y te s

1 6 K b y te s

8 K b y te s

tim e

Long-lived TCP connection

Transport Layer 3-8
 TCP Slow Start
 When connection begins,
 When connection begins,
CongWin = 1 MSS increase rate
exponentially fast until
 Example: MSS = 500
bytes & RTT = 200 msec first loss event
 initial rate = 20 kbps
 available bandwidth may
be >> MSS/RTT
 desirable to quickly ramp
up to respectable rate

Transport Layer 3-9

TCP Slow Start (more)
 When connection Host A Host B
begins, increase rate
exponentially until
one segm
ent

RTT
first loss event:
two segm
 double CongWin every ents
RTT
 done by incrementing
CongWin for every ACK four segm
ents
received
 Summary: initial rate
is slow but ramps up
exponentially fast time

Transport Layer 3-10

 Refinement
Philosophy:
 After 3 dup ACKs:
 CongWin is cut in half • 3 dup ACKs indicates
 window then grows linearly network capable of
 But after timeout event:
delivering some segments
 CongWin instead set to 1 MSS;
 window then grows exponentially
• timeout before 3 dup
 to a threshold, then grows linearly
ACKs is “more alarming”

Transport Layer 3-11

Refinement (more)
Q: When should the
exponential increase
switch to linear?
A: When CongWin gets
to 1/2 of its value
before timeout.

Implementation:
 Variable Threshold
 At loss event, Threshold is
set to 1/2 of CongWin just
before loss event

Transport Layer 3-12

Summary: TCP Congestion Control
 When CongWin is below Threshold, sender in
slow-start phase, window grows exponentially.
 When CongWin is above Threshold, sender is in
congestion-avoidance phase, window grows linearly.
 When a triple duplicate ACK occurs, Threshold
set to CongWin/2 and CongWin set to
Threshold.
 When timeout occurs, Threshold set to
CongWin/2 and CongWin is set to 1 MSS.

Transport Layer 3-13

TCP sender congestion control
Event State TCP Sender Action Commentary
ACK receipt Slow Start CongWin = CongWin + MSS, Resulting in a doubling of
for previously (SS) If (CongWin > Threshold) CongWin every RTT
unacked set state to “Congestion
data Avoidance”
ACK receipt Congestion CongWin = CongWin+MSS * Additive increase, resulting
for previously Avoidance (MSS/CongWin) in increase of CongWin by
unacked (CA) 1 MSS every RTT
data
Loss event SS or CA Threshold = CongWin/2, Fast recovery,
detected by CongWin = Threshold, implementing multiplicative
triple Set state to “Congestion decrease. CongWin will not
duplicate Avoidance” drop below 1 MSS.
ACK
Timeout SS or CA Threshold = CongWin/2, Enter slow start
CongWin = 1 MSS,
Set state to “Slow Start”
Duplicate SS or CA Increment duplicate ACK count CongWin and Threshold
ACK for segment being acked not changed

Transport Layer 3-14