即時性的應用程式(Real-Time Applications)需要有足夠的頻寬預留才可運作順暢。Class Based Queue (CBQ), Nested Deficit Round Robin(NDRR)之類的封包排程方式主要就是針對頻寬保留所設計的。然而這些方式會造成網路封包的延遲時間的不穩定，而使得應用程式需要使用更大的封衝區來播放媒體串流(media stream)。即時性應用程式大體來說希望有較小的封包延遲。然而長及不穩定的封包延遲時間會危及到服務品質(Quality of Service)。目前有些封包排程方式可以使封包的延遲時間相當穩定，但是它們需要知道每個串流(flow)的細節。GPS (General Processor Sharing)-like的封包排程方式並沒有考量到串流資料實際的運作情形。一條經過許多路由器所遞送的串流不會是非常平順的。而GPS-like的封包排程方式還到這些不平順的串流時會產生額外的封包延遲時間。在這篇論文中，我們提出了一個可以針對串流應用程式(streaming applications)提供低延遲及有效率的封包排程方式名為LLEPS，以保證串流應用程式可以運作順暢。 Adequate bandwidth allocations and strict delay requirements are critical for real time applications. Packet scheduling algorithms like Class Based Queue (CBQ), Nested Deficit Round Robin (Nested-DRR) are designed to ensure the bandwidth reservation function. However, they might cause unsteady packet latencies and introduce extra application handling overhead, such as allocating a large buffer for playing the media stream. High and unstable latency of packets might jeopardize the corresponding Quality of Service since real-time applications prefer low playback latency. Existing scheduling algorithms which keep latency of packets stable require knowing the details of individual flows. GPS (General Processor Sharing)-like algorithms does not consider the real behavior of a stream. A real stream is not perfectly smooth after forwarded by routers. GPS-like algorithms will introduce extra delay on the stream which is not perfectly smooth. This thesis presents an algorithm which provides low latency and efficient packet scheduling service for streaming applications called LLEPS.
