Active capsule-based ABR congestion management in ATM networks

An active capsule approach is applied to provide a new congestion management mechanism for support of ABR traffic in ATM networks. Once an ABR connection in ATM networks is established, an active source sends active capsules - user-specific program fragments. The program fragments are planted at each active switch they traverse and eliminated by acknowledgment when service terminates. This active capsule approach will provide user-specific congestion management for ABR traffic in ATM networks. Therefore, it will eliminate the difficulty of integrating new schemes into a shared network and allow new schemes to be deployed rapidly without the delays associated with the vendor-driven standardization process. It will also reduce overhead at each switch by allowing plant and elimination of user-specific program fragments. To achieve these goals, a programming language with well-defined syntax and semantics is needed to provide an interface between the user and the active network. Mobility, safety, and efficiency are needed for an interoperable programming environment.