Available bandwidth estimation for the network paths with multiple tight links and bursty traffic

Available bandwidth (ABW) estimation is useful for various applications such as network management, traffic engineering, and rate-based multimedia streaming. Most of the ABW estimation methods are based on the fluid cross-traffic model. Inevitably, their estimation accuracy is limited in the network environments with bursty cross-traffic. In this paper, we apply packet trains (a series of probing packets) and a modified Ping to probe the ABW of a network path. Our proposed probing method can identify several tight links along a path and can infer their individual ABWs. The ABW estimation algorithm developed in this study, GNAPP, is also based on the fluid traffic model, but it can effectively filter out probing noise incurred in networks that carry bursty traffic. The algorithm employs not only the gaps of any two consecutive probing packets but also those of nonadjacent probing packets for ABW estimation. Thus, the number of samples for ABW estimation increases significantly without resorting to sending more probing packets and the estimation efficiency and accuracy are improved. In addition, two-stage filtering and moving averages are used in GNAPP for reducing estimation errors. Numerical results demonstrate that the estimation scheme based on GNAPP can achieve good accuracy even when the traffic is bursty and there are multiple tight links on the path being observed. Thus, it outperforms other well-known ABW estimation tools.