ECLT5820 Distributed and Mobile Systems

Topic 11: Distributed Multimedia Systems

Assuming processing rate R = 1 packet (of length P) per time unit. The input flow has a
burst of 10 back packets, followed by an idle period of 20 packet times (totally there are
30 packet times). Leaky bucket and Token bucket are described with the usual parameters
where the bucket size B = 5 P.

a) What is maximum permissible burst without loss for the leaky bucket? What is the
maximum delay for a packet?

b) Show the outputs of the flow shaped by a leaky bucket and a token bucket if the burst
arrival of the 10 back packets observe the maximum permissible burst limit. Note the
processing rate of a token bucket can be adjusted by the token generation rate.

c) If the maximum permissible burst limit is not followed by the leaky bucket algorithm,
what will happen? How about the token bucket algorithm?

Answer:

a) For leaky bucket, maximum permissible burst without loss = B = 5 P.

Maximum delay = B / processing rate R = 5P/P = 5 time units.

b) For leaky bucket, R = peak rate = 1 packet/per time unit, therefore all 10 packets are
sent out continuously. The flow is as follows:

time 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 27 28 29 30

sent packet: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (idle)

For token bucket, R = average rate = 1/3 packet/per time unit. The output is:

time 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ... 27 28 29 30 ...

sent packet: 1 2 3 ... 9 10

c) If the maximum permissible burst is not followed by the leaky bucket, all 10 packets
arrive at the buffer as a burst, then 5 packets are lost.

No packets are lost for the token bucket. Note that packet size more than the token
bucket size will be held in queue until enough tokens are generated.