Stability and Fairness in Service Networks

Jean Walrand
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley


Wednesday, May 4, 2005
4:30 - 5:45 PM
Terman Engineering Center, Room 453


Abstract:

This talk explains some recent ideas and results on the control of service networks.

First, we examine the stability of the longest-queue-first service policy in a generalized switch model. Applications include ad hoc networks and switches. Interestingly, this policy may be stable for some systems only if the inputs are random. The analysis involves a refinement of the fluid limit approach. (With Antonis Dimakis.)

Second, we consider a control scheme that makes a service network fair. The idea is to throttle back flows that get more than their fair share. We prove fairness using another refinement of the fluid limit approach. (With John Musacchio.)

Third, we propose a new MAC protocol, called impatient backoff, that improves the node-fairness of ad hoc networks. We demonstrate the stability using Markov models. (With Rajarshi Gupta.)

Papers on these results are in preparation and should appear on our web pages in the next few weeks.

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Operations Research Colloquia: http://or.stanford.edu/oras_seminars.html