An integrated routing and flow control algorithm for data-communication networks

Abstract

Routing and congestion control problems in data-communication networks are considered. A controller which acts both as a flow controller and a routing controller is presented. The controller is decentralized in the sense that the downstream flow rates can be calculated locally at the nodes with a minimum information transfer from adjacent downstream nodes. The controller also satisfies nonnegativity and capacity contraints, does not direct messages around any loops, can clear all the queues in finite time in the absence of external arrivals, and can keep queue lengths bounded under sufficiently small external arrival rates.