Heterogeneous network quality of service systems. Foreword by Lars Christian Wolf (Q2784278)

From the foreword: Many network-based applications can work well only if their resource demands are satisfied within reasonable margins. Moreover, it is clear that upcoming applications, e.g., those from the multimedia realm using more and more audiovisual media, put additional requirements on networks and systems. To serve such requirements, Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms have been proposed in various flavors. These time-dependent methods address when and how to handle data packets during transmission and processing. Or better, using this book's author's own words: QoS is the well-defined and controllable behavior of a system with respect to quantitative parameters.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINETo allow the use of several QoS approaches, a unifying view on how different methods can be combined is needed and such a treatment has been missing so far. Jens Schmitt's book closes this gap. In this book, the interworking between heterogeneous network QoS systems is investigated from a fundamental perspective. In order to be able to perform this study, a thorough discussion of some existing QoS systems is given and a general model for network QoS systems is developed. With this solid basis, readers understand the differences between these systems and the difficulties for an interaction among them. Schmitt then identifies the fundamental problems in interworking heterogeneous network QoS systems and develops generic techniques in several dimensions to deal with these issues. Besides these, a further item is the evaluation of strategies allowing to use the generic techniques in an efficient way.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThis book is timely because it presents and discusses the very important and current field of network QoS. Yet, it is also time-independent since it gives a general model and according approaches which will serve for a longer time than single mechanisms. Using this comprehensive book on heterogeneous network QoS, readers not only acquire an overview of different QoS systems and interworking approaches but also obtain an excellent understanding of QoS in general. The presented distinction into QoS architectures and QoS strategies helps to better understand the roles of certain parts of QoS systems. Experts can use the book to investigate interworking approaches for concrete networking scenarios. Students will learn about QoS in general and specific approaches to make different QoS systems interact. Last but not least, teachers of advanced courses may use it for a detailed treatment of QoS in heterogeneous networks.