Partition equalizer: a scheduler for algorithm-agile-encryptor ATM networks

Abstract

The ability of ATM Networks to support a wide range of applications has made it increasingly popular. As ATM Networks are more widely used, security services become a compelling requirement. Encryption in ATM Networks allows users to select an appropriate algorithm to implement security services for a given application. Algorithm-Agile-Encryptors (AAEs) implement multiple encryption algorithms in a single device. AAEs also reduce operational costs when they are shared among several users. However, algorithm agility may re-order cells belonging to different Virtual Circuits (VCs) and thereby affect the negotiated QoS. The two ways of scheduling the encrypted cells from the AAE are ‘FIFO queuing’ and ‘Delay equalization’. This paper addresses the effect of the existing scheduling schemes on the QoS of ATM Networks. Further, a scheduling scheme called Partition Equalizer (PE) has been proposed and analyzed. It has been shown that the PE reduces both the Cell Transfer Delay and the Cell Delay Variation compared to the other existing schemes such as ‘FIFO queuing’ and ‘Delay equalization’.