Controlling window protocols for time-constrained communication in a multiple access environment
James F. Kurose, Mischa Schwartz, Yechiam Yemini · 1983
For many time-constrained communication applications, such as packetized voice, a critical performance measure is the percentage of messages which are transmitted within a given amount of time after their arrival at a sending station. We examine the use of a group random access protocol based on time windows for achieving time-constrained communication in a multiple access environment. First, we formulate a policy for controlling protocol operation in order to minimize the percentage of messages with waiting times greater than some given bound. A semi-Markov decision model is then developed for protocol operation and three of the four optimal control elements of this policy are then determined.