HUAWEI NetEngine40E Universal Service Router

Feature Description - QoS 3 DiffServ Overview

3 DiffServ Overview

About This Chapter

3.1 DiffServ Model

3.2 DSCP and PHB
3.3 Components in the DiffServ Model

3.1 DiffServ Model

The DiffServ model is the most commonly used QoS model on IP networks. Technologies
described in this document are based on the DiffServ model.
DiffServ classifies incoming packets on the network edge and manages packets of the same
class as a whole to ensure the same transmission rate, delay, and jitter.
Network edge nodes mark packets with a specific service class in packet headers, and then
apply traffic management policies to the packets based on the service class. Interior nodes
perform specific behaviors for packets based on packet information.

Figure 3-1 DiffServ model

PHB-based
DS domain DS domain
forwarding
Boundary node Boundary node
Interior node Interior node

SLA/TCA
Service Boundary Boundary node
Different PHBs in
classification node
different DSs, being
and aggrgation
coordinated based on
User
the SLA/TCA User
network
network

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l DiffServ (DS) node: a network node that implements the DiffServ function.
l DS boundary node: connects to another DS domain or a non-DS-aware domain. The DS
boundary node classifies and manages incoming traffic.
l DS interior node: connects to DS boundary nodes and other interior nodes in one DS
domain. DS interior nodes implement simple traffic classification based on DSCP
values, and manage traffic.
l DS domain: a contiguous set of DS nodes that adopt the same service policy and per-hop
behavior (PHB). One DS domain covers one or more networks under the same
administration. For example, a DS domain can be an ISP's networks or an organization's
intranet. For an introduction to PHB, see the next section.
l DS region: consists of one or more adjacent DS domains. Different DS domains in one
DS region may use different PHBs to provide differentiated services. The service level
agreement (SLA) and traffic conditioning agreement (TCA) are used to allow for
differences between PHBs in different DS domains. The SLA or TCA specifies how to
maintain consistent processing of the data flow from one DS domain to another.
l SLA: The SLA refers to the services that the ISP promises to provide for individual
users, enterprise users, or adjacent ISPs that need intercommunication. The SLA covers
multiple dimensions, including the accounting protocol. The service level specification
(SLS) provides technique description for the SLA. The SLS focuses on the traffic control
specification (TCS) and provides detailed performance parameters, such as the
committed information rate (CIR), peak information rate (PIR), committed burst size
(CBS), and peak burst size (PBS).

3.2 DSCP and PHB

Per-hop behavior (PHB) is an important concept in the DiffServ model. The Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) redefined the type of service (ToS) for IPv4 packets and
Traffic Class (TC) for IPv6 packets as the Differentiated Service (DS) field for the DiffServ
model. The value of the DS field is the DiffServ code point (DSCP) value. Different DSCP
values correspond to different PHBs, as described in this section.

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Feature Description - QoS 3 DiffServ Overview

DSCP

Figure 3-2 DSCP

DSCP domain

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Precedence D T R C
IPv4
packet
8 bit
Version HeadLength ToS Total Length …

IPv6
packet
8 bit 20 bit
Version Traffic Class Flow Label Payload Length …

In an IPv4 packet, the six left-most bits (0 to 5) in the DS field are defined as the DSCP value,
and the two right-most bits (6 and 7) are reserved bits. Bits 0 to 2 are the Class Selector Code
Point (CSCP) value, indicating a class of DSCP. Devices that support the DiffServ function
perform forwarding behaviors for packets based on the DSCP value.
In IPv6 packet headers, two fields are related to QoS: TC and Flow Label (FL). The TC field
contains eight bits and functions the same as the ToS field in IPv4 packets to identify the
service type. The FL field contains 20 bits and identifies packets in the same data flow. The
FL field, together with the source and destination addresses, uniquely identifies a data flow.
All packets in one data flow share the same FL field, and devices can rapidly process packets
in the same data flow.

PHB
Per-hop Behavior (PHB) is a description of the externally observable forwarding treatment
applied at a differentiated services-compliant node to a behavior aggregate. A DS node
performs the same PHB for packets with the same DSCP value. The PHB defines some
forwarding behaviors but does not specify the implementation mode.
At present, the IETF defines four types of PHBs: Class Selector (CS), Expedited Forwarding
(EF), Assured Forwarding (AF), and best-effort (BE). BE PHB is the default.

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Feature Description - QoS
Table 3-1 Mapping of PHBs and DSCP values
PHB DSCP Value
CS XXX000, where X is 0 or 1.
When Xs are all 0s, this
PHB is the default PHB.
For the CS PHB, the DSCP
value is equal to the IP
precedence value multiplied
by 8. For example, CS6 = 6
x 8 and CS7 = 7 x 8.
EF 101110
AF XXXYY0, where X is 0 or
1. XXX indicates the IP
precedence. YY indicates
the drop precedence. The
larger the value, the higher
the drop priority.
Currently, four AF classes
with three levels of drop
precedence in each AF class
are defined for general use.
An IP packet that belongs to
an AF class i and has drop
precedence j is marked with
the AF codepoint AFij,
where i ranges from 1 to 4
and j ranges from 1 to 3.
BE 000000
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3 DiffServ Overview
Description
The CS PHB indicates the same service
class as the IP precedence value.
The EF PHB defines that the rate at which
packets are sent from any DS node must be
higher than or equal to the specified rate.
The EF PHB cannot be re-marked in the DS
domain but can be re-marked on the edge
nodes.
The EF PHB functions the same as a virtual
leased line to provide services with a low
packet loss rate, delay, and jitter and a
specific bandwidth.
The EF PHB applies to real-time services
that require a short delay, low jitter, and low
packet loss rate, such as video, voice, and
video conferencing.
The AF PHB defines that traffic that
exceeds the specified bandwidth (as agreed
to by users and an ISP) can be forwarded.
Traffic that does not exceed the bandwidth
specification is forwarded as required, and
the traffic that exceeds the bandwidth
specification is forwarded at a lower
priority.
Carriers provide differentiated bandwidth
resources for the AF PHB. After the AF
PHB is allocated sufficient bandwidths,
other data can consume the remaining
bandwidths.
The AF PHB applies to services that require
a short delay, low packet loss rate, and high
reliability, such as e-commerce and VPN
services.
The BE PHB focuses only on whether
packets can reach the destination, regardless
of the transmission performance.
Traditional IP packets can be transmitted in
BE mode. Any router must support the BE
PHB.
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Feature Description - QoS 3 DiffServ Overview

Table 3-2 Common PHB applications

PHB Applications

CS6 CS6 and CS7 PHBs are used for protocol packets by default, such as OSPF and
and BGP packets. If these packets are not forwarded, protocol services are interrupted.
CS7

EF EF PHB is used for voice services. Voice services require a short delay, low jitter,
and low packet loss rate, and are second only to protocol packets in terms of
importance.
NOTE
The bandwidth dedicated to EF PHB must be restricted so that other services can use the
bandwidth.

AF4 AF4 PHB is used for signaling of voice services.

NOTE
Signaling is used for call control, during which a seconds-long delay is tolerable, but no
delay is allowed during a conversation. Therefore, the processing priority of voice services is
higher than that of signaling.

AF3 AF3 PHB is used for BTV services of IPTV. Live programs are real-time services,
requiring continuous bandwidth and a large throughput guarantee.

AF2 AF2 PHB is used for VoD services of IPTV. VoD services require lower real-time
performance than BTV services and allow delays or buffering.

AF1 AF1 PHB is used for leased-line services, which are second to IPTV and voice
services in terms of importance. Bank-based premium services, one type of
leased-line services, can use the AF4 or even EF PHB.

BE BE PHB applies to best-effort services on the Internet, such as email and telnet
services.

3.3 Components in the DiffServ Model

The DiffServ model consists of four QoS components. Traffic classification and re-marking
provide a basis for differentiated services. Traffic policing and shaping, congestion
management, and congestion avoidance control network traffic and resource allocation in
different ways and allow the system to provide differentiated services.
l Classification and Marking: classification classifies packets while keeping the packets
unchanged. Traffic marking sets different priorities for packets and therefore changes the
packets.
NOTE

Traffic marking refers to external re-marking, which is implemented on outgoing packets. Re-
marking modifies the priority field of packets to relay QoS information to the next-hop device.
Internal marking is used for internal processing and does not modify packets. Internal marking is
implemented on incoming packets for the device to process the packets based on the marks before
forwarding them. The concept of internal marking is discussed later in this document.

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l Policing and Shaping: restricts the traffic rate to a specific value. When traffic exceeds
the specified rate, traffic policing drops excess traffic, and traffic shaping buffers excess
traffic.
l Congestion management: places packets in queues for buffering when traffic
congestion occurs and determines the forwarding order based on a specific scheduling
algorithm.
l Congestion avoidance: monitors network resources. When network congestion
intensifies, the device proactively drops packets to regulate traffic so that the network is
not overloaded.
The four QoS components are performed in a specific order, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 3-3 QoS implementation

Congestion
management
Queue
Data 0
Queue n
1 li
Ingre Traffic Traffic Other
Queue
u
d g
Voice Classificati processi e Egress
ss Policing
2 h
on (CAR) ng c
…… S
Video Queue
N

The QoS components are performed at different locations on the network, as shown in the
following figure. In principle, traffic classification, traffic re-marking, and traffic policing are
implemented on the inbound user-side interface, and traffic shaping is implemented on the
outbound user-side interface (if packets of various levels are involved, queue scheduling and a
packet drop policy must be configured on the outbound user-side interface). Congestion
management and congestion avoidance are configured on the outbound network-side
interface.

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Feature Description - QoS 3 DiffServ Overview

Figure 3-4 QoS Components

PC
BRAS IGW
Phone
HG ONT
OLT Internet

STB LSW

P/CR CR
VoIP
Broadband DSLAM
access network
Enterprise PE/SR
leased line
IPTV
Corporation CE
Incoming traffic: traffic classification/marking, traffic
policing
Outgoing traffic: congestion management, congestion
avoidance, traffic shaping
Outgoing traffic: congestion management, congestion
avoidance

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