computer science

Network traffic control

Network traffic control is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Network traffic control rather than just read about it. In short: In computer networking, network traffic control is the process of managing, controlling or reducing the network traffic, particularly Internet bandwidth, e.g. by the network scheduler. It is used by network administrators, to reduce congestion, latency and packet loss.

Key takeaways

Network traffic control belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Network traffic control to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Network traffic control from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computer networking, network traffic control is the process of managing, controlling or reducing the network traffic, particularly Internet bandwidth, e.g. by the network scheduler. It is used by network administrators, to reduce congestion, latency and packet loss. This is part of bandwidth management. In order to use these tools effectively, it is necessary to measure the network traffic to determine the causes of network congestion and attack those problems specifically. Network traffic control is an important subject in datacenters as it is necessary for efficient use of datacenter network bandwidth and for maintaining service level agreements.

Traffic shaping

Traffic shaping is the retiming (delaying) of packets (or frames) until they meet specified bandwidth and or burstiness limits. Since such delays involve queues that are nearly always finite and, once full, excess traffic is nearly always dropped (discarded), traffic shaping nearly always implies traffic policing as well.

Traffic policing

Traffic policing is the dropping (discarding) or reduction in priority (demoting) of packets (or frames) that exceed some specified bandwidth and or burstiness limit.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Network traffic control

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Network traffic control claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Network traffic control before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Network traffic control ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Network traffic control

In research: Network traffic control appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Network traffic control in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Network traffic control is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Network performance, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Network traffic control outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Network traffic control in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Network traffic control means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Network traffic control out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Network traffic control in simple terms?

Why does Network traffic control matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Network traffic control?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Network traffic control.