Medianet QoS Design Strategy At-A-Glance

The Quality of Service Challenge for Medianets make service level guarantees. This fundamental QoS • VoIP Telephony—This service class is intended for
Today there is a virtual explosion of media applications on requirement leads one to ask how many classes of media VoIP telephony (bearer-only) traffic (VoIP signaling
the IP network with many different types of voice, video, should be provisioned and how should these individual traffic is assigned to the “Call-Signaling” class). Traffic
and data applications. For example, voice streams can be classes be marked and treated? assigned to this class should be marked EF. This class
standard IP Telephony, high-definition audio, Internet VoIP, To this end, Cisco advocates following relevant industry is provisioned with an Expedited Forwarding (EF)
etc. Similarly, there are many flavors of video, including standards and guidelines whenever possible, as this Per-Hop Behavior (PHB). The EF PHB-defined in RFC
on-demand or broadcast desktop video, low-definition extends the effectiveness of your QoS policies beyond 3246-is a strict-priority queuing service and, as such,
interactive video (such as webcams), high-definition your direct administrative control. admission to this class should be controlled
interactive video (such as Cisco TelePresence), IP video (admission control is discussed in the following
That being said, it may be helpful to overview a relevant section). Example traffic includes G.711 and G.729a.
surveillance, digital signage, and entertainment-oriented RFC for QoS marking and provisioning, namely RFC 4594,
video applications. In turn, there is a virtually limitless “Configuration Guidelines for DiffServ Service Classes.” • Broadcast Video—This service class is intended for
number of data applications. Additionally, beyond the broadcast TV, live events, video surveillance flows,
These guidelines are to be viewed as industry and similar “inelastic” streaming video flows
current media explosion, many new applications are
best-practice recommendations. As such, enterprises (“inelastic” refers to flows that are highly drop
integrating numerous types of media streams into
and service providers are encouraged to adopt these sensitive and have no retransmission and/or flow
end-user applications. The evolution and trends in media
marking and provisioning recommendations, with the aim control capabilities). Traffic in this class should be
applications are illustrated in Figure 1.
of improving QoS consistency, compatibility, and marked Class Selector 5 (CS5) and may be
Figure 1 Media Application Convergence Evolution interoperability. However, since these guidelines are not provisioned with an EF PHB; as such, admission to this
standards, modifications can be made to these class should be controlled. Example traffic includes
Data Convergence Media Explosion Collaborative Media recommendations as specific needs or constraints live Cisco Digital Media System (DMS) streams to
• Internet Streaming require. To this end, to meet specific business desktops or to Cisco Digital Media Players (DMPs),
Ad-Hoc App

• Internet VoIP
Unmanaged • YouTube
Applications • MySpace requirements, Cisco has made a minor modification to its live Cisco Enterprise TV (ETV) streams, and Cisco IP
• Other
adoption of RFC 4594, namely the switching of Video Surveillance.
• Desktop Streaming Video
• Desktop Broadcast Video
Call-Signaling and Broadcast Video markings (to CS3 and
•
• Interactive Video
• Digital Signage
CS5, respectively). A summary of Cisco’s implementation Real-Time Interactive—This service class is
TelePresence

Video • Streaming Video Video

• IP Video Surveillance
• Desktop Video Conferencing
of RFC 4594 is presented in Figure 2. intended for (inelastic) room-based, high-definition
• HD Video

• IP Telephony • IP Telephony
interactive video applications and is intended
Voice Voice
• HD Audio Figure 2 Cisco Differentiated Services (DiffServ) QoS primarily for voice and video components of these
• SoftPhone
• Other VoIP Recommendations for Medianets applications. Whenever technically possible and
WebEx

• App Sharing • App Sharing • App Sharing administratively feasible, data sub-components of
Data • Web/Internet Data • Web/Internet • Web/Internet Per-Hop Admission
Apps • Messaging Apps • Messaging
Data
Apps • Messaging
Application Class
Behavior Control
Queuing and Dropping this class can be separated out and assigned to the
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• Email • Email • Email

VoIP Telephony EF Required Priority Queue (PQ)
“Transactional Data” traffic class. Traffic in this class
should be marked CS4 and may be provisioned with
The explosion of content and media types, both managed Broadcast Video CS5 Required (Optional) PQ
an EF PHB; as such, admission to this class should be
and un-managed, as well as highly-integrated Real-Time Interactive CS4 Required (Optional) PQ
controlled. An example application is Cisco
collaboration applications, requires network architects to Multimedia Conferencing AF4 Required BW Queue + DSCP WRED
TelePresence.
take a new look at their Quality of Service (QoS) strategies. Multimedia Streaming AF3 Recommended BW Queue + DSCP WRED
Without a clear strategy, the volume and complexity of • Multimedia Conferencing—This service class is
Network Control CS6 BW Queue
today’s media applications on the IP network could very intended for desktop software multimedia
Signaling CS3 BW Queue
well exceed the ability of the network administrator to collaboration applications and is intended primarily
Ops/Admin/Mgmt (OAM) CS2 BW Queue
provision and manage. for voice and video components of these
BW Queue + DSCP WRED
Transactional Data AF2
applications. Whenever technically possible and
Cisco Medianet QoS Design Strategy
Bulk Data AF1 BW Queue + DSCP WRED
administratively feasible, data sub-components of
Best Effort DF Default Queue + RED
this class can be separated out and assigned to the
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Each group of media applications that has unique traffic Scavenger CS1 Min BW Queue
“Transactional Data” traffic class. Traffic in this class
patterns and service level requirements requires a RFC 4594 outlines twelve classes of media applications should be marked Assured Forwarding (AF) Class 4
dedicated QoS class in order to provision and guarantee that have unique service level requirements: (AF41) and should be provisioned with a guaranteed
service level requirements. There's simply no other way to
Medianet QoS Design Strategy At-A-Glance

bandwidth queue with DSCP-based enabled on this class, as OAM traffic should not be permitted on enterprise networks, as long as
Weighted-Random Early Detect (DSCP-WRED) dropped (if this class is experiencing drops, then the resources are always available for business-critical
enabled. Admission to this class should be controlled; bandwidth allocated to it should be re-provisioned). voice, video, and data applications. However, as soon
additionally, traffic in this class may be subject to Example traffic includes SSH, SNMP, Syslog, etc. as the network experiences congestion, this class is
policing and re-marking. Example applications • Transactional Data (or Low-Latency Data)—This the first to be penalized and aggressively dropped.
include Cisco Unified Personal Communicator, Cisco service class is intended for interactive, “foreground” Traffic in this class should be marked CS1 and should
Unified Video Advantage, and the Cisco Unified IP data applications (“foreground” refers to applications be provisioned with a minimal bandwidth queue that
Phone 7985G. from which users are expecting a response—via the is the first to starve should network congestion occur.
• Multimedia Streaming—This service class is network—in order to continue with their tasks; Example traffic includes YouTube, Xbox Live/360
intended for Video-on-Demand (VoD) streaming excessive latency directly impacts user productivity). Movies, iTunes, BitTorrent, etc.
video flows, which, in general, are more elastic than Traffic in this class should be marked AF Class 2
broadcast/live streaming flows. Traffic in this class (AF21) and should be provisioned with a dedicated A Phased Approach
should be marked AF Class 3 (AF31) and should be bandwidth queue with DSCP-WRED enabled. This While RFC 4594 outlines a 12-class model, Cisco
provisioned with a guaranteed bandwidth queue with traffic class may be subject to policing and recognizes that not all enterprises are ready to implement
DSCP-based WRED enabled. Admission control is re-marking. Example applications include data such a complex QoS design. Therefore, Cisco
recommended on this traffic class (though not strictly components of multimedia collaboration recommends a phased approach to media application
required) and this class may be subject to policing applications, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) class expansion, as illustrated in Figure 3.
and re-marking. Example applications include Cisco applications, Customer Relationship Management
Figure 3 Medianet Application Class Expansion
Digital Media System Video-on-Demand (VoD) (CRM) applications, database applications, etc.
streams. • Bulk Data (or High-Throughput Data)—This 4-Class Model 8-Class Model 12-Class Model
• Network Control—This service class is intended for service class is intended for non-interactive Voice Voice

network control plane traffic, which is required for “background” data applications (“background” refers Realtime Interactive
Interactive Video
reliable operation of the enterprise network. Traffic in to applications from which users are not awaiting a Realtime Multimedia Conferencing

this class should be marked CS6 and provisioned response—via the network—in order to continue with Streaming Video
Broadcast Video

with a (moderate, but dedicated) guaranteed their tasks; excessive latency in response times of Multimedia Streaming
Signaling/Control Signaling Signaling
bandwidth queue. WRED should not be enabled on background applications does not directly impact
this class, as network control traffic should not be user productivity). Traffic in this class should be Network Control Network Control
Network Management
dropped (if this class is experiencing drops, then the marked AF Class 1 (AF11) and should be provisioned Critical Data
Critical Data Transactional Data
bandwidth allocated to it should be re-provisioned). with a dedicated bandwidth queue with DSCP-WRED
Bulk Data
Example traffic includes EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, HSRP, IKE, enabled. This traffic class may be subject to policing Best Effort Best Effort
etc. and re-marking. Example applications include: E-mail, Best Effort

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Scavenger Scavenger
• Signaling—This service class is intended for backup operations, FTP/SFTP transfers, video and
Time
signaling traffic that supports IP voice and video content distribution, etc.
Administrators can incrementally deploy QoS policies
telephony. Traffic in this class should be marked CS3 • Best Effort (or Default Class)—This service class across their medianets in a progressive manner, utilizing
and provisioned with a (moderate, but dedicated) is the default class. The vast majority of applications such a phased approach to application class expansion to
guaranteed bandwidth queue. WRED should not be will continue to default to this Best-Effort service keep in step with their evolving business needs.
enabled on this class, as signaling traffic should not class; as such, this default class should be adequately
be dropped (if this class is experiencing drops, then provisioned. Traffic in this class is marked Default
Summary
the bandwidth allocated to it should be Forwarding (DF or DSCP 0) and should be
re-provisioned). Example traffic includes SCCP, SIP, provisioned with a dedicated queue. WRED is The explosion of new media applications presents
H.323, etc. recommended to be enabled on this class. complicated service level requirements of enterprise
networks. However Cisco’s approach—based on RFC
• Operations/Administration/Management • Scavenger (or Low-Priority Data)—This service
4594—does much to simplify QoS designs to meet the
(OAM)—As the name implies, this service class is class is intended for non-business related traffic
evolving service level needs of medianets. For more
intended for network operations, administration, and flows, such as data or video applications that are
information, see:
management traffic. This class is critical to the entertainment and/or gaming-oriented. The
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/solutions/Enterprise/
ongoing maintenance and support of the network. approach of a “less-than Best-Effort” service class for
WAN_and_MAN/QoS_SRND_40/QoSIntro_40.html.
Traffic in this class should be marked CS2 and non-business applications (as opposed to shutting
provisioned with a (moderate, but dedicated) these down entirely) has proven to be a popular,
guaranteed bandwidth queue. WRED should not be political compromise. These applications are

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