Optimizing Converged

Cisco Networks (ONT)

Module 4: Implement the DiffServ QoS Model

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Module 4: Implement
the DiffServ QoS
Model

Lesson 4.4: Configuring WFQ

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Objectives
 Describe Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ).
 Describe WFQ architecture and operation.
 Identify the benefits and drawbacks of using WFQ.
 Configure and monitor WFQ configuration on an
interface.

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ)
 A queuing algorithm should share the bandwidth fairly
among flows by:
Reducing response time for interactive flows by scheduling
them to the front of the queue
Preventing high-volume flows from monopolizing an interface

 In the WFQ implementation, conversations are sorted

into flows and transmitted by the order of the last bit
crossing its channel.
 Unfairness is reinstated by introducing weight to give
proportionately more bandwidth to flows with higher IP
precedence (lower weight).
 The terms “WFQ flows” and “conversations” can be
interchanged.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
WFQ Operation

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

WFQ Architecture

 WFQ uses per-flow FIFO queues.

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

 WFQ Classification

WFQ classification uses the

following parameters:
• Source IP address
• Destination IP address
• Transport protocol
Source Destination
Source Destination • ToS field
IP IP
• Source TCP or UDP port
Address Address Protocol ToS Port Port
• Destination TCP or UDP port

 Packets of the same flow end up in the same

queue.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Implementing WFQ Classification
 A fixed number of per-flow queues is configured.
 A hash function is used to translate flow parameters
into a queue number.
 System packets (eight queues) and RSVP flows (if
configured) are mapped into separate queues.
 Two or more flows could map into the same queue,
resulting in lower per-flow bandwidth.
 Important: The number of queues configured should
be significantly larger than the expected number of
flows.

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

WFQ Insertion and Drop Policy
 WFQ has two modes of dropping:
Early dropping when the congestive discard threshold (CDT)
is reached
Aggressive dropping when the hold-queue limit is reached

 WFQ always drops packets of the most aggressive

flow.
 Drop mechanism exceptions:
A packet classified into an empty queue is never dropped.
The packet IP precedence has no effect on the dropping
scheme.

 Queue length is determined by finish time, not size.

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Benefits and Drawbacks of WFQ

Benefits – Simple configuration (no need for

classification to be configured)
– Guarantees throughput to all flows
– Drops packets of most aggressive flows
– Supported on most platforms
– Supported in most Cisco IOS versions
Drawbacks – Possibility of multiple flows ending up in one
queue
– Lack of control over classification
– Supported only on links less than or equal to
2 Mb
– Cannot provide fixed bandwidth guarantees
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Configuring WFQ

router(config-if)#
fair-queue [cdt [dynamic-queues [reservable-
queues]]]

 cdt: Number of messages allowed in each queue (a new threshold

must be a power of 2 in the range from 16 to 4096; default is 64).
When a conversation reaches this threshold, new message
packets are discarded.
 dynamic-queues: Number of dynamic queues used for best-effort
conversations (values are: 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048,
and 4096; the default is 256).
 reservable-queues: Number of reservable queues used for
reserved conversations in the range 0 to 1000 (used for interfaces
configured for features such as RSVP—the default is 0).

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

WFQ Maximum Limit Configuration

router(config-if)#
hold-queue max-limit out

 Specifies the maximum number of packets that can be

in all output queues on the interface at any time.
 The default value for WFQ is 1.
 Under special circumstances, WFQ can consume a lot
of buffers, which may require lowering this limit.

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Monitoring WFQ

router>
show interface interface

• Displays interface delays including the activated queuing

mechanism with the summary information
Router>show interface serial 1/0
Hardware is M4T
Internet address is 20.0.0.1/8
MTU 1500 bytes, BW 19 Kbit, DLY 20000 usec, rely 255/255, load
147/255
Encapsulation HDLC, crc 16, loopback not set
Keepalive set (10 sec)
Last input 00:00:00, output 00:00:00, output hang never
Last clearing of "show interface" counters never
Input queue: 0/75/0 (size/max/drops); Total output drops: 0
Queueing strategy: weighted fair
Output queue: 0/1000/64/0 (size/max total/threshold/drops)
Conversations 0/4/256 (active/max active/max total)
Reserved Conversations 0/0 (allocated/max allocated)
5 minute input rate 18000 bits/sec, 8 packets/sec
5 minute output rate 11000 bits/sec, 9 packets/sec

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Monitoring WFQ Interface

router>
show queue interface-name interface-number

• Displays detailed information about the WFQ system of the

selected interface
Router>show queue serial 1/0
Input queue: 0/75/0 (size/max/drops); Total output drops: 0
Queueing strategy: weighted fair
Output queue: 2/1000/64/0 (size/max total/threshold/drops)
Conversations 2/4/256 (active/max active/max total)
Reserved Conversations 0/0 (allocated/max allocated)

(depth/weight/discards/tail drops/interleaves) 1/4096/0/0/0

Conversation 124, linktype: ip, length: 580
source: 193.77.3.244, destination: 20.0.0.2, id: 0x0166, ttl: 254,
TOS: 0 prot: 6, source port 23, destination port 11033

(depth/weight/discards/tail drops/interleaves) 1/4096/0/0/0

Conversation 127, linktype: ip, length: 585
source: 193.77.4.111 destination: 40.0.0.2, id: 0x020D, ttl: 252,
TOS: 0 prot: 6, source port 23, destination port 11013

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Self Check
1. What problems with FIFO and Priority Queuing does
Weighted Fair Queuing solve?
2. What does WFQ use to classify traffic into flows?
3. What must the network administrator be aware of
concerning the number of queues vs. the number of
concurrent flows?
4. How is the length of the queue determined?
5. How is WFQ enabled on an interface?

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary
 Weighted Fair Queuing overcomes the issues of FIFO
and Priority Queuing by ensuring bandwidth to each
queue while also controlling delay and jitter for sensitive
traffic.
 Queues are based on traffic flows. Multiple queues are
established to service concurrent traffic flows.
 The WFQ mechanism provides simple configuration (no
manual classification is necessary) and guarantees
throughput to all flows. It drops packets of the most
aggressive flows.
 Some of the drawbacks of WFQ include: multiple flows
can end up in a single queue, WFQ does not allow a
network engineer to manually configure classification,
and WFQ cannot provide fixed guarantees to traffic
flows.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Q and A

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Resources
 Configuring Weighted Fair Queuing
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/products/sw/iosswrel/ps18
35/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a00800b75af.ht
ml

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.