Performance Evaluation of a Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation Algorithm with providing the Fairness among Terminals for Ethernet PON Systems

In this paper, we propose the dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithm for the IEEE802.3ah Ethernet Passive Optical Network(EPON) system to provide the fairness among terminals, and evaluate the delay-throughput performance by simulation. For the conventional EPON systems, an Optical Line Termination (OLT) schedules the upstream bandwidth for each Optical Network Unit (ONU), based on its buffer state. This scheme can provide a fair bandwidth allocation for each ONU. However, it has a critical problem that it does not guarantee the fair bandwidth among terminals which are connected to ONUs. For an example, we assume that the traffic from a greedy terminal increases at a time. Then, the buffer state of its ONU is instantly reported to the OLT, and finally the OW can get more bandwidth. As a result, the less bandwidth is allocated to the other ONUs, and thus the transfer delay of terminals connected to the ONUs gets inevitably increased. Noting that this unfairness problem exists in the conventional EPON systems, we propose a fair bandwidth allocation scheme by OLT with considering the buffer state of ONU as welt as the number of terminals connected it. For the performance evaluation, we develop the EPON simulation model with SIMULA simulation language. From the result of the throughput-delay performance and the dynamics of buffer state along time for each terminal and ONU, respectively, one can see that the proposed scheme can provide the fairness among not ONUs but terminals. Finally, it is worthwhile to note that the proposed scheme for the public EPON systems might be an attractive solution for providing the fairness among subscriber terminals.