Multi-resource generalized processor sharing for packet processing

Middleboxes have found widespread adoption in today's networks. They perform a variety of network functions such as WAN optimization, intrusion detection, and network-level firewalls. Processing packets to serve these functions often require multiple middlebox resources, e.g., CPU and link band-width. Furthermore, different packet traffic flows may consume significantly different amounts of various resources, depending on the network functions that are applied. Multi-resource fair queueing is therefore needed to allow flows to share multiple middlebox resources in a fair manner. In this paper, we clarify the fairness requirements of a queueing scheme and present Dominant Resource Generalized Processor Sharing (DRGPS), a fluid flow-based fair queueing idealization that strictly realizes Dominant Resource Fairness (DRF) at all times. As a form of Generalized Processor Sharing (GPS) running on multiple resources, DRGPS serves as a benchmark that practical packet-by-packet fair queueing algorithm should follow. With DRGPS, techniques and insights that have been developed for traditional fair queueing can be leveraged to schedule multiple resources. As a case study, we extend Worst-case Fair Weighted Fair Queueing (WF²Q) to the multi-resource setting and analyze its performance.