Question

Briefly describe the differences between the Integrated Services (IntServ) and Differentiated Services (DiffServ) Internet architectures in attempting to ensure acceptable quality of service (QoS) for bandwidth-intensive applications like video streaming. Include an explanation of what makes the DiffServ architecture more practical.

Answer 1

Intserv is an approach of quality of service phenomenon which involves booking of the bandwidth on the network from end to end between the given two communicating gadget/devices, before the actual beginning of the communication. Since all routers within a network must be configured to support the request and even if there is single failure the reservation will interupt and impact the communication.

The below points provide more focus to Intserv.

1. It requires explicit signalling mechanism to execute this.
2. Since the bandwidths are booked it will restrict the other services will be able to use that bandwidth however the extreme condition may be.
3. This process impact the CPU and memory performance.
4. It is per flow set up.
5. It is not scalable.
6. Their scope of services involves end to end scope.

Differv on the other hand is an approach where prioritization of the packet happens. Each packet is marked according to the type of their prioritization. Since it has no specialized protocol or the end to end booking of the networks the process is more sustainable and simple.

1. This approach classify and manages the traffic based on their priority.
2. It reduces the burden on network device and CPU since their are no fixed slots booked.
3. It is a long term set up.
4. It is scalable.

Having a differential service in our network allows us to directly configure the parameters on devices such as switches and routers without having a resource reservation protocol. It is practical in the sense that it permits to control what traffic is accepted and what is not. Their scope of service involves domain. Diffserv diminishes the chance of delay for traffic related to videos or streaming videos by prioritizing the packets at the entry itself.