SmartSwitch Router User Reference Manual 283
Chapter 19QoS Configuration
Guide

QoS & Layer-2/Layer-3/Layer-4 Flow Overview

The SSR allows network managers to identify traffic and set Quality of Service (QoS)
policies without compromising wire speed performance. The SSR can guarantee
bandwidth on an application by application basis, thus accommodating high-priority
traffic even during peak periods of usage. QoS policies can be broad enough to encompass
all the applications in the network, or relate specifically to a single host-to-host application
flow.
The SSR provides three different features to satisfy QoS requirements:
•Traffic prioritization allows network administrators to identify and segregate mission-
critical network traffic into different priority queues from non-critical network traffic.
Once a packet has been identified, it can be assigned into any one of four priorities in
order to ensure delivery. Priority can be allocated based on any combination of Layer-
2, Layer-3, or Layer-4 traffic.
•Type of Service (ToS) rewrite provides network administrators access to the ToS octet in
an IP packet. The ToS octet is designed to provide feedback to the upper layer
application. The administrator can “mark” packets using the ToS rewrite feature so
that the application (a routing protocol, for example) can handle the packet based on a
predefined mechanism.
•Traffic rate limiting provides network administrators with tools to manage bandwidth
resources. The administrator can create an upper limit for a traffic profile, which is
based on Layer-3 or Layer-4 information. Traffic that exceeds the upper limit of the
profile can either be dropped or re prioritized into another priority queue.
Within the SSR, QoS policies are used to classify Layer-2, Layer-3, and Layer-4 traffic into
the following priorities: