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Cisco AVVID Network Infrastructure Enterprise Quality of Service Design
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Chapter 1 Overview
What is the Quality of Service Toolset?
Voice Bearer Traffic
Recommendation:
DSCP EF, IP Precedence 5, COS 5
The IETF draft recommends a DSCP PHB label of EF for VoIP traffic. To remain backwardly
compatible with IP Precedence, use an IP Precedence value of 5 and a CoS marking of 5.
These markings can be used as selection criteria for entry into the priority queue, where it exists, or the
queue with the highest service weight and lowest drop probability in a WRR/WRED scheduling scheme.
Voice Control Traffic
Recommendation:
DSCP AF31, IP Precedence 3, CoS 3
Typically the voice gateway or voice application server will mark it's RTP and control traffic with the
appropriate DSCP and CoS markings. However, some end devices may not have the capability to
correctly classify their own traffic. It is also possible, for reasons of control and security, that you would
not want to trust the CoS and ToS markings assigned by the device (and would prefer to rewrite them
upon ingress to the network).
Signaling traffic should be assigned a DSCP PHB label of AF31. This assignment is backwardly
compatible with an IP Precedence value of 3.
Video Conferencing
Recommendation:
DSCP AF41, IP Precedence 4, CoS 4
In enterprise networks, video conferencing over IP (IPVC) has similar loss, delay, and delay variation
requirements to that of VoIP traffic. It is necessary to classify IPVC traffic so that network devices can
recognize it and provide the appropriate treatment during periods of congestion. In enterprise networks,
video conferencing packets should be marked with a DSCP PHB label of AF41. This assignment is
backwardly compatible with an IP Precedence value of 4. A Layer 2 802.1p CoS value of 4 should be
used for IPVC traffic in 802.1Q environments.
Streaming Video
Recommendation:
DSCP AF13, IP Precedence 1, CoS 1
Streaming video applications, like IPTV Video on Demand (VoD) programs, are relatively high
bandwidth applications with a high tolerance for loss, delay, and delay variation. As such, significant
QoS tools are not required to meet the needs of these applications. However, in most enterprise
environments, these types of applications are considered more important than regular background
applications (such as e-mail and web browsing) and should be given preferential treatment. A Layer 2
classification of CoS 1 in 802.1Q/p environments should be used for these applications. Because
streaming video is not drop or delay sensitive, you can use the high drop preference DSCP PHB. The
DSCP label AF13 should be used. This assignment is backwardly compatible with an IP Precedence
value of 1.