<?xml version='1.0'?>

<reference anchor='RFC0970'>

<front>
<title>On packet switches with infinite storage</title>
<author initials='J.' surname='Nagle' fullname='John Nagle'>
<organization>FACC Palo Alto</organization></author>
<date month='December' day='1' year='1985' />
<abstract>
<t>Most prior work on congestion in datagram systems focuses on buffer management.  We find it illuminating to consider the case of a packet switch with infinite storage.  Such a packet switch can never run out of buffers. It can, however, still become congested.  The meaning of congestion in an infinite-storage system is explored.  We demonstrate the unexpected result that a datagram network with infinite storage, first-in-first-out queuing, at least two packet switches, and a finite packet lifetime will, under overload, drop all packets.  By attacking the problem of congestion for the infinite-storage case, we discover new solutions applicable to switches with finite storage.</t></abstract></front>

<seriesInfo name='RFC' value='970' />
</reference>
