Quasi-circuit switching and quasi-circuit switches

Abstract

In this paper we develop the theory of quasi-circuit switching and the associated methods of building quasi-circuit switches. Quasi-circuit switching is between packet switching and circuit switching. In a quasi-circuit switched network, time is partitioned into frames. Quasi-circuit switches then ensure that for any two packets with the same input and output links, the difference between the frames, in which they arrive, is the same as that of the frames, in which they depart. By so doing, traffic can be isolated between frames and be multiplexed within a frame. As such, quasi-circuit switching can provide quality of services at the time scale of frames while achieving statistical multiplexing gain within frames.