Glossary

class

A group of network flows that share similar characteristics. You define classes in the IPQoS configuration file.

diffserv model

Internet Engineering Task Force architectural standard for implementing differentiated services on IP networks. The major modules are classifier, meter, marker, scheduler, and dropper. IPQoS implements the classifier, meter, and marker modules. The diffserv model is described in RFC 2475, An Architecture for Differentiated Services.

DS codepoint (DSCP)

A 6–bit value that, when included in the DS field of an IP header, indicates how a packet must be forwarded.

filter

A set of rules that define the characteristics of a class in the IPQoS configuration file. The IPQoS system selects for processing any traffic flows that conform to the filters in its IPQoS configuration file.

flow accounting

The process of accumulating and recording information about traffic flows. You establish flow accounting by defining parameters for the flowacct module in the IPQoS configuration file.

IPQoS

Software feature in Solaris 9, 9/02 that provides an implementation of the diffserv standard, plus flow accounting and 802.1 D marking for virtual LANs. Using IPQoS, you can provide different levels of network services to customers and applications, as defined in the IPQoS configuration file.

marker

1. A module in the diffserv architecture and IPQoS that marks the DS field of an IP packet with a value that indicates how the packet is to be forwarded. In the IPQoS implementation, the marker module is dscpmk.

2. A module in the IPQoS implementation, which marks the virtual LAN tag of an Ethernet datagram with a user priority value. The user priority value indicates how datagrams are to be forwarded on a network with VLAN devices. This module is called dlcosmk.

meter

A module in the diffserv architecture that measures the rate of traffic flow for a particular class. The IPQoS implementation includes two meters, tokenmt and tswtclmt.

outcome

Action to take as a result of metering traffic. The IPQoS meters have three outcomes, red, yellow, and green, which you define in the IPQoS configuration file.

per-hop behavior (PHB)

A priority that is assigned to a traffic class. The PHB indicates the precedence which flows of that class have in relation to other traffic classes.

selector

Element that specifically defines the criteria to be applied to packets of a particular class in order to select that traffic from the network stream. You define selectors in the filter clause of the IPQoS configuration file.

user-priority

A 3-bit value that implements class of service marks, which define how Ethernet datagrams are forwarded on a network of VLAN devices.

virtual LAN (VLAN) device

Network interfaces that provide traffic forwarding at the Ethernet (data link) level of the IP protocol stack.