What capability does traffic shaping provide compared to traffic policing?

What capability does traffic shaping provide compared to traffic policing?

• A. It caches excess traffic using queues
• B. It drops excess traffic immediately
• C. It ensures traffic flows in bursts
• D. It solely relies on packet marking

Answer: (A)

Traffic shaping and traffic policing are both techniques used in network management; however, they serve different purposes and operate in distinct manners. Traffic shaping involves managing how data packets are sent over the network to ensure a smooth flow of traffic, while traffic policing enforces a specific rate of traffic and often results in immediate drops of excess packets. The capability that traffic shaping provides, which distinguishes it from traffic policing, is the ability to cache excess traffic using queues. This means that instead of discarding packets that exceed a configured rate immediately, traffic shaping can hold those packets in a queue temporarily. This allows for better management of traffic bursts and ensures that the data transfer adheres to the desired rate over time. By queuing excess traffic, it maximizes efficiency and reduces the likelihood of packet loss during brief bursts of overload, allowing for smoother and more constant data transmission. In contrast, the other options focus on characteristics that do not accurately describe traffic shaping. While traffic policing is designed to drop excess traffic immediately, it does not involve caching or queuing. The notion of ensuring traffic flows in bursts and solely relying on packet marking also does not capture the essence of traffic shaping's ability to queue data, which is fundamental to its operation.

Traffic shaping and traffic policing are both techniques used in network management; however, they serve different purposes and operate in distinct manners. Traffic shaping involves managing how data packets are sent over the network to ensure a smooth flow of traffic, while traffic policing enforces a specific rate of traffic and often results in immediate drops of excess packets.

The capability that traffic shaping provides, which distinguishes it from traffic policing, is the ability to cache excess traffic using queues. This means that instead of discarding packets that exceed a configured rate immediately, traffic shaping can hold those packets in a queue temporarily. This allows for better management of traffic bursts and ensures that the data transfer adheres to the desired rate over time. By queuing excess traffic, it maximizes efficiency and reduces the likelihood of packet loss during brief bursts of overload, allowing for smoother and more constant data transmission.

In contrast, the other options focus on characteristics that do not accurately describe traffic shaping. While traffic policing is designed to drop excess traffic immediately, it does not involve caching or queuing. The notion of ensuring traffic flows in bursts and solely relying on packet marking also does not capture the essence of traffic shaping's ability to queue data, which is fundamental to its operation.