Packet Scheduling in a Size-Bounded Buffer

Abstract: We consider algorithms to schedule packets with values and deadlines in a size-bounded buffer. At any time, the buffer can store at most B packets. Packets arrive over time. Each packet has a non-negative value and an integer deadline. In each time step, at most one packet can be sent. Packets can be dropped at any time before they are sent. The objective is to maximize the total value gained by delivering packets no later than their respective deadlines. This model generalizes the well-studied bounded-delay model (Hajek. CISS 2001. Kesselman et al. STOC 2001). We first provide an optimal offline algorithm for this model. Then we present an alternative proof of the 2-competitive deterministic online algorithm (Fung. arXiv July 2009). We also prove that the lower bound of competitive ratio of a family of (deterministic and randomized) algorithms is 2 - 1 / B.