A Longest-Path Problem for Evaluating the Worst-Case Packet Delay of Switched Ethernet

Abstract

In the recent years, the use of real-time Ethernet protocols becomes more and more relevant for time-critical networked industrial applications. In this context, this paper presents a method to compute the worst-case packet delays on switched Ethernet. Based on an evaluation of the packet delays at each switch port and the network topology, we construct a weighted directed graph that allows to find the worst-case end-toend packet delay by solving a conventional longest-path problem. © 2010 IEEE.