DESiRED -- Dynamic, Enhanced, and Smart iRED: A P4-AQM with Deep Reinforcement Learning and In-band Network Telemetry

Abstract: Active Queue Management (AQM) is a mechanism employed to alleviate transient congestion in network device buffers, such as routers and switches. Traditional AQM algorithms use fixed thresholds, like target delay or queue occupancy, to compute random packet drop probabilities. A very small target delay can increase packet losses and reduce link utilization, while a large target delay may increase queueing delays while lowering drop probability. Due to dynamic network traffic characteristics, where traffic fluctuations can lead to significant queue variations, maintaining a fixed threshold AQM may not suit all applications. Consequently, we explore the question: \textit{What is the ideal threshold (target delay) for AQMs?} In this work, we introduce DESiRED (Dynamic, Enhanced, and Smart iRED), a P4-based AQM that leverages precise network feedback from In-band Network Telemetry (INT) to feed a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) model. This model dynamically adjusts the target delay based on rewards that maximize application Quality of Service (QoS). We evaluate DESiRED in a realistic P4-based test environment running an MPEG-DASH service. Our findings demonstrate up to a 90x reduction in video stall and a 42x increase in high-resolution video playback quality when the target delay is adjusted dynamically by DESiRED.