Quality of Service (QoS) is a set of mechanisms or technologies that are used to control traffic and ensure the performance of critical applications on a network with limited capacity. It allows organizations to prioritize specific high-performance applications and adjust their overall network traffic accordingly. The two most common QoS tools used to manage traffic are classification and queue creation. Classification identifies and marks traffic so that network devices can recognize and prioritize data as it passes through the network.
Queues are buffers on devices that contain the data to be processed. They allow you to reserve bandwidth and prioritize traffic when entering or leaving a network device. If the queues don't empty, they overflow and reduce traffic. QoS involves manipulating traffic so that a network device, such as a router or switch, forwards it in a manner consistent with the behaviors required by the applications that generate that traffic. While the IntServ mechanisms work, it was realized that in a broadband network typical of a larger service provider, Core routers would have to accept, maintain and cancel thousands or possibly tens of thousands of reservations. QoS is an important tool for IT networking as it helps organizations ensure that their critical applications are performing optimally.
By using QoS tools such as classification and queue creation, organizations can prioritize their network traffic and ensure that their applications are running smoothly.
