What is the Difference Between Traffic Shaping and Policing?

Traffic shaping and traffic policing are both traffic control mechanisms used to manage network traffic, but they serve different purposes and function in distinct ways:

Traffic Shaping:

1. Aims to control the transmission rate of packets to prevent network congestion.
2. Buffers packets with rates greater than the traffic shaping rate.
3. Introduces delay and jitter in the network.
4. Requires more buffer resources to store packets.
5. Can only be used to control outbound traffic.

Traffic Policing:

1. Monitors traffic in the network and limits traffic and resources by discarding packets that exceed the traffic policing rate.
2. Supports the re-marking action.
3. Does not introduce delay in the network.
4. Does not require extra buffer resources.
5. Can be used to control both inbound and outbound traffic.

In summary, traffic shaping is a congestion control mechanism that delays some packets to manage network traffic, while traffic policing directly discards packets that exceed the specified rate limit. Traffic shaping introduces delay and requires buffer resources, whereas traffic policing does not.

Comparative Table: Traffic Shaping vs Policing

Traffic shaping and traffic policing are both techniques used to manage network traffic and ensure optimal performance. However, they have some key differences:

Traffic shaping is more suitable for networks where delay and jitter can be tolerated, as it buffers and delays packets when the rate is greater than the traffic shaping rate. On the other hand, traffic policing is a better option for media-based applications and networks, which cannot tolerate delay and jitter. Traffic policing discards extra data packets that exceed the set limits, ensuring the proper distribution of bandwidth resources and improved performance.