Different applications have different QoS requirements. Traffic Type and QoS Guidelines summarizes the QoS guidelines for different types of network traffic.
| Traffic Type | Key QoS Parameters |
|---|---|
| Voice | Minimum bandwidth, priority |
| Video | Medium bandwidth, priority, buffering (varies) |
| Database | Minimum bandwidth |
| Web browsing | Minimum bandwidth for critical applications, maximum bandwidth for noncritical applications |
| File server | Minimum bandwidth |
Consider these parameters as general guidelines and not as strict recommendations. After QoS parameters have been set, you can monitor the performance of the application to determine if the actual behavior of the applications matches your expectations. It is very important to understand the needs and behavior of the particular applications you want to protect or limit. Behavioral aspects to consider include bandwidth needs, sensitivity to latency and jitter, and sensitivity and impact of packet loss.
Note
Full-duplex links should be used when deploying policy-based QoS. Half-duplex operation on links can make delivery of guaranteed minimum bandwidth impossible.