An Adaptive and Interpretable Congestion Control Service Based on Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning

Jiacheng Liu, Xu Li, Feilong Tang, Peng Li, Long Chen, Jiadi Yu, Yanmin Zhu, Pheng-Ann Heng, Laurence T. Yang

Abstract: The need for an adaptive congestion control (CC) service is crucial due to the heterogeneity of systems and the diversity of applications. Traditional CC methods often fail to adaptively balance throughput and delay, struggling to meet the varied demands of different network applications. In this work, we introduce Auto, a novel CC service that employs Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning (MORL) to transcend these limitations. Unlike conventional approaches, Auto optimizes policies within a single model to cater to all potential preferences for balancing throughput and delay, making it ideal for diverse and heterogeneous network environments. To enhance operational transparency, we developed an interpretation algorithm that translates MORL into a human- readable decision tree, essential for service computing where clarity and interpretability are crucial. Furthermore, Auto allows users to explicitly set flow priorities and target sending rates, meeting varied application demands. Our extensive evaluations show that Auto not only consistently outperforms existing CC methods in diverse network conditions but also exhibits robustness to stochastic packet loss and rapid network changes. These capabilities establish Auto as a pioneering solution for next-generation congestion control in networking services.