best effort

networking A classification of low priority network traffic,

used especially the Internet.

Different kinds of traffic have different priorities.

Videoconferencing and other types of real-time

communication, for example, require a certain minimum

guaranteed bandwidth and latency and so must be given a

high priority. Electronic mail, on the other hand, can

tolerate an arbitrarily long delay and is classified as a

"best-effort" service.

[Scientific American, Nov. 1994, pp. 83-84].

(1995-04-04)