A unified framework for approximation of general telecommunication networks

In this paper, we develop a unified framework for approximation of the performance of general telecommunication networks based on a decomposition strategy. The method is an extension of the work presented in [15]. The algorithms assume finite buffer space at each switch, state-dependent arrival rates of data packets, and general service time distribution at the switches. Two methods of buffer space allocation at the switches, and two congestion control mechanisms are modeled. The proposed algorithms have been extensively tested against simulation values. The results show that the proposed framework yields robust, reliable and accurate estimates of network performance measures, such as throughput, number of packets in the system, and switch and link utilization. The computation time required is minimal. The unified framework presents a useful set of tools for telecommunication network designers in evaluating numerous network designs.