This book covers performance analysis of computer networks, and begins by providing the necessary background in probability theory, random variables, and stochastic processes. Queuing theory and simulation are introduced as the major tools analysts have access to. It presents performance analysis on local, metropolitan, and wide area networks, as well as on wireless networks. It concludes with a brief introduction to self-similarity. Designed for a one-semester course for senior-year undergraduates and graduate engineering students, it may also serve as a fingertip reference for engineers developing communication networks, managers involved in systems planning, and researchers and instructors of computer communication networks.

Performance Analysis of Queuing and Computer Networks develops simple models and analytical methods from first principles to evaluate performance metrics of various configurations of computer systems and networks. It presents many concepts and results of probability theory and stochastic processes. After an introduction to queues in computer networks, this self-contained book covers important random variables, such as Pareto and Poisson, that constitute models for arrival and service disciplines. It then deals with the equilibrium M/M/1/∞queue, which is the simplest queue that is amenable for analysis. Subsequent chapters explore applications of continuous time, state-dependent single Markovian queues, the M/G/1 system, and discrete time queues in computer networks. The author then proceeds to study networks of queues with exponential servers and Poisson external arrivals as well as the G/M/1 queue and Pareto interarrival times in a G/M/1 queue. The last two chapters analyze bursty, self-similar traffic, and fluid flow models and their effects on queues.

Statistical performance evaluation has assumed an increasing amount of importance as we seek to design more and more sophisticated communi cation and information processing systems. The ability to predict a pro posed system's performance without actually having to construct it is an extremely cost effective design tool. This book is meant to be a first year graduate level introduction to the field of statistical performance evaluation. As such, it covers queueing theory (chapters 1-4) and stochastic Petri networks (chapter 5). There is a short appendix at the end of the book which reviews basic probability theory. At Stony Brook, this material would be covered in the second half of a two course sequence (the first half is a computer networks course using a text such as Schwartz's Telecommunications Networks). Students seem to be encouraged to pursue the analytical material of this book if they first have some idea of the potential applications. I am grateful to B.L. Bodnar, J. Blake, J.S. Emer, M. Garrett, W. Hagen, Y.C. Jenq, M. Karol, J.F. Kurose, S.-Q. Li, A.C. Liu, J. McKenna, H.T. Mouftah and W.G. Nichols, I.Y. Wang, the IEEE and Digital Equip ment Corporation for allowing previously published material to appear in this book.

With the rapidly increasing penetration of laptop computers and mobile phones, which are primarily used by mobile users to access Internet s- vices like e-mail and World Wide Web (WWW) access, support of Internet services in a mobile environment is an emerging requirement. Wireless n- works have been used for communication among fully distributed users in a multimedia environment that has the needs to provide real-time bursty traffic (such as voice or video) and data traffic with excellent reliability and service quality. To satisfy the huge wireless multimedia service demand and improve the system performance, efficient channel access methods and analytical methods must be provided. In this way very accurate models, that faithfully reproduce the stochastic behavior of multimedia wireless communication and computer networks, can be constructed. Most of these system models are discrete-time queueing systems. Queueing networks and Markov chains are commonly used for the p- formance and reliability evaluation of computer, communication, and m- ufacturing systems. Although there are quite a few books on the individual topics of queueing networks and Markov chains, we have found none that covers the topics of discrete-time and continuous-time multichannel mul- traffic queueing networks. On the other hand, the design and development of multichannel mul- hop network systems and interconnected network systems or integrated n- works of multimedia traffic require not only such average performance m- sures as the throughput or packet delay but also higher moments of traffic departures and transmission delay.

This handbook aims to highlight fundamental, methodological and computational aspects of networks of queues to provide insights and to unify results that can be applied in a more general manner. The handbook is organized into five parts: Part 1 considers exact analytical results such as of product form type. Topics include characterization of product forms by physical balance concepts and simple traffic flow equations, classes of service and queue disciplines that allow a product form, a unified description of product forms for discrete time queueing networks, insights for insensitivity, and aggregation and decomposition results that allow sub networks to be aggregated into single nodes to reduce computational burden. Part 2 looks at monotonicity and comparison results such as for computational simplification by either of two approaches: stochastic monotonicity and ordering results based on the ordering of the process generators, and comparison results and explicit error bounds based on an underlying Markov reward structure leading to ordering of expectations of performance measures. Part 3 presents diffusion and fluid results. It specifically looks at the fluid regime and the diffusion regime. Both of these are illustrated through fluid limits for the analysis of system stability, diffusion approximations for multi-server systems, and a system fed by Gaussian traffic. Part 4 illustrates computational and approximate results through the classical MVA (mean value analysis) and QNA (queueing network analyzer) for computing mean and variance of performance measures such as queue lengths and sojourn times; numerical approximation of response time distributions; and approximate decomposition results for large open queueing networks. spanPart 5 enlightens selected applications as spanloss networks originating from circuit switched telecommunications applications, capacity sharing originating from packet switching in data networks, and a hospital application that is of growing present day interest. spanThe book shows that spanthe intertwined progress of theory and practicespan will remain to be most intriguing and will continue to be the basis of further developments in queueing networks.