An Efficient Simulation Technique for Performance Studies of CSMA/CD Local Network

A new simulation technique is presented for performance studies of local area networks which use CSMA/CD as the access protocol. The method requires partitioning the network stations into a few primary stations and the remainder as background stations. The background stations are modeled as a group by a background algorithm based on a dynamic CSMA/CD model which uses a set of probabilities and sampling to produce, in a recurrent manner, a stochastic sequence of busy/idle periods. The new method is more efficient than conventional discrete-event simulations when the number of network stations is reasonably large. The algorithm and the overall simulation technique are comprehensively validated. The technique is illustrated with a performance study of interactive transactions on a metropolitan CATV network.