Approximation techniques for computing packet loss in finite-buffered voice multiplexers

Three different approximation techniques are examined. The performance models studied differ primarily in the manner in which the superposition of the voice sources (i.e., the arrival process) is modeled. The first approach models the superimposed voice sources as a renewal process, and performance calculations are based only on the first two moments of the renewal process. The second approach is based on modeling the superimposed voice sources as a Markov modulated Poisson process (MMPP). The choice of parameters for the MMPP attempts to capture aspects of the arrival process in a more intuitive manner than previously proposed approaches for determining the MMPP parameters and is shown to compute loss more accurately. Finally, a fluid flow approximation for computing packet loss is evaluated. For all three approaches, a unifying example, the case of multiplexing voice sources over a T1-rate link is considered. The main conclusion is that both the MMPP model and the fluid flow approximation can provide accurate loss predictions for parameter ranges of practical interest