Performance modeling of multi-layered OSI communication architectures

A generic queueing network model is formulated for an analytical performance evaluation of communications networks which are layered according to the OSI reference model. The proposed model, based directly on the generic specifications of the reference model, may be used to quantitatively evaluate end-to-end mean performance measures taking into account multiple layers of protocol, a multitude of open connections across the network, the underlying topology, and the manner in which the processing capacity is distributed among the various entities. For the solution of the model, a computationally efficient iterative decomposition algorithm is formulated. To justify the methodology formulated, previous work is reviewed in the area of the analysis of layered systems and the limitations of hitherto proposed performance-evaluation methodologies are exposed