Performance of output-multibuffered multistage interconnection networks under general traffic patterns

Multistage networks are strong candidates for implementation of ATM switching fabrics in broadband ISDN networks. To prevent internal loss of data, buffers are often used inside the switching elements of the fabric. The objective of the paper is to develop models to evaluate the throughput and packet delay, in the presence of a general traffic pattern, of an ATM switching fabric using multiple buffers at the outputs of the switching elements. The models are based on Markov chains, and use several simplifying assumptions to make the model tractable. One of the models take into account of the blocked packets and the history of blocking. The models produce accurate results in the case of a general traffic pattern