An Analytical Model for Performance Evaluation of Network Traffic Analysis Systems

Simulation models have been developed in order to foresee characteristics of networks, systems or protocols when doing tests in laboratories are very expensive or even impossible. This paper presents a simulation model of a multiprocessor network traffic analysis system. The model, which is based on closed networks of queues, evaluates the efficiency of the system depending on the hardware/software platform features. Therefore, this model is able to estimate performance early in the design and development stages simulating a multiprocessor architecture in charge of analysing network traffic. The goodness of the model is checked by comparing analytical results with practical ones obtained in laboratory using a traffic analysis system that runs in a multiprocessor platform