Protocol filtering: a microscopic approach to Windows NT and Novell NetWare network modeling

The application of protocol filtering in network modeling was discussed. This technique can be used to conduct performance analysis by simulating system “what-if” scenarios. The Windows NT and Novell Netware subnets of the School of Engineering at Widener University were considered as the problem domain. Analysis was conducted on 1.2 GB of data gathered daily over a period of two months by a network monitor. Protocol models built for NCP, SAP, RIP, IPX NetBIOS, UDP Broadcasts, TCP, Telnet, ARP, SMB, IBMNB, NetBIOS NS, AARP, RTMP, and NBP. Identification of different types of protocol traffic in association with source and destination was effected through customized packet filtering. Thereafter, traffic models were built for interarrival time and packet size. After extensive testing of the simulation output, what-if scenarios were setup and addressed. One such scenario involved the addition of ten workstations to an existing subnet. Another variant was to consider a new subnet containing ten workstations. The simulation output has been verified against an external criterion