Performance evaluation of ATM architectures in multimedia traffic environments

A simulation model for the performance evaluation of fast packet switching architectures under multimedia traffic conditions is presented. The simulator is based on an integration of the SLAM-II tool with special-purpose C routines that model the internal structure and operational details of the basic switching fabrics. Two types of traffic sources, namely, Bernoulli sources and correlated sources (modeled as two-state Markov chains) are considered. The latter class of sources provides an accurate model for multimedia traffic components, such as voice and video, which are inherently bursty. The results of the simulation indicate the significant deterioration of the switch performance under correlated traffic from that predicted by the Bernoulli models. Furthermore, they illustrate the efficacy of the input-windowing mechanism in remedying this drawback to a substantial degree