On the packet size in integrated networks

The authors address the selection of a single packet size for broadband integrated packet networks (e.g., B-ISDN) that carry many traffic types, each with different performance requirements. To meet the requirements of different types of traffic in an integrated network (for example, synchronous stream traffic and delay sensitive bursty traffic, or two different types of synchronous traffic), the probability distribution of the end-to-end network delay must be determined. New insights and procedures for estimating such statistics for store-and-forward integrated packet networks that have a single packet size are presented. In particular, the authors address two problems: determining the required build-out delay to achieve a given packet loss probability for real-time stream traffic (e.g., voice), and determining a packet size that results in the required delay characteristics for delay sensitive traffic (e.g., data for parallel processing applications). The central limit theorem is used to approximate the probability distribution function for the end-to-end packet delay in a network of M/D/1 nodes