An approach using simulation techniques to estimate quality of service parameters in communication networks

Abstract

Quality of Service in communication networks is a request for minimal required performance needed for transferring IP packets in a network. The performance can be ensured with a set of mechanisms that guarantee required performance through shaping and policing of packet traffic. Their goal is to prevent congestion, packet delays and packet loss. The goal of this paper is to introduce some of the commonly used Quality of Service mechanisms and analyze their impact on network traffic in order to improve its performance, mainly packet delay and buffer congestion. The mechanisms are analyzed trough a simple packet transfer simulator that offers different combinations of mechanisms to be used in the simulation, allowing different packet transfer scenario setups. After a simulation is complete, the simulator offers results along with relevant packet transfer graphs. The impact of Quality of Service mechanisms is analyzed and interpreted trough those results. It is shown that combining Quality of Service mechanisms in packet transfer generally gives better results. Also, different combinations of mechanisms give different results, allowing more flexibility in improving packet transfer in a desired way, but also making it more predictable and controllable.