An effective model for VBR video with application to an ATM multiplexer

Abstract

The effective design and engineering of communication networks require accurate mathematical models that should capture the important statistical properties of traffic sources. The ATM Forum has specified some QoS requirements for video traffic, which are essential for the effective management and operation of ATM networks. In this paper, a model for VBR video sources using a modified first-order autoregressive model is presented. Two levels of states with arbitrary average duration are used to represent the source bit-rate. The corresponding ratio of the statistical duration averages in the two levels is used as a new parameter to quantify the activity behaviour of the pertinent sources. A derivation for the resulting model statistical equations is presented and matched to some experimental data. Then, the obtained matched parameters are plugged into the simulation model. The major results are presented for various parameter values, along with an assessment of their effects on the performance of an ATM multiplexer.