Compartmental models for virtual circuit networks

Abstract

A compartmental model formulation of virtual circuit network dynamics is used to study network traffic congestion and the effects of network management flow controls. The networks modeled are assumed to be highly connected and are meant to be representative of the upper level of large public data networks. Because of assumptions of spatial homogeneity, high connectivity, and a simple virtual circuit routing protocol, the network dynamics can be modeled by a set of difference equations of variable time step among “compartments”, which produce interesting temporal behavior and steady-state bistability. The effects of traffic overload, trunk outage, transmission errors, virtual circuit retrial, flexible routing, and network management controls are captured by the compartmental model technique and produce a variety of network behaviors.