PREDICTING NETWORK TRAFFIC FOR COLLABORATIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

We introduce a method for predicting the network traffic that will be generated by collaborative virtual environment applications with varyi ng numbers of participants. Statistical analysis of event :logs from u ser trials results in a user behaviour model. Controlled traffic measu rements combined with an analysis of the application architecture and network topology results in a system behaviour model. These two models are combined to produce a network traffic model. We describe the appl ication of this method to a business game application that has been de veloped as part of the COVEN project. Finally, we make some general ob servations concerning the network traffic generated by CVEs including its bursty nature and the potential use of techniques such as multicas ting and statistical multiplexing to reduce network load. (C) 1998 Els evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.