Performance analysis of broadcast WDM networks under IP traffic

We consider the problem of carrying IP packet traffic over a broadcast WDM network. The network operates under a schedule that masks the transceiver t uning latency. Variable length IP packets are segmented at the transmitting end, the fixed-size segments are transmitted in slots specified by the sch edule and are then reassembled into the original packet at the receiving en d. We develop and analyze approximately a queueing model of the network in order to obtain the queue-length distribution and loss probabilities at the transmitting and receiving side of nodes. The analysis is carried out assu ming finite buffer sizes, non-uniform destination probabilities, and an app ropriate arrival process model. Our work makes it possible to study the int eractions among the various system parameters (such as load balancing and s cheduling algorithms, the number of channels, and the buffer capacity) and to predict, explain, and fine tune the performance of the network. To the b est of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive performance study of optical local area networks under variable length packets. (C) 1999 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.