GSPN models of bridged LAN configurations

Communication systems comprising several local area networks (LANs) interco nnected by bridges are modeled with Generalized Stochastic Petri Nets (GSPN s). GSPN models are developed at different levels of detail, progressively abstracting from the detailed behavior of real systems, and exploiting symm etries present in simple interconnected LAN topologies by "folding" the det ailed GSPN models. The numerical results obtained from the solution of GSPN models are validated against results of very detailed simulation experimen ts, and found in good agreement, even for the most abstract GSPN models. Ad vantages and drawbacks of the GSPN modeling approach are discussed at the e nd of the paper. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.