Performance modeling of the SIGnet MAN backbone

Traffic processing algorithms are discussed for the slotted interconnected-grid network (SIGnet). SIGnet is intended for use as a high-performance backbone in metropolitan and extended-metropolitan areas. The system is designed to exploit the use of existing wavelength division multiplexing and coherent lightwave technologies. When accommodating nonisochronous traffic classes, the virtual topology in SIGnet is piecewise regular. As a result, bandwidth allocation and network evolution are easily accomplished. The philosophy of the design is to drastically minimize the buffering and protocol requirements at the transmit nodes, thus giving a highly cost-effective implementation. The SIGnet architecture is introduced, and results are given for certain traffic processing algorithms which have been investigated. A two-stage analytic model is presented which allows for the calculation of both detailed link traffic flow rates and the mean queueing delay at individual nodes. The results indicate that in typical subnetworks, reasonable accuracy may be obtained over a wide range of parameter values using link independence assumptions