A new approach to modeling multiple access circuit-switched rings

The authors model the delay-throughput performance of a class of multiple-access circuit-switched ring local area networks (LANs) that allow for multiple messages to be transferred concurrently on the ring. Using a two-dimensional imbedded Markov chain, they develop a generalized M/G/1 vacation model with Bernoulli schedules in which the system is analyzed at service completion and vacation termination epochs. They obtain an expression for customer mean waiting time. They apply the proposed vacation model to predict message mean waiting time in the above class of ring networks and demonstrate good agreement between analytical predictions and simulation results. They also compare the performance of this class of networks with that of token rings. It is noted that the proposed model is the first successful model for predicting waiting times on PLAYTHROUGH rings whose ring interface units use FIFO queuing discipline