Evaluating buffer requirements in an ATM multiplexer

The authors consider the queue arising when a large number of streams of different bit rates are multiplexed on a high-speed link using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). They derive bounds for the distribution of the number of buffer places occupied at an arbitrary instant when the phases of the periodic cell streams are chosen at random. The upper bound allows the multiplex to be dimensioned to attain a desired low cell loss probability. Approximate formulae allowing rapid calculation of the bounds for any traffic mix are shown to have excellent accuracy and can thus be used for dimensioning studies