Traffic engineering operations for the ACCUNET packet service network

1PSS packet switches have been deployed across the continental United States to provide the ACCUNET packet service (APS). The authors describe the operations environment that provides traffic-engineering support functions for the 1PSS network. Methods and procedures used for traffic data collection, service evaluation, forecasting and planning are described. It is concluded that centralization of traffic-engineering operations makes global functions such as network servicing and planning possible. The traffic-engineering functions supply the user with many levels of detail, from reports that only identify overloaded components to reports that describe detailed engineering changes. These functions help the network engineer to minimize network costs and provide the desired levels of service