Abstract

One important research area in the context of networking focuses on developing traffic models that can be applied to the Internet and, more generally, to any communication network. The interest in such models is twofold. First, traffic models are needed as an input in network simulations. In turn, these simulations must be performed in order to study and validate algorithms and protocols that can be applied to real traffic, and to analyze how traffic responds to particular network conditions (e.g., congestion). Thus, it is essential that the proposed models reflect as much as possible the relevant characteristics of the traffic it is supposed to represent. Second, a good traffic model may lead to a better understanding of the characteristics of the network traffic itself. This, in turn, can prove to be useful in designing routers and devices which handle network traffic.