A multi-state computer network within transmission error rate and time constraints

Abstract

Under the assumption that each edge capacity of the network is deterministic, the quickest path problem is to find a path that sends a specific amount of data from the source to the target such that the transmission time is minimized. In many real-time networks such as computer networks, each edge should have stochastic capacity and a transmission error rate. Such a network is called a multi-state computer network. Therefore, within transmission error rate and time, we try to compute the probability that d units of data can be sent through the multi-state computer network. Such a probability called as system reliability, which is a performance indicator provides managers with an understanding of the capability of the system and indicates possible improvements. This article mainly proposes an efficient algorithm to evaluate the system reliability in terms of the approach of minimal paths.