Comparison of DQDB and FDDI MAC access protocols

Abstract

A comparison of the MAC access protocols of the IEEE 802.6 DQDB MAN and FDDI standards is presented. The results are derived from simulation studies, and verified by analytical approximations. The comparison is based on average packet access delays of nodes on DQDB and FDDI networks. By setting the available bandwidth of the two networks to be equal, the authors draw broad conclusions regarding the relative strengths and weaknesses of each protocol. The results show the relative effect of varying various network parameters such as token rotation time, geographic size of the network, number of stations and total bandwidth on packet delay for the two protocols.<>