A realistic model for self-similar Ethernet LAN traffic in SimATM-an ATM network simulator: design and performance implications

This paper presents a realistic model for Ethernet LAN traffic that takes into account the network constraints. The design of the model is presented along with a brief description of SimATM, an ATM network simulator developed at UNICAMP. The resulting self-similar model is compared with real network data from Bellcore Ethernet traffic measurements. Results of simulations with synthetic traffic traces are presented for a simple ATM network. These results clearly indicate that simple Poisson traffic models underestimate real network losses by several orders of magnitude.