Performance analysis of deflection routing multichannel-metropolitan area networks

The authors evaluate the performance of two different network architectures, implementing multichannel metropolitan area networks (M-MANs). Deflection routing, no internal storage, and a high connectivity degree are the main characteristics of regular networks built by interconnecting small-size multichannel nodes. Analytical models have been developed for network architectures with a connectivity degree equal to four: the bidirectional Manhattan street network (BMSN) and the shuffle net (SN). The authors evaluate the performance under uniform traffic distribution and also under the realistic assumption that the user's attachments to network nodes are equipped with input and output buffers. The performances under investigation are throughput, average delay, and packet loss. The availability of an analytical model makes it possible to investigate the performance of networks with a large number of nodes. The strong and weak points of the two M-MAN architectures are pointed out in the discussion of the results.<>