A perspective on the analytical performance evaluation of multilayered communication protocol architectures

Several approaches to quantitatively evaluating the effects of multiple layers of protocol and the associated processing overheads are discussed. Performance models that are made up of two or three layers are surveyed. Methodologies that are oriented toward a full seven-layer architecture are discussed. These methodologies include a hierarchical decomposition and aggregation method, a method of analysis based on formal specifications, and an iterative decomposition method based explicitly on a generic queuing network model. The comparative advantages of the methods are discussed.<>