A Modeling Perspective For Meteor Burst Communication

This paper describes the design and development of a methodology to analyze Meteor Burst Communication (MBC) networks. A decision support system was developed that provides a simulation model for any single or multiple-link MBC network. This model runs on a micro-computer and consists of two distinct components. The first component uses engineering parameters to compute intermediate queueing characteristics used by a discrete event simulation component. The simulation component provides point estimates for throughput, message delay, and resource utilization in tabular and graphical form. The MBC process is shown to be a M/G/1 queue with server vacations. Analytical equations and empirical data were both used to validate the MBC performance model. The modeling perspective presented in this research represents a new and robust method for analyzing MBC networks. Adaptive message routing, flood routing, and priority message traffic are discussed. By separating the engineering parameters of the MBC network from the simulation code, portability, ease of use, and conceptual simplicity was achieved. This research demonstrates the successful marriage of complex communication system engineering with queueing theory and simulation models to produce a highly productive analysis tool.