A close look at traffic measurements from packet networks

A challenge in the traffic management of emerging networks is to describe, analyze and control their complex traffic flows in ways that can be applied in practice. Our approach to this problem starts with collection and analysis of high-resolution traffic traces from working networks; models that can accurately and adequately describe these complex flows are devised, which then lead to the development of appropriate and practical traffic management methods. This paper takes a close look at network traffic measurements based on our experiences analyzing a large number of traffic traces collected from a wide range of technologies including Ethernet, ISDN packet, CCS, Internet, frame relay and ATM. We give an overview of lessons learned regarding actual traffic patterns in various packet networks, discussing aggregate network traffic and individual connection traffic, and traffic characteristics found in various protocol layers such as user, link layer, and service; we point out various factors that can impact the observed traffic characteristics. We use real examples to discuss the impacts of equipment and protocol implementations on network traffic patterns.