Simulation Based Improvement Study of Overprovisioned IP Backbone Network

Abstract

This study provides an insight into the issues involved in the use of computer simulation for improvement
of existing IP backbone network operations and management. Most existing IP backbone networks have the problem of
being difficult to operate and manage because of the bandwidth overprovision approach that was used for their
construction. Simulation is relatively a new technology that is key to design and analysis of communication networks. Not
only is it useful for preliminary study of protocols and network applications, it can reveal unexpected system dynamics.
Generally, a good network simulator which comprises a wide range of networking technologies and protocols for
building complex networks from basic building blocks is essential. In this paper, the traffic data obtained as a result of
diverse measurements and analysis from previous studies were used to develop a simulation model of a single hop
subnetwork of the Sprints IP backbone network in Riverbed Modeler environment. The simulation results and its analysis
revealed a definite change in the performance characteristics of the transmission link which signified an improvement of
network operations.