A queueing model for a data station within the IEEE 802.6 MAN

Abstract

We devlop an exact queuing model for a station that operates within the IEEE 802.6 subnetwork of a metropolitan area network (MAN) is developed. The model reflects the station's perception of the subnetwork and it has been developed by mapping the media access control (MAC) protocol to a queuing service discipline. The model is a discrete-time single-server queue with two classes of customers served according to a quasi-gated discipline. The one class of customers represents the data packets generated by the station, while the other class represents the requests registered by the station. The model gives useful insight into the operation of the station and it can be used as a cornerstone module for analytical and/or simulation models of the whole IEEE 802.6 subnetwork.