Performance analysis of output buffers in multistage interconnection networks with multiple paths

Multistage interconnection networks with multiple paths can support higher bandwidth than those of non-blocking networks by passing multiple packets to the same destination simultaneously. In the multiple path networks, the performance of the output buffer affects the whole system performance and is closely coupled with the output traffic distribution i.e. the packet arrival rate at each output link destined to a given output module. Many multiple path networks produce the nonuniform output traffic distribution even if the input traffic pattern is random and uniform. In this paper, performances of the output buffers for several multiple path networks are investigated by our proposed analysis model. It is shown that the output traffic distributions are different with the various multiple path networks and the output buffer performance such as packet loss probability and delay gets better as nonuniformity of the output traffic distribution becomes higher.