Practical "what-if?" modeling for resource management of corporate voice-data networks

To design, develop and validate resource allocation algorithms and configuration data for corporate networks, realistic scenarios need to be modeled and experiments carried out. This requires the use of accelerated simulation modeling tools. This paper describes a selective, multi- level approach to structuring simulation models of telecommunications networks. The multiple level range from cell/packet, burst, and call/transaction levels to recurrent trends above the call level. The appropriate range of levels being modeled is selected according to the conditions of the simulation, or the requirements of the scenario. The selective approach ensures that modeling accuracy is maintained where, and when, it is needed. Experimental results show that selective multi-level modeling gives sufficient speed increase so that large networks can be modeled within reasonable computation times. This approach forms the basis of a structure for accelerated modeling tools for evaluating corporate telecommunication network scenarios. Experimentation with such tools enables planners to configure corporate networks for service provision scenarios in order to make best use of the expensive transmission resources.