Simulation Modelling of Multiservice Switched Networks Carrying Unicast and Multicast Traffic with Priorities

Abstract Today’s computer and telecommunications networks, irrespective of the technical solutions and technologies used to build them, are multi-service in nature. The modelling of networks and nodes in such networks is still an important research problem. The article presents the results of a simulation study of multi-service switching networks in which service-specific priorities are introduced. A specially developed and executed simulation programme was used to carry out the research. In the study, we considered the two most optimal placement of the switching elements performing the functions of multicast traffic splitting in a 3-stages Clos switching network. During the tests, it was assumed that the switching network supported a mixture of multiservice unicast and multicast traffic streams. The aim of the research conducted is to investigate the impact of the introduction of priorities on the loss probability of multicast traffic in a multiservice switching network. The results obtained from the simulation are presented on the graphs in the form of points with confidence intervals.