IT 304 Computer Networks

Fundamentals
Week 1-Lecture 3

Introduction 1-1
Today’s lecture

• Internet • Cont.. performance metrics

• Big picture View
• Service view
• Components of a network
• Edge, access and core
• Performance metrics
Host: sends packets of data
host sending function:
 takes application message
 breaks into smaller chunks, two packets,
L bits each
known as packets, of length L
bits
 transmits packet into access
network at transmission rate R 2 1

• link transmission rate, aka R: link transmission rate

link capacity, aka link host
bandwidth

time needed to
= L (bits)
transmit L-bit
packet into link R (bits/sec)
Introduction 1-3
Packet-switching: store-and-forward

L bits
per packet

3 2 1
source destination
R bps R bps

• takes L/R seconds to transmit one-hop numerical example:

(push out) L-bit packet into
link at R bps  L = 7.5 Mbits
 R = 1.5 Mbps
• store and forward: entire
packet must arrive at router  one-hop transmission
before it can be transmitted delay = 5 sec
on next link
 end-end delay = 2L/R (assuming more on delay shortly …
zero propagation delay) Introduction 1-4
What are the main components of delay when we use packet switching?
 Processing delay
 queuing delay
 transmission delay
 propagation delay
 Four sources of packet delay
C
transmission
A propagation

D
B
nodal
processing queueing

dnodal = dproc + dqueue + dtrans + dprop

dtrans: transmission delay: func(L, R) dprop: propagation delay: func(d)

 L: packet length (bits)  d: length of physical link
 R: link bandwidth (bps)  s: propagation speed (~2x108 m/sec)
 dtrans = L/R dtrans and dprop  dprop = d/s
very different
* Check out the online interactive exercises for more examples:
1-6
Four sources of packet delay
transmission
A propagation

B
nodal
processing queueing

dnodal = dproc + dqueue + dtrans + dprop

dproc: nodal processing dqueue: queueing delay

 check bit errors  time waiting at output link for
transmission
 determine output link  depends on congestion level of
 typically < msec router

Introduction 1-7
Queueing delay

average queueing
• R: link bandwidth (bps)

delay
• L: packet length (bits)
• a: average packet arrival
rate
traffic intensity
= La/R
 La/R ~ 0: avg. queueing delay small La/R ~ 0

 La/R -> 1: avg. queueing delay large

 La/R > 1: more “work” arriving
than can be serviced, average delay infinite!

La/R -> 1
* Check online interactive animation on queuing and loss
Introduction 1-8
Delay factor contributions to Total Delay
• dprop
• for a link connecting two routers on the same university campus  negligible
• for two routers interconnected by a satellite link(100s km)  100+ milliseconds
• dtrans
• > bandwidths (10 Mbps and higher)  negligible [more bits/sec]
• If large Internet packets sent over low-speed dial-up modem links  hundreds of milliseconds
.
• dproc is often negligible
• Super fast routers
Propagation delay is defined as the time taken Tranmission delay is a function of
for bits in a packet to go over a transmission A. Distance
link. B. Speed of light in a medium
A. True C. Bandwidth
B. False D. Packet size

Propagation delay is a function of

A. Distance
B. Bandwidth
C. Packet size
D. Speed of light in a medium
 # dtrans #dprop
Total delay =

# dtrans #dprop
Total delay =

dEnd-End =N(dproc + dqueue + dtrans + dprop)

Packet Switching: queueing delay, loss

R = 100 Mb/s C
A
D
R = 1.5 Mb/s
B
queue of packets E
waiting for output link

queuing and loss:

 if arrival rate (in bits) to link exceeds transmission rate of link for a period of time:
• packets will queue, wait to be transmitted on link
• packets can be dropped (lost) if memory (buffer) fills up

Introduction 1-12
How do loss and delay occur?
packets queue in router buffers
 packet arrival rate to link (temporarily) exceeds output link
capacity
 packets queue, wait for turn
packet being transmitted (delay)

B
packets queueing (delay)
free (available) buffers: arriving packets
dropped (loss) if no free buffers
Introduction 1-13
 Packet loss
• queue (aka buffer) preceding link in buffer has finite
capacity
• packet arriving to full queue dropped (aka lost)
• lost packet may be retransmitted by previous node, by
source end system, or not at all

buffer
(waiting area) packet being transmitted
A

B
packet arriving to
full buffer is lost
* Check out the Java applet for an interactive Introduction
animation on queuing and loss 1-14
Throughput

• throughput: rate (bits/time unit) at which bits

transferred between sender/receiver
• instantaneous: rate at given point in time
• average: rate over longer period of time

server,
server withbits
sends linkpipe
capacity
that can carry linkpipe
capacity
that can carry
file of into
(fluid) F bits
pipe fluid at rate
Rs bits/sec fluid at rate
R bits/sec
to send to client c
Rs bits/sec) Rc bits/sec)

Introduction 1-15
If four routers are separated by 10km, but with different capacity optical
fibre cables, which delay component will be constant and which one will
vary?
A. dprop constant, dtrans varying
B. dprop varying, dtrans varying
C. dprop varying, dtrans constant
D. dprop constant, dtrans constant
Throughput (more)
• Rs < Rc What is average end-end throughput?

Rs bits/sec Rc bits/sec

 Rs > Rc What is average end-end throughput?

Rs bits/sec Rc bits/sec

bottleneck
link
link on end-end path that constrains end-end throughput
Introduction 1-17
Throughput: Internet scenario

• per-connection end-
end throughput: Rs
min(Rc,Rs,R/10) Rs Rs
• in practice: Rc or Rs is
often bottleneck R

Rc Rc

Rc

10 connections (fairly) share

backbone bottleneck link R bits/sec
Introduction 1-18
“Real” Internet delays and routes
• what do “real” Internet delay & loss look like?
• traceroute program: provides delay measurement
from source to router along end-end Internet path
towards destination. For all i:
• sends three packets that will reach router i on path
towards destination
• router i will return packets to sender
• sender times interval between transmission and reply.

3 probes 3 probes

3 probes

Introduction 1-19