Introduction to Queueing Networks

Queueing networks are a long-established aspect of communications systems, which have become particularly important with the growth of digital communications and the increased use of computers in all areas of the communications industry. Although they are so important, the practical applications of mathematical queueing theory to data communications systems and networks are rarely discussed at an introductory level. However, in this book the authors set out to do just this. There is a clear introduction to mathematical queueing theory, concentrating on those aspects which have direct applications in communications systems. Both deterministic and probabilistic approaches are discussed in the context of a variety of applications and networks, such as systems with limited storage capacity, the flow through a network, and Jackson and BCMP networks. Each chapter concludes with a series of examples and exercises, and an annotated bibliography, while an appendix at the end of the book lists formulae which the reader may wish to put to practical use.