ABSTRACT
One important research area in the context of networking focuses on developing trafc models that can be applied to the Internet and, more generally, to any communication network. The interest in such models is twofold. First, trafc models are needed as an input in network simulations. In turn, these simulations must be performed in order to study and validate algorithms and protocols that can be applied to real trafc, and to analyze how trafc responds to particular network conditions (e.g., congestion). Thus, it is essential that the proposed models reect as much as possible the relevant characteristics of the trafc it is supposed to represent. Second, a good trafc model may lead to a better understanding of the characteristics of the network trafc itself. This, in turn, can prove to be useful in designing routers and devices which handle network trafc.
