User-perceived performance of Web-browsing and interactive data inHFC cable access networks

摘要

Using analysis and simulation, we study the performance ofWeb-browsing and interactive data applications as perceived by the usersof shared packet access networks. We use end-to-end page delays tocharacterise the user experience, and introduce a measure calledequivalent circuit rate (ECR). The ECR for a user of a shared packetaccess network is the dedicated access circuit bit rate required toachieve the same user experience. Our analysis uses a simple closedqueueing network model. The theoretical results agree well withsimulations of TCP-based Web browsing workloads sharing an HFC cabledata channel. We show that the mean page delay, ECR, and the number ofusers that can be supported are described using simple parameters thatscale very well for different user and network rates. Our work alsoprovides an effective comparison of shared and dedicated access at theapplication level