Utility based framework for optimal network measurement. Issue 1 (1st January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parker, Ben M.; Gilmour, Steven G.; Schormans, John
• Is Part Of: IET networks. Volume 4:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 10
• Page End: 20
• Publication Date: 2015-01-01
• Subjects: broadband networks -- correlation methods -- design of experiments -- measurement systems -- utility theory; utility based framework -- optimal network measurement -- packet level measurement -- loss performance -- delay performance -- broadband networks -- active measurement -- probe packets -- self‐interference -- sample‐correlation induced bias -- statistical principles -- design of experiments -- analytical technique -- sampling rate -- optimal probing rate; Computer network architectures -- Periodicals; Computer network protocols -- Periodicals; Information networks -- Periodicals; Telecommunication systems -- Periodicals; 004.605
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-net.2013.0014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2047-4954

Abstract

Abstract : Packet level measurement is now routinely used to evaluate the loss and delay performance of broadband networks. In active measurement, probe packets provide samples of the loss and delay and from these samples the performance of the traffic as a whole can be deduced. However this is prone to errors: inaccuracy due to taking insufficient samples, self‐interference due to injecting too many probe packets, and possible sample‐correlation induced bias. In this paper we consider the optimisation of probing rate by treating all measurements as numerical experiments which can be optimally designed by using the statistical principles of design of experiments. We develop an analytical technique that quantifies an overall utility function associated with: (i) the disruption caused per probe packet, (ii) the bias and (iii) the variance as a function of the probing (sampling) rate. Our numerical results show that the optimal probing rate depends strongly on what parameter the network engineer seeks to measure.