The Effects of Multiplexing on a Computer-Communications System

A study is made of the way in which asynchronous
time division multiplexing changes the stochastic 
nature of the arrival process from a user to the computer
and, consequently, affects the performance 
of a time-shared computer-communications system.  It is
concluded that while, for certain values of system 
parameters, there is noticeable improvement in the
performance of the computer (model), in the sense 
that time-shared scheduling delays are reduced, these
improvements are offset by the transmission delays 
imposed by multiplexing so that there may be little or
no change in the computer-communications system 
performance.  Analytical and simulation results are
based on the model of the computer-communications 
system being an M/D/1 queue (the multiplexor) in tandem
with a single exponential server (the computer). 
 Analytical results include a general description of the
output process of an M/D/1 queue and the conditions 
under which this output process is approximately Poisson.

CACM March, 1973

Pack, C. D.

computer communications, time-sharing, multiplexing,
scheduling algorithms, operating systems

3.80 3.81 6.20

CA730304 JB January 24, 1978  11:13 AM

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