Loss Clustering at MSP Buffer

Packet losses cause a decline in the performance of packet networks, and this decline is related not only to the percentage of losses but also to the clustering of them together in series. We study how the correlation of packet sizes influences this clustering when the losses are caused by buffer overflows. Specifically, for a model of a buffer with correlated packet sizes, we derive the burst ratio parameter, an intuitive metric for the inclination of losses to cluster. In addition to the burst ratio, we obtain the sequential losses distribution in the first, k-th, and stationary overflow periods. The Markovian Service Process (MSP) used by the model empowers it to mimic arbitrary packet size distributions and arbitrary correlation strengths. Using numeric examples, the impact of packet size correlation, buffer size, and traffic intensity on the burst ratio is showcased and discussed.