Burst ratio in a single-server queue

In contemporary packet networks, the possibility of packet loss is a negative, but inevitable aspect of the network design. One of the most important characteristics of the packet loss process is the burst ratio—a characteristic describing the tendency of losses to occur in long series, one after another. In this paper, we study the burst ratio in the queueing system with the finite buffer for packets. This is motivated by the fact, that most packet losses in wired networks occur due to queueing of packets in routers, and overflowing routers’ buffers. We firstly derive the exact formula for the burst ratio. Then we study its behaviour as the buffer size grows, and obtain a simplified formula for large buffers. Thirdly, we present numerical results for different system parameterizations as well as the comparison with simulation results. Then we show results of measurements of the burst ratio in the networking laboratory. Finally, we draw conclusions on the influence (or lack of it) of several factors on the burst ratio.