Cell-level simulation has been widely used in studying the dynamic behavior of ATM networks. Furthermore, due to its large amount of computation, researchers must investigate the approaches to employ parallel and/or distributed computing methods to shorten the time for simulation executions. However, the current cell-level modeling technique requires very frequent communication, which will inevitably degrade the performance of the simulator on a distributed platform. In this paper, we propose a scheme to minimize the communication frequency between different modules of a distributed simulator, while maintaining its high level of accuracy and eciency. A prototype has been constructed, and a series of experiments were conducted for performance study.

This thesis is a product of the research I’ve done during 1997–1998. The research was conducted within the COST 257 project funded by Nokia Telecommunications, Sonera and Tekes. First of all, I want to take this opportunity to thank Prof. Jorma Virtamo for giving me the opportunity to start my postgraduate studies under his supervision. The report at hand here is one milestone on my struggle towards the Ph.D. degree and it would not have been possible without the expertise, helpfulness and patience of Prof. Jorma Virtamo. Also, special thanks go to Ph.D. Samuli Aalto for his invaluable advice and encouragement during the whole process of writing this thesis. The staff of the laboratory (past and present) also deserve their share of the thanks. The friendly and relaxed atmosphere in the lab has helped in making the concept of work seem less “serious”. Last but not least, I want to thank my beloved Minna and my family for their continuous support and love.