Videoconferencing on a LAN/MAN architecture: service evaluation and system dimensioning

In this paper, we evaluate the possibility to offer videoconference service to a large community of users dispersed on a Metropolitan Area, reserving investments and pre-existent devices. For such a purpose, we developed a dimensioning methodology for traditional packet switched networks and applied this methodology to the design and dimensioning of an interconnected LAN/MAN system providing the videoconference service. The method allows a separate dimensioning of each subnetwork in the LAN/MAN system. Real videoconferencing tools using different compression schemes are used as traffic sources, thus allowing a comparative analysis of impact of different coded video streams on the network performances.