Abstract
The paper describes a new network architecture, called the Versatile Network Architecture (/spl nu/-NET), which provides a framework for flexible support of communication requirements in real-time networks. /spl nu/-NET differs from other proposed architectures in that it has been designed to support a variety of packet scheduling algorithms and traffic policing mechanisms. In addition, we use simulations to validate /spl nu/-NET, providing an assessment of the correctness of the scheme in guaranteeing the real-time performance requirements of a wide range of multimedia applications and quantify and analyse the effects a variety of /spl nu/-channel traffic profiles, QoS requirements, and scheduling policies on the performances of the /spl nu/-NET.