A Queueing Network Analysis of Dynamic Recon-figurability in a Hierarchical Information Network

Using a queueing network model of a hierarchical information network, we compare the effect of limited dynamic reconfiguration on expected transmission delays. Two distinctive features characterize the queueing network model. First, the assignment of a set of weights to the nodes dependent on the hierarchical level reflects the increasing importance of information as it is transferred to higher levels. Second, the dynamic hierarchy requires a communications protocol that partitions the analysis of network delay into three periods: regular operation, reconfiguration, and adjustment. Characterization of the performance of the dynamic hierarchy entails the description of message transmission delay as a composite of the three periods.