CS 326E Computer Networks - Packets, Routing, and Performance

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from the lecture on packets, routing, and network performance.

Packet Forwarding

The process of moving incoming packets from one point to another based on the destination address in the packet's header.

Routing

The determined path taken by packets from the source to the destination, using a routing algorithm.

Store-and-Forward

A mechanism where the entire packet must arrive before it can be transmitted to the next link.

Nodal Processing Delay

The time taken by a router to process incoming packets and prepare them for transmission.

Queueing Delay

The time a packet spends waiting in a queue before being transmitted on an output link.

Transmission Delay (dtrans)

The time required to push all the bits of a packet into the link, calculated as L/R, where L is packet length in bits and R is link transmission rate.

Propagation Delay (dprop)

The time taken for a bit to travel from the beginning of the link to the next hop, calculated as distance/speed.

Circuit Switching

A method of communication when dedicated resources are reserved for a call between the source and destination.

Packet Switching

A method allowing multiple users to share network resources simultaneously with some probability of packet loss.

Traffic Intensity (La/R)

A measure of network traffic, where La is the average packet arrival rate and R is the transmission rate.