Internet traffic engineering is defined as that aspect of

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a ''internetworking, network of networks'' that consists ...

network

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

dealing with the issue of performance evaluation and performance optimization of operational

IP networks The Internet protocol suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, is a framework for organizing the set of communication protocols used in the Internet and similar computer networks according to functional criteria. The foundational protocols in the sui ...

. Traffic engineering encompasses the application of technology and scientific principles to the measurement, characterization, modeling, and control of Internet traffic FC-2702, AWD2 Enhancing the performance of an operational

network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

, at both traffic and resource levels, are major objectives of Internet engineering. This is accomplished by addressing traffic performance requirements, while utilizing network economically and reliably. Traffic oriented performance includes packet transfer delay,

packet delay variation In computer networking, packet delay variation (PDV) is the difference in end-to-end one-way delay between selected packets in a flow with any lost packets being ignored.RFC 3393 The effect is sometimes referred to as packet jitter, although th ...

packet loss Packet loss occurs when one or more packets of data travelling across a computer network fail to reach their destination. Packet loss is either caused by errors in data transmission, typically across wireless networks, or network congestion.Kur ...

, and

throughput Network throughput (or just throughput, when in context) refers to the rate of message delivery over a communication channel, such as Ethernet or packet radio, in a communication network. The data that these messages contain may be delivered ov ...

. An important objective of Internet traffic engineering is to facilitate reliable network operations FC-2702 This can be done by providing mechanisms that network integrity and by embracing policies emphasizing survivability. This results in a minimization of the network to service outages arising from errors, faults and failures occurring within the infrastructure. The Internet exists in order to transfer information from nodes to

destination node Destination may refer to: Music *Destination (group), a disco studio group from New York * ''Destination'' (Eloy album), 1992 * ''Destination'' (FictionJunction Yuuka album), 2005 * ''Destination'' (Ronan Keating album), 2002 * ''Destination'' (EP ...

s. Accordingly, one of the most crucial functions performed by the Internet is the routing of traffic

ingress node Ingress may refer to: Science and technology * Ingress (signal leakage), the passage of an outside signal into a coaxial cable * Ingress filtering, a computer network packet filtering technique * Ingress protection rating, a protection level t ...

s to egress nodes. Ultimately, it is the performance of the network as seen by network services that is truly paramount. This crucial function should be considered throughout the development of engineering mechanisms and policies. The characteristics visible to end users are the emergent properties of the network, which are characteristics of the network when viewed as a whole. A goal of the service provider, therefore, is to enhance the properties of the network while taking economic considerations into account. The importance of the above observation regarding the properties of networks is that special care must be taken when choosing network performance metrics to optimize. Optimizing the wrong metrics may achieve certain local objectives, but may have repercussions elsewhere.

References

*Abdel-Hameed Nawar, "E-Commerce" Lecture Notes, Cairo University, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Egypt, 2005. et al. * Internet architecture Emergence {{internet-stub