Modeling Internet backbone traf c at the ow level

— Our goal is to design a traf c model for non congested Internet backbone links, which is simple enough to be used in network operation, while being as general as possible. The proposed solution is to model the traf c at the ow level by a Poisson shot-noise process. In our model, a ow is a generic notion that must be able to capture the characteristics of any kind of data stream. We analyze the accuracy of the model with real traf c traces collected on the Sprint IP (Internet Protocol) backbone network. Despite its simplicity, our model provides a good approximation of the real traf c observed in the backbone and of its variation. Finally, we discuss the application of our model to network design and dimensioning. Index Terms— Traf c modeling, Poisson shot noise, noncongested IP backbone links, measurements.