Application of petri nets to communication networks

Petri nets offer a mathematically defined technique for the specification, design, analysis, verification and performance evaluation of concurrent distributed systems. They offer not only precise semantics and a theoretical foundation, but also a graphical form that facilitates the understanding of both information and control flow within the same formalism. As an intuitively appealing graphical form of presentation, Petri nets are the model of choice in various applications. Communications networks, ranging from traditional telecommunication systems to advanced Internet-based information services, are inherently distributed and comprise systems with concurrently operating components. This volume presents a selection of the latest advances in the use of Petri nets for the modeling, analysis and management of communication networks and systems in the broadest sense of these terms.