Analysis of Traffic Flow Within a Naval Communication Station.

A study of the message traffic flow at a Naval Communication Station was conducted on two days to determine the percentage of traffic following certain paths within the station, and the characteristics of those paths with regard to traffic volume, precedence, time in house, peak loading periods, and length. Incoming and outgoing messages were matched and sorted by computer. Analysis revealed that the main flow of traffic was incoming on AUTODIN and outgoing on other circuits; approximately 95% of the traffic went out on only one type of channel with little duplication within type of channel; duplication between terminations and broadcasts was minimal; and conflicting results were obtained on variation between path characteristics. Further testing using the described computer program is recommended to provide a broader base for conclusions.