Evaluating Downside Risks in Reliable Networks

Abstract

Reliable networks are those in which network elements have a positive probability of failing. Conventional performance measures for such networks concern themselves either with expected network performance or with the performance of the network when it is performing well. In reliable networks modelling critical functions, decision makers are often more concerned with network performance when the network is not performing well. This paper studies the single-source single-destination maximum flow problem through reliable networks and proposes two risk measures to evaluate such downside performance.