Modelling apparatus and method

An apparatus for processing a model of a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including a plurality of network elements through which communications terminals can communicate data, the apparatus comprising a data processor and a memory, the data processor being arranged

• to represent data communications sessions generated by the communications devices in accordance with a traffic profile,
• to represent a processing performed by the network elements as the data is transmitted to and received from the communications devices in accordance with the traffic profile,
• to divide the network elements of the telecommunications network into a plurality of different groups,
• for a first of the group of network elements being modelled, to process computer program code representing a first group of network elements being modelled into the memory and executing the computer program to model the first group of network elements within a first time period,
• to determine an amount of network services consumed by a loading on one or more interfaces between the first group of network elements and at least one of the other groups of network elements during the first time period, and
• for a subsequent time period, to represent the first group of network elements by the amount of network services consumed on the one or more interfaces with the other group of network elements determined within the first time period, whilst loading into the memory computer program code for modelling a second group of the network elements and executing the computer program to model the second group of network elements within the subsequent time period.