Reviewof Simulationtoolsfor WMN

Review of
Simulation Tools for

Wireless Mesh Network
Piotr Owczarek
Piotr Owczarek Review of Simulation Tools for 1

1. Introduction
2. Main methods of evaluation for routing protocols
3. Advantages and drawbacks of the use of simulators
4. The most popular simulation tools for WMN
5. Description of selected simulation tools for WMN
6. Additional tools for simulation purposes
7. Comparison of network simulation tools
8. Summary – What to choose?
Appendix - Simulator software availability and licensing
Plan of the presentation

Piotr Owczarek Review of Simulation Tools for
Wireless Mesh Network 2
o Wireless Mesh Networks has become one of key technologies for
providing increased network coverage of Internet infrastructures
o Development process in WMN is typically split into evaluations by

simulation and testing prototype in a test-bed
o In case of WMN as compared to traditional wireless networks

there is additional challenge due to mobility of clients
1. Introduction
2. Main methods of evaluation for
routing protocols
o Theoretical Analysis
o Use mathematical models to evaluate the network performance
o Simulations
o Models virtual environment to help verify new ideas or compare proposed
solutions
o Emulation
o Hybrid study enviroment consisting of real and simulated, virtual part
o Virtualization
o Enables running virtual hosts for testing on one host system
o Real Testbeds
o Real environment (prototype implementation) for studying network
protocols and to conduct experiments

routing protocols
Method
Property
Theoretical
Simulation Emulation Virtualization Real Testbed
analysis
Repeatability - High Low Low Poor
Controllability High High Middle Middle Poor
Maintainability - High Middle Middle Poor
Scenario creation - Simple Middle Middle Complex
Scalability - High Middle Middle Low
Duration - Variable Real-Time Real-Time Real-Time
Cost - Low Middle Middle High

routing protocols
3. Advantages and drawbacks of
the use of simulators
 Easy to expand network
topologies due to high
scalability of simulation  There is no one
applications standardized simulation
 Simulation process is tool that would allow to
easy to maintain compare simulation
 It is the most common results between different
way of developing and projects
testing new routing
protocols

 Testing cost relatively
small  Results can differ from
 Results have high real world because of
repeatability abstracted PHY layer
 Full control of simulation modeling
process  Results can depend on
 Easy process of scenario implementation of
preparing and data simulation software
collecting

4. The most popular simulation
tools for WMN
oNS-2 – The Network Simulator v.2
oNS-3 – The Network Simulator v.3
oOPNET – Optimized Network Engineering Tool
oOMNET++ - Optical Micro-Networks ++
oQualNet - QualNet® communications simulation platform
oGloMoSim - Global Mobile Information System Simulator

tools for WMN
oj-sim - J-Sim Wireless Extension
oopenWNS - Open Source Wireless Network Simulator
oSSFNET - Scalable Simulation Framework Network Model
oREAL – The Real Network Simulator
oGTNetS - The Georgia Tech Network Simulator

tools for WMN
5. Description of selected
simulation tools for WMN
NS-2
First release 1996-97
End of project date 2011
Programming language Tcl, Object TCL (OTcl)
Enviroment GNU/Linux,
FreeBSD,
Solaris,
MacOS X,
Windows under Cygwin
License Free, GNU General Public License.
Download available http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/ns-build.html
Support for WMN WiMsh Library
User Interface Command line, text editor
NS-3
First release 2006
End of project date -
Programming language C++, Python
FreeBSD,
MacOS X,
Optionally Windows/Cygwin,
Windows Visual Studio 2012
License Free, GNU GPLv2 license
Download available http://www.nsnam.org/releases/
Support for WMN Mesh NetDevice, WifiNetDevice
User Interface Command line, text editor
Additional Tools o Scenario generator
o Ns-2 setdest
o BonnMotion
o Topology generator
o Orbis
o Inet
o NS-3 Topology generator
o NetAnim
OPNET
First release Data N/A
Programming C++
language
Enviroment Windows,
Red Hat Linux,
Fedora Linux
License Commercial
Download available Only Trial version after registration
Support for WMN The OPNET Modeler Wireless Suite
for simulating wireless networks
User Interface GUI, XML Scenarios
OMNET++
First release 2000
Programming language C++
MacOS X,
Windows
License Free for academic and educational
use. Commercial use requires a
commercial license from SimulCraft
Inc, www.omnest.com.
Download available http://www.omnetpp.org/omnetpp/c
at_view/17-downloads/1-omnet-
releases
Support for WMN VirtualMesh,
User Interface GUI, Eclipse Based
QualNet
First release 1999
Enviroment Windows
CentOS Linux,
Red Hat Enterprise Linux,
Ubuntu Linux
License Commercial
Download available Only after Scalable Network
Technologies training or as Managed
Evaluation (30 day evaluation
license). Education Program also
available.
Support for WMN Wireless Library, Advanced Wireless
Library, Custom Libraries
User Interface GUI
GloMoSim
First release
End of project date
Programming language Parsec, C based
Enviroment Linux,
FreeBSD,
Solaris,
Windows
License Open Source License
Download available http://ubuntuone.com/p/kXS/
Support for WMN Partial with custom libraries
User Interface Command line, GUI with external tools
j-sim
First release 2001
End of project 2006
date
Programming Java, TCL
language
Enviroment Windows,
Linux
License Open Source License
Download https://sites.google.com/site/jsimofficial/
available downloads
Support for WMN Custom libraries
User Interface Command Line, GUI with additional Libary
SSFNet
First release 1998
Programming C++, Java
language
Enviroment SunOS,
FreeBSD,
Linux,
Windows
License GNU General Public License
Download http://www.ssfnet.org/
available dmlImplementations.html
Support for WMN Some custom libraries
User Interface Command Line, Java Based GUI
openWNS
First release
End of project date
Programming C++
language
Enviroment Ubuntu Linux,
Windows with Cygwin
License GNU General Public License
Download http://www.openwns.org/Wiki/Download
available
Support for WMN Wireless Library
User Interface Command Line, GUI Editor, External GUI
GTNets
First release
Enviroment Linux,
FreeBSD,
OsX,
SunOS,
Windows
License GNU Public License
Download available http://www.ece.gatech.edu/research/labs/MANI
ACS/GTNetS/downloads.html
Support for WMN Simple mesh library
User Interface Command Line, Visual Studio Framework for
Windows
REAL
First release 1988

Programming language C
Enviroment SunOS,
FreeBSD,
Linux
License Free for Academic Use
Download available http://www.cs.cornell.edu/skeshav/real/
overview.html
Support for WMN Some custom libraries
User Interface Command Line, Java Based GUI
6. Additional tools for simulation
purposes
npart
o Tool for generation of wireless
network topologies
o Uses novel nodes placement
algorithm (NPART) which is able to
place wireless nodes in more
realistic way
o Based on real topologies - Berlin
and Leipzig roofnets
o Results can be exported as NS-2
formatted file or plain text
o Java based – easy to install and
use on different platforms
6. Additional tools for

simulation purposes
BRITE Topology Generator
o Tool for generating topologies, written
in Java and C++
o Universal, topologies generated can
be used in different tools like SSFNet,
NS, JavaSim OmNet++, etc.
o Provides GUI for better user
experience
o Supports multiple generation models
including models for flat AS, flat
Router and hierarchical topologies.
Models can be enhanced by assigning
links attributes such as bandwidth
and delay
simulation purposes
GT-ITM
o Georgia Tech Internetwork
Topology Models
o Can be used to create flat random
graphs and two types of
hierarchical graphs, the N-level and
transit-stub
o Topologies can be used in NS2 after
conversion in sgb2ns software
o With GT-ITM TOOLS FOR
OMNET++ topologies can be used
in OmNet++

simulation purposes
More Topology Generators
 Tiers Topology Generator
 Inet Topology Generator

simulation purposes
7. Comparison of network
simulation tools
OMNET++
OpenWNS
GloMoSim
QualNet
GTNets
SSFNet
OPNET
REAL
JSim
NS2
NS3
Interface C++/OT C++/ C/C++ C++ Parsec Parsec Java C++/Ja C++ C++ C
cl Python (C) va
Graphical No Limited Yes Yes Yes Limited Yes Limited Yes Yes Yes
Support
Parallelism No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
(disREAL)
Scalability Small Large Medium Large Very Large Small Very Large Large Large
Large Large (disREAL)
Documentation Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Good Poor Poor Good Poor Good Poor
and user
support
Extendibility Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Good Excellent Good
Emulation Limited Yes Not Limited Yes Not Yes Not Limited Yes Not direct
direct direct direct
7. Comparison of network
simulation tools
Number of articles published in the years 2000-2013 using
the selected simulation tools
(Wireless Networks only )
70 Wiley 350 IEEE
60 300
50 250
40 200
MESH
30 150 Ad-Hoc
20 100 Sensor
10 50
0 0
600 Springer 800 Elsevier

700
500
600
400
500
300
400
200 300
200
100
100
0
0

0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
ns-2
ns-2
ns-3
ns-3
openWNS openWNS
OPNET OPNET
OMNET++ OMNET++
QualNet QualNet
GloMoSim GloMoSim
j-sim j-sim
HASE III HASE III
Comnet III Comnet III
CSIM CSIM
SimJava
SimJava
JiST
JiST
SSFNET
SSFNET
REAL
REAL
IEEE
Wiley
GtnetS
GtnetS
Books
Journals and magazines
Conference publications
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
(2000-2013)
0
50
100
200
250
150
ns-2
ns-2 ns-3
ns-3 openWNS
openWNS
OPNET
OPNET
OMNET++
OMNET++
QualNet
QualNet
GloMoSim
GloMoSim
Piotr Owczarek
j-sim j-sim
HASE III HASE III
Comnet III Comnet III
CSIM CSIM
SimJava SimJava
JiST JiST
SSFNET SSFNET
REAL
REAL
GtnetS
GtnetS
Elsevier
Springer
Books

Books

Number of publications on WMN using selected simulators
Review of Simulation Tools for

33
8. Summary
 General capabilities
◦ Flexibility, available models, re-use
◦ Which specific problem / class of problems do I want to tackle?
◦ Which orders of magnitude for simulation size?
 Hardware/software considerations
◦ Which OS is available / needed?
◦ Which compilers etc.?
 Graphical facilities
◦ Educational / scientific purpose?
 Statistical features
◦ Tracing vs. inline statistics
 Ease of use, documentation, support
◦ How many languages do I have to learn?
 Output reports and plots
 What do the others in my community use?
8. Summary – What to choose?

Simulation Software Web Site License Type
NS2 http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/ns-build.html GNU Public License

NS3 http://www.nsnam.org/releases/ Free, GNU GPLv2 license
OPNET http://www.opnet.com/ Commercial
OMNET++ http://www.omnetpp.org/omnetpp/cat_view/17-downloads/1-omnetreleases Academic Public License
QualNet http://web.scalable-networks.com/content/qualnet Commercial
GloMoSim http://ubuntuone.com/p/kXS/ Academic Public License
J-Sim https://sites.google.com/site/jsimofficial/downloads Open Source License
SSFNet http://www.ssfnet.org/dmlImplementations.html GNU General Public License
openWNS
GTNets http://www.ece.gatech.edu/research/labs/MANIACS/GTNetS/downloads.html GNU General Public License
REAL http://www.cs.cornell.edu/skeshav/real/overview.html Free for Academic Use
Appendix - Simulator software

availability and licensing

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Review of

Simulation Tools for

Piotr Owczarek Review of Simulation Tools for 1

Appendix - Simulator software availability and licensing

Plan of the presentation

o Development process in WMN is typically split into evaluations by

o In case of WMN as compared to traditional wireless networks

2. Main methods of evaluation for

Controllability High High Middle Middle Poor

Maintainability - High Middle Middle Poor

Scenario creation - Simple Middle Middle Complex

Scalability - High Middle Middle Low

Duration - Variable Real-Time Real-Time Real-Time

Cost - Low Middle Middle High

2. Main methods of evaluation for

3. Advantages and drawbacks of

3. Advantages and drawbacks of

4. The most popular simulation

4. The most popular simulation

First release 1988

6. Additional tools for

6. Additional tools for

6. Additional tools for

600 Springer 800 Elsevier

7. Comparison of network simulation tools

Journals and magazines

Wireless Mesh Network

7. Comparison of network simulation tools

Review of Simulation Tools for

8. Summary – What to choose?

NS2 http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/ns-build.html GNU Public License

OPNET http://www.opnet.com/ Commercial

OMNET++ http://www.omnetpp.org/omnetpp/cat_view/17-downloads/1-omnetreleases Academic Public License

QualNet http://web.scalable-networks.com/content/qualnet Commercial

GloMoSim http://ubuntuone.com/p/kXS/ Academic Public License

J-Sim https://sites.google.com/site/jsimofficial/downloads Open Source License

SSFNet http://www.ssfnet.org/dmlImplementations.html GNU General Public License

GTNets http://www.ece.gatech.edu/research/labs/MANIACS/GTNetS/downloads.html GNU General Public License

REAL http://www.cs.cornell.edu/skeshav/real/overview.html Free for Academic Use

Appendix - Simulator software

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