Tuesday, June 23 8:30 - 12:00 Track 2
Application of Parallel Simulation to Large (Wireless) Networks
R. Bagrodia and M. Gerla, UCLA
A number of protocols and algorithms are being designed for large
networks, including wireless, wirelined, and integrated
networks. Asis well known, such protocols are complex to design,
evaluate and implement. Their performance depends on a
combination of factors that include traffic patterns, mobility models,
application objectives (e.g., maximize throughput, minimize
noise/loss), processor characteristics (cpu speed, load), and radio
characteristics (bandwidth, power). Evaluation of the
protocol as a function of these diverse parameters is analytically
intractable. Given the complexity of the radio environment,
sequential simulation of networks with thousands of nodes requires
several days, and perhaps, even weeks. To make the
design more interactive, it is imperative to reduce the turnaround time
for the models. The goal of this tutorial is to describe a
simulation environment for very large mobile wireless networks and
present some representative case studies. The primary
emphasis of the tutorial is on presenting the use of Maisie for parallel
simulation of large network models. The primary sources
of overhead in the parallel execution of these models will be discussed
together with methods to reduce their impact. Common
pitfalls encountered in the design of parallel simulation models will be
discussed. We will also describe techniques to port
simulation models to protocol implementations. Finally, a number of case
studies will be presented to highlight the lessons that
have been learned.