An open object-oriented simulation system for communications networks

Modeling and simulation can provide an important means for reducing the communications network design and engineering cycles, by helping to ensure that performance objectives are met and for developing effective control strategies to ensure efficient system operations and graceful degradation under system overload. The complexity of emerging systems and services has raised the problem of model reuse to a critical stage. We present an open, object-oriented simulation system for communications networks that is currently being developed at Monmouth University as an integral part of a larger integrated environment for modeling, analysis, simulation and engineering of computer/communications systems. A primary objective of the open simulation system is to promote the reuse and sharing of simulation models for communications networks and their components. Particular attention is paid to traffic generation models which are greatly increasing in their complexity. The system presented is designed to ease the transition in the future to a distributed simulation environment.