NS-2 Tutorial
Motivation for Simulations
Cheap -- does not require costly equipment
Complex scenarios can be easily tested
Results can be quickly obtained more ideas can
be tested in a smaller timeframe
Kameswari Chebrolu
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, IIT Kanpur
The real thing isn't yet available
Controlled experimental conditions
Repeatability helps aid debugging
Disadvantages: Real systems too complex to
model
Features of NS-2
Protocols: TCP, UDP, HTTP, Routing algorithms etc
NS Structure
Traffic Models: CBR, VBR, Web etc
NS is an object oriented simulator
Error Models: Uniform, bursty etc
Back end is C++ event scheduler
Radio propagation, Mobility models
Energy Models
Topology Generation tools
Visualization tools
Extensibility
Protocols mostly
Front end is oTCL
Creating scenarios, extensions to C++ protocols
Objects created in oTCL have a corresponding object
in C++
TCL tutorial
Variables:
set x 1
set y $x
Create simulator object: set ns [new simulator]
Arrays:
set a(0) 1
Printing:
puts $a(0) \n
Arithmetic Expression:
Control Structures:
Procedures:
How to Start?
Open a file for writing data for input to nam
(network animator)
set z = [expr $y + 5]
if {$z == 6} then { puts Correct!}
for {set i =0} {$i < 5} {incr i }{
puts $i * $i equals [expr $i * $i]
}
proc sum {a b} {
return [expr $a + $b]
}
How to Start?
set nf [open out.nam w]
$ns namtrace-all $nf
Finish procedure:
proc finish {} {
global ns nf
close $nf
exec nam out.nam &
exit 0
}
Creating topology
Two nodes connected by a link
Tell simulator object when to finish
$ns at 5.0 finish
Creating nodes
set n0 [$ns node]
set n1 [$ns node]
Creating link between nodes
Start the simulation
$ns run
$ns duplex-link $n0 $n1 1Mb 10ms DropTail
Sending data
Create UDP agent
set udp0 [new Agent/UDP]
$ns attach-agent $n0 $udp0
Create CBR traffic source for feeding into UDP agent
set cbr0 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]
$cbr0 set packetSize_ 500
$cbr0 set interval_ 0.005
$cbr0 attach-agent $udp0
Sending data
Connect two agents
$ns connect $udp0 $null0
Start and stop of data
$ns at 0.5 $cbr0 start
$ns at 4.5 $cbr0 stop
Create traffic sink
set null0 [new Agent/Null]
$ns attach-agent $n1 $null0
Creating TCP Connections
Create TCP agent and attach it to the node
set tcp0 [new Agent/TCP]
$ns attach-agent $n0 $tcp0
Create a Null Agent and attach it to the node
set null0 [new Agent/TCPSink]
$ns attach-agent $n1 $null0
Connect the agents
$ns connect $tcp0 $null0
Traffic on top of TCP
FTP
set ftp [new Application/FTP]
$ftp attach-agent $tcp0
Telnet
set telnet [new Application/Telnet]
$telnet attach-agent $tcp0
Introducing Errors
Creating Error Module
set err [new ErrorModel]
$err unit pkt_
$err set rate_ 0.01
$err ranvar [new RandomVariable/Uniform]
$err drop-target [new Agent/Null]
Inserting Error Module
$ns lossmodel $err $n0 $n1
Tracing
All packet trace
$ns trace-all [open out.tr w]
<event> <time> <from> <to> <pkt> <size>
-----<flowid> <src> <dst> <seqno> <aseqno>
+ 0.51 0 1 cbr 500 ------- 0 0.0 1.0 0 2
- 0.51 0 1 cbr 500 ------- 0 0.0 1.0 0 2
r 0.514 0 1 cbr 500 ------- 0 0.0 1.0 0 0
Variable trace
set par [open output/param.tr w]
$tcp attach $par
$tcp trace cwnd_
$tcp trace maxseq_
$tcp trace rtt_
Summary
Simulators help in easy verification of protocols
in less time, money
NS offers support for simulating a variety of
protocol suites and scenarios
Front end is oTCL, back end is C++
NS is an on-going effort of research and
development
