Hybrid Packet/Fluid Flow Network Simulation

ABSTRACT

Packet-level discrete-event network simulators use anevent to model the movement of each packet in the network.This results in accurate models, but requires that manyevents are executed to simulate large, high bandwidth networks. Fluid-based network simulators abstract the modelto consider only changes in rates of traffic flows. This canresult in large performance advantages, though informationabout the individual packets is lost making this approachinappropriate for many simulation and emulation studies.This paper presents a hybrid model in which packet flowsand fluid flows coexist and interact. This enables studies tobe performed with background traffic modeled using fluidflows and foreground traffic modeled at the packet level.Results presented show up to 20 times speedup using thistechnique. Accuracy is within 4% for latency and 15% forjitter in many cases.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.8 Types of Simulation
          Subjects: Combined

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Network communications; Packet-switching networks

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.7 Simulation Support Systems
      I.6.8 Types of Simulation
          Subjects: Discrete event

General Terms:
Algorithms, Experimentation, Performance

Keywords:
Network Simulation, Simulation Abstraction Techniques, Fluid Simulation, Scalable Network Simulation