Syed Faraz Khalid

281509
Modeling and Simulation in OPNET
A commercial tool by MIL3, Inc., OPNET (Optimized Network Enineerin
Tool!" i! an enineerin !y!tem capable o# !im$latin lare comm$nication network!
wit% detailed protocol modelin and per#ormance analy!i!. It&! #eat$re! incl$de rap%ical
!peci#ication o# model!, a dynamic, e'ent(!c%ed$led )im$lation *ernel, interated data
analy!i! tool! and %ierarc%ical, ob+ect ba!ed modelin. ,It i! a network !im$lation tool
t%at allow! t%e de#inition o# a network topoloy, t%e node!, and t%e link! t%at o toward!
makin $p a network. T%e proce!!e! t%at may %appen in a partic$lar node can be $!er
de#ined, a! can t%e propertie! o# t%e tran!mi!!ion link!. A !im$lation can t%en be
e-ec$ted, and t%e re!$lt! analyzed #or any network element in t%e !im$lated network. /30.
Key features
T%e key #eat$re! o# OPNET are t%at, it pro'ide! power#$l tool! t%at a!!i!t t%e $!er
in t%e de!in p%a!e o# a modelin and !im$lation pro+ect, i.e., t%e b$ildin o# model!, t%e
e-ec$tion o# a !im$lation and t%e analy!i! o# t%e o$tp$t data. OPNET employ! a
%ierarc%ical !tr$ct$re to modelin, t%at i!, eac% le'el o# t%e %ierarc%y de!cribe! di##erent
a!pect! o# t%e complete model bein !im$lated. It %a! a detailed library o# model! t%at
pro'ide !$pport #or e-i!tin protocol! and allow re!earc%er! and de'eloper! to eit%er
modi#y t%e!e e-i!tin model! or de'elop new model! o# t%eir own. 1$rt%ermore, OPNET
model! can be compiled into e-ec$table code. An e-ec$table di!crete(e'ent !im$lation
can be deb$ed or !imply e-ec$ted, re!$ltin in o$tp$t data. OPNET %a! t%ree main
type! o# tool! ( t%e Model 2e'elopment tool, t%e )im$lation E-ec$tion tool and t%e
3e!$lt! Analy!i! tool. T%e!e t%ree type! o# tool! are $!ed toet%er to model, !im$late and
analyze a network.
The Model Development Tool
T%e model development tool! con!i!t o# t%e Network Editor, t%e Node Editor, t%e
Proce!! Editor and t%e Parameter Editor. T%e Network Editor i! $!ed to de!in t%e
network model!, wit% di##erent node! connected by point(to(point link!, radio link!, etc.,
and may con!i!t o# none or more !$bnet!. T%e Node Editor i! $!ed to place t%e model! o#
t%e node! $!ed into t%e network. A node in OPNET con!i!t! o# mod$le!, !$c% a! a packet
enerator, connected to ot%er mod$le! !$c% a! proce!!or! and packet !ink!, by packet
!tream! and !tati!tic line!. T%e Proce Editor i! $!ed to de#ine t%e proce!!e! t%at r$n
in!ide t%e!e mod$le!. T%e proce!!e! t%em!el'e! are de!ined $!in )tate Tran!ition
2iaram! alon wit% !ome te-t$al !peci#ication! $!in Proto(4, an OPNET 'ariant on t%e
4 lan$ae. T%e Parameter Editor allow! t%e de#inition o# parameter! $!ed in t%e inp$t
#or t%e node mod$le! and proce!! model!, !$c% a! t%e packet #ormat, probability den!ity
#$nction!, etc /50.
The Simulation Execution Tool
T%e im!lation e"ec!tion tool con!i!t o# t%e Pro#e Editor and t%e Sim!lation
$ool. T%e Pro#e Editor i! $!ed to place probe! at 'ario$! point! o# intere!t in t%e network
model. T%e!e probe! can be $!ed to monitor any o# t%e !tati!tic! comp$ted d$rin
!im$lation. T%e Sim!lation $ool allow! t%e $!er to !peci#y a !e6$ence o# !im$lation!,
alon wit% any inp$t and o$tp$t option!, and many di##erent r$ntime option!.
The Results nalysis Tool
T%e re!lt analyi tool! con!i!t o# t%e Analy!i! Tool and t%e 1ilter Editor. T%e
%nalyi $ool will di!play t%e re!$lt! #rom a !im$lation or !erie! o# !im$lation! a! rap%!.
T%e Filter Editor i! $!ed to de#ine #ilter! to mat%ematically proce!!, red$ce, or combine
!tati!tical data /50.
Model design Methodology
OPNET de#ine! a model $!in a %ierarc%ical !tr$ct$re ( at t%e top t%ere i! t%e
network le'el, w%ic% i! con!tr$cted #rom t%e node le'el, w%ic% in t$rn i! made #rom t%e
proce!! le'el. T%e network le'el, node le'el and proce!! le'el de!in! are implemented
$!in t%e Network Editor, Node Editor and Proce Editor re!pecti'ely. T%e Network
le'el contain! one Top Le'el Network. T%i! Top Le'el Network may con!i!t o# none or
more !$bnet!, and into t%e!e !$bnet! t%ere may be any n$mber o# #$rt%er !$bnet!. In t%i!
way OPNET can ea!ily repre!ent t%e %ierarc%ical !tr$ct$re o# network !$c% a! ro$tin
network!, w%ic% may con!i!t o# Tier(5 network, in!ide w%ic% t%ere i! t%e Tier(7 network
o# node!, in!ide w%ic% Tier(3 node! are connected and !o on.
In t%e Node le'el t%e proce!!e! t%at %appen in!ide a node !$c% a! a packet i!
enerated and recei'ed by a proce!!, w%ic% doe! error c%eckin on t%e packet and t%en
#orward! it to ot%er proce!!e!, w%ic% may do t%eir own proce!!in on it or di!card it. T%e
Proce!! le'el allow! t%e de!iner to create t%e proce!!e! re6$ired #or $!e in t%e proce!!
model!. T%e proce!!e! are de#ined $!in !tate tran!ition diaram! alon wit% !ome
additional te-t$al !peci#ication! $!in Proto(4 w%ic% i! a 'er!ion o# 4 !pecialized #or
protocol! and di!trib$ted alorit%m! /70. 8ot% t%e !tate diaram! and t%e Proto(4 code
toet%er #orm w%at OPNET term! a 91inite )tate Mac%ine9. A proce!! model can al!o
!pawn ot%er, c%ild proce!! model! /70.
The Net!or" Editor
T%e Network Editor i! $!ed to !peci#y t%e p%y!ical topoloy o# a comm$nication!
network, w%ic% de#ine! t%e po!ition and interconnection o# comm$nicatin entitie!, i.e.,
node! and link! /50. T%e !peci#ic capabilitie! o# eac% node are de#ined in t%e $nderlyin
node and proce!! model!. Eac% model con!i!t! o# a !et o# parameter! t%at can be !et to
c$!tomize t%e node9! be%a'ior and t%e node! can be #i-ed, mobile or !atellite. 2ata can be
tran!#erred between t%e node! $!in )imple- or d$ple- link! t%at connect t%em. T%ere
can al!o be a b$! link t%at pro'ide! a broadca!t medi$m #or an arbitrary n$mber o#
attac%ed de'ice! /70. Link! can al!o be c$!tomized to !im$late t%e act$al comm$nication
c%annel!. T%e network model! can be 'ery comple- d$e to t%eir !ize. T%i! comple-ity i!
eliminated by an ab!traction known a! a !#net work a! de!cribed earlier.
The Node Editor
4omm$nication de'ice! created and interconnected at t%e network le'el need to
be !peci#ied in t%e node domain $!in t%e Node Editor. Node model! are e-pre!!ed a!
interconnected mod!le. T%e!e mod$le! can be ro$ped into two di!tinct cateorie! /50.
T%e #ir!t !et i! mod$le! t%at %a'e prede#ined c%aracteri!tic! and b$ilt(in parameter, #or
e-ample, packet enerator! and link!, etc. T%e !econd ro$p con!i!t! o# prorammable
mod$le!, w%ic% rely on proce!! model !peci#ication!, #or e-ample, proce!!or! and
6$e$e!. All node! are de#ined 'ia block !tr$ct$red data #low diaram!. Eac%
prorammable block in a Node Model %a! it! #$nctionality de#ined by a Proce!! Model.
Packet! are tran!#erred between mod$le! $!in packet !tream!. )tati!tic wire! co$ld be
$!ed to con'ey n$meric !inal! /70.
The Process Editor
Proce!! model!, created $!in t%e Proce Editor, are $!ed to de!cribe t%e loic
#low and be%a'ior o# proce!!or and 6$e$e mod$le!. 4omm$nication between proce!!e! i!
!$pported by interr!pt& w%ic% are a part o# t%e library kernel! a'ailable #or proto:4. T%e
OPNET Proce!! Editor $!e! a power#$l !tate(tran!ition diaram approac% to !$pport
!peci#ication o# any type o# protocol, re!o$rce, application, alorit%m, or 6$e$in policy.
)tate! and tran!ition! rap%ically de#ine t%e prore!!ion o# a proce!! in re!pon!e to
e'ent!. ;it%in eac% !tate, eneral loic can be !peci#ied $!in a library o# prede#ined
#$nction! and e'en t%e #$ll #le-ibility o# t%e 4 lan$ae. E'en proce!! t%em!el'e! may
create c%ild proce!!e! to per#orm !$b(ta!k! /70'
Running a simulation
A#ter de#inin all t%e model! o# t%e network !y!tem, we can r$n a !im$lation in
order to !t$dy !y!tem per#ormance and be%a'ior $!in t%e im!lation e"ec!tion tool
de!cribed earlier. OPNET !im$lation! are obtained by e-ec$tin a !im$lation proram,
w%ic% i! an e-ec$table #ile in t%e %o!t comp$ter9! #ile !y!tem. In #act, OPNET pro'ide! a
n$mber o# option! #or r$nnin !im$lation!, incl$din internal and e-ternal e-ec$tion, and
t%e ability to con#i$re attrib$te! t%at a##ect t%e !im$lation9! be%a'ior /70. OPNET
!im$lation! can be r$n independently #rom t%e OPNET rap%ical tool by $!in t%e
op<r$n!im $tility proram. =owe'er, yo$ can al!o r$n !im$lation! #rom t%e )im$lation
Tool wit%in OPNET, w%ic% o##er! t%e con'enience o# a rap%ical inter#ace. T%e
)im$lation Tool pro'ide! t%e #ollowin !er'ice! /70>
o )peci#ication o# !im$lation !e6$ence! con!i!tin o# an ordered li!t o#
!im$lation! and a!!ociated attrib$te 'al$e!
o E-ec$tion o# !im$lation !e6$ence!
o )torae o# !im$lation !e6$ence! in #ile! #or later $!e.
T%e Pro#e Editor t%at i! a part o# t%e im!lation e"ec!tion tool a! mentioned
earlier, i! $!ed to !peci#y w%ic% data to collect. Mo!t OPNET model! contain ob+ect! t%at
are capable o# eneratin 'a!t amo$nt! o# o$tp$t data d$rin !im$lation!. T%e o$tp$t can
be !tati!tical or animated by pre(de#ined or $!er(c$!tomized animation!. T%e !election o#
t%e 'ario$! type! o# o$tp$t #ormat! can be done $!in t%e pro#ed editor. A probe i!
de#ined #or eac% !o$rce o# data t%at t%e $!er wi!%e! to enable. Probe! are ro$ped into a
probe li!t w%ic%, allowin t%em to be collecti'ely applied to a model w%en a !im$lation i!
e-ec$ted /70. )e'eral di##erent probe type! are pro'ided by OPNET in order to capt$re
di##erent type! o# o$tp$t data /50. T%e tatitic pro#e can be applied to prede#ined,
!tandard !tati!tic! !ometime! application(!peci#ic 'i!$alization monitorin c%aracteri!tic!
!$c% a! bit error rate! or t%ro$%p$t. T%e %!tomatic %nimation Pro#e i! $!ed to enerate
animation !e6$ence! #or a !im$lation. T%e (!tom %nimation Pro#e !$pport! t%e creation
o# c$!tom animation!. T%e act$al !peci#ication o# t%e animation9! c%aracteri!tic! i!
de#ined wit%in t%e $!er9! code. (o!pled Statitic Pro#e enerate! o$tp$t data a! t%e
!tati!tic probe doe! b$t, in addition, a primary mod!le and a co!pled mod!le need to be
de#ined. )ome !tati!tical data i! enerated at t%e primary mod$le. T%i! data i! only
enerated w%en c%ane! to t%e !tati!tic are d$e to interaction! wit% t%e co$pled mod$le
/50.
Data o#servation and collection
A#ter t%e !im$lation! %a'e been e-ec$ted, t%e 3e!$lt! Analy!i! tool! t%at con!i!t
o# t%e %nalyi tool and Filter tool are $!ed to ob!er'e and collect t%e data. )im$lation!
can be $!ed to enerate a n$mber o# di##erent #orm! o# o$tp$t, a! de!cribed abo'e. T%e!e
#orm! incl$de !e'eral type! o# n$merical data, animation, and detailed trace! pro'ided by
t%e OPNET deb$er /70. OPNET !im$lation! !$pport open inter#ace! to t%e 4 lan$ae,
and t%e %o!t comp$ter9! operatin !y!tem, t%ere#ore !im$lation de'eloper! may enerate
proprietary #orm! o# o$tp$t ranin #rom me!!ae! printed in t%e con!ole window, to
eneration o# A)4II or binary #ile!, and e'en li'e interaction! wit% ot%er proram! /70.
=owe'er, t%e mo!t commonly $!ed #orm! o# o$tp$t data are t%o!e t%at are directly
!$pported by )im$lation *ernel inter#ace! #or collection, and by e-i!tin tool! #or
'iewin and analy!i!. T%e!e incl$de animation data and n$merical !tati!tic! /70.
Animation data i! enerated eit%er by $!in a$tomatic animation probe! or by de'elopin
c$!tom animation! wit% t%e kernel proced$re! o# t%e )im$lation *ernel9! Anim packae,
a! well a! to 'iew t%e animation! /50. )imilarly, !tati!tic data i! enerated by !ettin
!tati!tic probe!, and?or by t%e kernel proced$re! o# t%e *ernel9! )tat packae. OPNET9!
%nalyi $ool can t%en be $!ed to 'iew and manip$late t%e !tati!tical data /50.
T%e !er'ice pro'ided by t%e %nalyi $ool i! to di!play in#ormation in t%e #orm o#
rap%!. @rap%! are pre!ented wit%in rectan$lar area! called analy!i! panel!. A n$mber o#
di##erent operation! can be $!ed to create analy!i! panel!, all o# w%ic% %a'e a! t%eir ba!ic
p$rpo!e to di!play a new !et o# data, or to tran!#orm an e-i!tin one /50. An analy!i!
panel con!i!t! o# a plottin area, wit% two n$mbered a-e!, enerally re#erred to a! t%e
ab!ci!!a a-i! (%orizontal", and t%e ordinate a-i! ('ertical" /50. T%e $!er can al!o e-tract
data #rom !im$lation o$tp$t #ile! and di!play t%i! data in 'ario$! #orm!. T%e Analy!i!
Tool al!o !$pport! !e'eral mec%ani!m! #or n$merically proce!!in t%e data and
eneratin new data !et! t%at can al!o be plotted !$c% a! comp$tin probability den!ity
#$nction! and c$m$lati'e di!trib$tion #$nction!, a! well a! eneratin %i!toram!. T%e
data pre!ented in t%e Analy!i! Tool, can al!o come in $!e by #ilter! t%at are con!tr$cted
#rom a pre(de#ined !et o# #ilter element! in t%e 1ilter Editor /70.
1ilter model! are repre!ented a! block diaram! con!i!tin o# interconnected #ilter
element!. 1ilter element! may be eit%er b$ilt(in n$meric proce!!in element!, or
re#erence! to ot%er #ilter model!. T%$!, #ilter model! are %ierarc%ical, in t%at t%ey may be
compo!ed o# ot%er #ilter model! /50.
The $raphical %ser &nterface
T%e @AI #or OPNET #ir!t pre!ent! !e'eral option! to t%e $!er, !$c% a! a new
pro+ect model, node model, proce!! model etc. 1or e-ample, t%e $!er can create a new
pro+ect model or edit an e-i!tin one. T%e @AI t%en brin! $p a world atla!, w%ere t%ey
can 'iew t%e e-i!tin network model, add new node model! to t%e e-i!tin network or
create a new network. T%ere are !e'eral option! to r$n e-i!tin pro+ect model!, and
option! #or t%e di##erent kind! o# o$tp$t a! de!cribed abo'e. 8y do$ble(clickin on a node
model in!ide t%e network model, t%e $!er can acce!! t%e proce!! model in!ide t%at node.
In!ide t%e node model, t%ere are option! #or creatin packet !tream!, proce!!or!, !er'er!,
6$e$e!, !ink! etc. T%e!e are ba!ically, proce!! model!, w%ic% can be $!er(de#ined 'ia
!tate(mac%ine!. T%e propertie! #or eac% o# t%e!e model! can be !et or t%e $!er can al!o
pick model! #rom an e-i!tin library. In!ide t%e proce!! model!, t%ere are !tate(mac%ine!,
w%ic% con!i!t o# proto(c code, w%ic% can be edited in order to c%ane t%eir #$nctionality.
'onclusion
OPNET i! a power#$l di!crete(e'ent !im$lation tool t%at i! widely $!ed in t%e
ind$!try beca$!e o# it&! #eat$re! and t%e %$e !et o# option! embedded in it, t%at a!!i!t in
t%e !im$lation and modelin o# lare network!. It con!i!t! o# librarie! o# e-i!tin
!im$lated model! o# real(li#e e6$ipment $!ed in comm$nication networkin !$c% a!
ro$ter!, !witc%e! and t%o!e $!ed in wirele!! network!. T%e!e librarie! are $!ed to
implement di##erent protocol! wit% 'aryin inp$t, o$tp$t and be%a'ior. OPNET %a! a
broad port#olio #or modelin, de!in, !im$lation and real(time a!!$rance in conte-t wit%
detailed in!i%t into in#ra!tr$ct$re re6$irement! and i! an ideal tool #or modelin and
!im$lation.
Reference(
/50 OPNET online man$al
/70 Network )im$lation! wit% OPNET, 4%an
/30 %ttp>??www.ee.$cl.ac.$k?dc!?commercial?opnet?opnet.%tml