Introduction to Ns-2

Zhibin WU
WINLAB, ECE Dept. Rutgers U.
zhibinwu@winlab.rutgers.edu

1
Goals
 Understanding NS-2
 Hands-on Experience with NS2
 Ns-2 by Example
 Write your own scripts
 Extending NS2
 Implementing new functionality

2
Schedule
 Presentation (60 min)
 Group Assignments (10 min)
 Practices (1 Hr)
 Q & A session (~15 min)

3
Talk Overview
 What is ns-2? (the evolution)
 Architecture
 Basic Tcl/Otcl commands
 Elements of an ns-2 simulation
 Example
 Online Resources & Documentation

4
What is ns?
 A discrete event, packet-level simulator
 Targeted at networking research
 Supports the simulation of
 intserv/diffserv, Multicast, Transport,

Applications, Wireless (fixed, mobile, satellite)

 REAL variant (1989)DARPA (LBL, Xerox
PARC, UCB, and USC/ISI) (1995)
 Ns-3 Project (Ongoing)

5
Status
 ns-2
 100K lines of C++
 70K lines of OTcl
 50K+ lines of test suite, examples, docs
 Platforms
 Most UNIX and UNIX-like systems (FreeBSD,
Linux, Sun Solaris)
 Window 95/98/NT with Cygwin
 (Emulation only for FreeBSD for now)

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Remember!
 A simulator model of a real-world system is
necessarily a simplification. For example, in
simulating TCP
 No SYN/FIN
 Equal size segments
 No variable window advertisement
 Bugs: “Users of ns are responsible for
verifying for themselves that their simulations
are not invalidated by bugs”.

7
Architecture: Object-Oriented
 C++ for “data”
 Per packet action
 OTcl for control
 Periodic or triggered action
 Modularity (+), re-usability(+),
scalability(+)
 Speed(-), memory(-)

8
OTcl and C++: The Duality

Pure C++ Pure OTcl

objects objects

C++/OTcl split objects

C++ OTcl

ns
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 Script in interactive mode
linux21% ns
% set ns [new Simulator]
_o3
% $ns at 1 “puts \“Hello World!\””
1
% $ns at 1.5 “exit”
2
% $ns run
Hello World!
linux21%

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A script in batch mode
#simple.tcl
set ns [new Simulator]
$ns at 1 “puts \“Hello World!\””
$ns at 1.5 “exit”
$ns run
linux21% ns simple.tcl
Hello World!
linux21%

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 Basic Tcl
set a 43
set b 27
proc test { a b } {
set c [expr $a + $b]
set d [expr [expr $a - $b] * $c]
for {set k 0} {$k < 10} {incr k} {
if {$k < 5} {
puts “k < 5, pow = [expr pow($d, $k)]”
} else {
puts “k >= 5, mod = [expr $d % $k]”
}
}
}
test 43 27
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 Basic OTcl
Class Mom set mom [new Mom]
Mom instproc greet {} { $mom set age_ 45
$self instvar age_ set kid [new Kid]
puts “$age_ years old $kid set age_ 15
mom: How are you doing?”
}
$mom greet
Class Kid -superclass Mom $kid greet
Kid instproc greet {} {
$self instvar age_
puts “$age_ years old
kid: What’s up, dude?”
}

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SIMULATE WIRED NETWORK

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Elements of ns-2 Simulation
 Create the event scheduler
 [Turn on tracing]
 Create network
 Setup routing
 Insert errors
 Create transport connection
 Create traffic
 Transmit application-level data

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Creating Event Scheduler
 Create event scheduler
 set ns [new Simulator]
 Schedule events
 $ns at <time> <event>
 <event>: any legitimate ns/tcl commands
 Start scheduler
 $ns run

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 Tracing
 Trace packets on all links
 $ns trace-all [open test.out w]
<event> <time> <from> <to> <pkt> <size> -- <fid> <src> <dst> <seq> <attr>
+ 1 0 2 cbr 210 ------- 0 0.0 3.1 0 0
- 1 0 2 cbr 210 ------- 0 0.0 3.1 0 0
r 1.00234 0 2 cbr 210 ------- 0 0.0 3.1 0 0

 Trace packets on all links in nam format

 $ns namtrace-all [open test.nam w]
 Must appear immediately after creating
scheduler
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Tracing
 Turn on tracing on specific links
 $ns trace-queue $n0 $n1
 $ns namtrace-queue $n0 $n1

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 Creating Network
 Nodes
 set n0 [$ns node]
 set n1 [$ns node]
 Links and queuing
 $ns duplex-link $n0 $n1 <bandwidth>
<delay> <queue_type>
 <queue_type>: DropTail, RED, CBQ, FQ,
SFQ, DRR

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 Creating Network: LAN
 LAN
 $ns make-lan <node_list> <bandwidth>
<delay> <ll_type> <ifq_type>
<mac_type> <channel_type>
 <ll_type>: LL
 <ifq_type>: Queue/DropTail,
 <mac_type>: MAC/802_3
 <channel_type>: Channel

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 Inserting Packet Errors
 Creating Error Module
 set loss_module [new ErrorModel]
 $loss_module set rate_ 0.01
 $loss_module unit pkt
 $loss_module ranvar [new
RandomVariable/Uniform]
 $loss_module drop-target [new Agent/Null]
 Inserting Error Module
 $ns lossmodel $loss_module $n0 $n1
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Network Dynamics
 Link failures
 Hooks in routing module to reflect routing
changes
 Four models
$ns rtmodel-at <time> up|down $n0 $n1
$ns rtmodel Trace <config_file> $n0 $n1
$ns rtmodel Exponential {<params>} $n0 $n1
$ns rtmodel Deterministic {<params>} $n0 $n1
 Parameter list
[<start>] <up_interval> <down_interval> [<finish>]

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Setup Routing
 Unicast
 $ns rtproto <type>
 <type>: Static, Session, DV, cost, multi-path
 Multicast
 $ns multicast (right after [new Simulator])
 or set ns [new Simulator –multicast on]
 $ns mrtproto <type>
 <type>: CtrMcast, DM, ST, BST (centralized,dense
mode, shared tree

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Creating Connection: UDP
 UDP
 set udp [new Agent/UDP]
 set null [new Agent/Null]
 $ns attach-agent $n0 $udp
 $ns attach-agent $n1 $null
 $ns connect $udp $null

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Creating Traffic: On Top of UDP
 CBR
 set src [new Application/Traffic/CBR]
 Exponential or Pareto on-off
 set src [new
Application/Traffic/Exponential]
 set src [new Application/Traffic/Pareto]

25
Creating Connection: TCP
 TCP
 set tcp [new Agent/TCP]
 set tcpsink [new Agent/TCPSink]
 $ns attach-agent $n0 $tcp
 $ns attach-agent $n1 $tcpsink
 $ns connect $tcp $tcpsink

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Creating Traffic: On Top of TCP
 FTP
 set ftp [new Application/FTP]
 $ftp attach-agent $tcp
 Telnet
 set telnet [new Application/Telnet]
 $telnet attach-agent $tcp

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Creating Traffic: Trace Driven
 Trace driven
 set tfile [new Tracefile]
 $tfile filename <file>
 set src [new Application/Traffic/Trace]
 $src attach-tracefile $tfile
 <file>:
 Binary format (native!)
 inter-packet time (msec) and packet size (byte)

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Application-Level Simulation
 Features
 Build on top of existing transport protocol
 Transmit user data, e.g., HTTP header
 Two different solutions
 TCP: Application/TcpApp
 UDP: Agent/Message

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Script Structure for Wired Scenario
# parameters and options
set ns [new Simulator]
# [Turn on tracing]
# Create topology
# Setup packet loss, link dynamics
# Create routing agents
# Create:
# - protocol agents
# - application and/or setup traffic sources
# Post-processing procs
# Start simulation

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SIMULATE WIRELESS NETWORK

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Script Structure: Wireless
# parameters and options
set ns [new Simulator]
# [Turn on tracing]
# create MobileNode object (PHY to layer 3
configured)
# Create topology
# create mobility
# Create Layer 4 and above
# - UDP/TCP agents
# - application and/or setup traffic sources
# Post-processing procedures
# Start simulation

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Example: Wireless Scenario
 4x4 grid

11
240m
13 14
8 11
4 7

2 3

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 Example: Step 1
 Define Parameters
set cbr_size 500
set cbr_interval 0.002
set num_row 4
set time_duration 100

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 Example: Step 2
 Protocol Options
set val(chan) Channel/WirelessChannel ;# channel
type
set val(prop) Propagation/TwoRayGround ;# radio-
propagation model
set val(netif) Phy/WirelessPhy ;# network interface
type
set val(mac) Mac/802_11 ;# MAC type
set val(ifq) Queue/DropTail/PriQueue ;# interface
queue type
set val(ll) LL ;# link layer type
set val(ant) Antenna/OmniAntenna ;# antenna model
set val(ifqlen) 50 ;# max packet in ifq
set val(rp) DSDV ;# routing protocol

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Example: Step 3
 Scheduler, Trace, Topo, God
#
# Initialize ns
#
set ns_ [new Simulator]
set tracefd [open simple.tr w]
$ns_ trace-all $tracefd

# set up topography object

set topo [new Topography]
$topo load_flatgrid 1000 1000

create-god [expr $num_row * $num_row ]

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Example: Step 4
 Create Node Object with protocols
$ns_ node-config -adhocRouting $val(rp) -llType $val(ll) \
-macType $val(mac) -ifqType $val(ifq) \
-ifqLen $val(ifqlen) -antType $val(ant) \
-propType $val(prop) -phyType $val(netif) \
-channel $chan1 -topoInstance $topo \
-agentTrace ON -routerTrace OFF\
-macTrace ON \
-movementTrace OFF

for {set i 0} {$i < [expr $num_row*$num_row]} {incr i} {

set node_($i) [$ns_ node]
}

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Example: Step 5
 Create Topology
set k 0;
while {$k < $num_row } {
for {set i 0} {$i < $num_row } {incr i} {
set m [expr $i+$k*$num_row];
$node_($m) set X_ [expr $i*240];
$node_($m) set Y_ [expr $k*240+20.0];
$node_($m) set Z_ 0.0
}
incr k;
};

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Example: Step 6
 Create Mobility

#Move node 11 from its original place to top-right corner

$ns_ at 60.0 "$node_(11) setdest 990.0 990.0 15.0”
Example: Step 7
 Set up transport layer (UDP)
for {set i 0} {$i < $num_row } {incr i} {
set udp_($i) [new Agent/UDP]
set null_($i) [new Agent/Null]
}
$ns_ attach-agent $node_(8) $udp_(0)
$ns_ attach-agent $node_(4) $udp_(1)
$ns_ attach-agent $node_(13) $udp_(2)
$ns_ attach-agent $node_(14) $udp_(3)
$ns_ attach-agent $node_(11) $null_(0)
$ns_ attach-agent $node_(7) $null_(1)
$ns_ attach-agent $node_(2) $null_(2)
$ns_ attach-agent $node_(3) $null_(3)
for {set i 0} {$i < $num_row } {incr i} {
$ns_ connect $udp_($i) $null_($i)
}

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Example: Step 8
 Define Traffic Scenario
for {set i 0} {$i < $num_row } {incr i} {
set cbr_($i) [new Application/Traffic/CBR]
$cbr_($i) set packetSize_ $cbr_size
$cbr_($i) set interval_ 0.5
$cbr_($i) attach-agent $udp_($i)
}
$ns_ at 11.0234 "$cbr_(0) start"
$ns_ at 10.4578 "$cbr_(1) start"
$ns_ at 12.7184 "$cbr_(2) start"
$ns_ at 12.2456 "$cbr_(3) start"

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Example: Step 9
 End-of-simulation wrapper (as usual)
# Tell nodes when the simulation ends
#
for {set i 0} {$i < [expr $num_row*$num_row] } {incr i} {
$ns_ at [expr $time_duration +10.0] "$node_($i) reset";
}
$ns_ at [expr $time_duration +10.0] "finish"
$ns_ at [expr $time_duration +10.01] "puts \"NS Exiting...\"; $ns_ halt"

proc finish {} {
global ns_ tracefd
$ns_ flush-trace
close $tracefd
}

puts "Starting Simulation..."

$ns_ run

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Auxiliary Tools
 setdest
 used to generate the positions of nodes
and their moving speed and moving
directions.
setdest -v 1 -n 50 -p 0 -M 20 -t 900 -x 1500 -y
300
 cbrgen.tcl
ns cbrgen.tcl [-type cbr|tcp] [-nn nodes] [-seed
seed] [-mc connections] [-rate rate]
 Use “source <filename>.tcl” to add the
generated file to scipts

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 Resources
 http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns
 http://www.winlab.rutgers.edu/~zhibinwu
 Tutorials:
 Marc Greis’s Tutorial (
http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/tutorial/index.html)
 Ns by example (http://nile.wpi.edu/NS/)
 Wireless Tutorial (
http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/ns-tutorial/wireless.ppt )

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Documentation
 Tcl (Tool Command Language)
 http://dev.scriptics.com/scripting
 OTcl (MIT Object Tcl)
 ~otcl/doc/tutorial.html (in distribution)
 ns manual
 Included in distribution: ~ns/doc
 http://www.isi.edu/~salehi/ns_doc.ps.gz

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Advanced Topics
 Trace analysis
 Architecture of Mobilenode Object
 Extending NS-2 with new protocols and
algorithms
 More complex changes:
 Hybrid Node
 A node with multiple interfaces

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Group Assignments
 Download simple.tcl
 http://www.winlab.rutgers.edu/~zhibinwu/simple.tcl
 Modifications
 Node-Configure changes

 Random topology generation 40-node within

1000x1000 area
 Random Node Mobility

 Changeprotocol from UDP to TCP

 Dynamic Traffic change

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