How to Simulate Data Centric Protocol Projects Using NS3

To simulate the data-centric protocols using NS3 that contains concentrating on the protocols in which data (instead of device addresses or specific node identities) is the key module of communication. This data-centric protocols are generally used in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), Internet of Things (IoT), and other distributed systems in which data aggregation, dissemination, and query-based communication are significant. Instances contain protocols such as Directed Diffusion, SPIN (Sensor Protocols for Information via Negotiation), and Data-Centric Storage protocols. The simulation environment NS3 does not natively support data-centric protocols, however we can be replicated such protocols by tailoring existing tools and developing extensions.

Key Concepts of Data-Centric Protocols:

1. Data Naming: Communication is according to the data, not the node IDs.
2. Interest-Based Queries: Data requests are propagated via the network to discover related data.
3. Aggregation: Redundant data is aggregated to reduce communication overhead.
4. Energy Efficiency: Efficient use of resources (e.g., energy, bandwidth) is vital within sensor networks.

Example: Simulating Directed Diffusion Protocol (a Data-Centric Protocol) in NS3

To replicate a data-centric protocol such as Directed Diffusion in NS3, we can make a simple simulation which concentrates on data aggregation, interest propagation, and data forwarding. Below, we replicate a basic Directed Diffusion method using custom NS3 applications to simulate the behaviour of interest propagation and data matching.

Steps to Simulate a Data-Centric Protocol (Directed Diffusion) in NS3

1. Install NS3

Make sure that NS3 is installed on the system. Unless, download and install it from the NS3 official website.

2. Create a Custom Data-Centric Simulation

We will replicate the simple operations of Directed Diffusion in which:

1. A sink node transmits interest queries into the network.
2. Source nodes with related data respond to the query.
3. Intermediate nodes are forward and aggregate the data.

Example Simulation Using a Simplified Data-Centric Protocol in NS3

1. Include Necessary Headers

These headers are needed for configuring the wireless communication, mobility, and custom applications to replicate the data-centric protocol.

#include “ns3/core-module.h”

#include “ns3/network-module.h”

#include “ns3/internet-module.h”

#include “ns3/wifi-module.h”

#include “ns3/mobility-module.h”

#include “ns3/applications-module.h”

#include “ns3/netanim-module.h”

1. Create and Install Nodes

Make a set of nodes are signifying the sink, source, and intermediate nodes in the data-centric network.

NodeContainer nodes;

nodes.Create(6);  // Create 6 nodes for the data-centric network

1. Configure Wireless Communication (Wi-Fi)

We can use the WifiHelper and YansWifiChannelHelper to set up wireless communication among the nodes.

YansWifiChannelHelper wifiChannel = YansWifiChannelHelper::Default();

YansWifiPhyHelper wifiPhy = YansWifiPhyHelper::Default();

wifiPhy.SetChannel(wifiChannel.Create());

WifiHelper wifi;

wifi.SetStandard(WIFI_PHY_STANDARD_80211g);  // Set the Wi-Fi standard to 802.11g

wifi.SetRemoteStationManager(“ns3::AarfWifiManager”);

WifiMacHelper wifiMac;

wifiMac.SetType(“ns3::AdhocWifiMac”);  // Set the MAC layer to Ad-hoc mode

NetDeviceContainer devices = wifi.Install(wifiPhy, wifiMac, nodes);

1. Install the Internet Stack

We can install the Internet stack (TCP/IP) on the nodes to enable communication among them.

InternetStackHelper internet;

internet.Install(nodes);

1. Assign IP Addresses

Allocate an IP addresses to the wireless devices (nodes).

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

address.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces = address.Assign(devices);

1. Set Up Mobility Model for Nodes

We can use the MobilityHelper to describe the mobility model for the nodes in the network.

MobilityHelper mobility;

mobility.SetPositionAllocator(“ns3::GridPositionAllocator”,

“MinX”, DoubleValue(0.0),

“MinY”, DoubleValue(0.0),

“DeltaX”, DoubleValue(100.0),

“DeltaY”, DoubleValue(100.0),

“GridWidth”, UintegerValue(3),

“LayoutType”, StringValue(“RowFirst”));

mobility.SetMobilityModel(“ns3::ConstantPositionMobilityModel”);

mobility.Install(nodes);

1. Create Custom Applications for Data-Centric Communication

We require to describe the custom applications, which replicate an interest propagation (query) from a sink node and data forwarding from source nodes. For simplicity, we can be made custom UDP applications for querying and responding.

• Sink Node Application (Interest Propagation):

The sink node occasionally broadcasts interest packets (queries) to the network.

class SinkApplication : public Application

{

public:

SinkApplication() {}

virtual ~SinkApplication() {}

void Setup(Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address, uint32_t packetSize, uint32_t nPackets, Time interPacketInterval)

{

m_socket = socket;

m_peer = address;

m_packetSize = packetSize;

m_nPackets = nPackets;

m_interval = interPacketInterval;

m_packetsSent = 0;

}

private:

virtual void StartApplication(void)

{

m_socket->Bind();

SendPacket();

}

void SendPacket()

{

Ptr<Packet> packet = Create<Packet>(m_packetSize);

m_socket->SendTo(packet, 0, m_peer);

++m_packetsSent;

 

if (m_packetsSent < m_nPackets)

{

Simulator::Schedule(m_interval, &SinkApplication::SendPacket, this);

}

}

Ptr<Socket> m_socket;

Address m_peer;

uint32_t m_packetSize;

uint32_t m_nPackets;

Time m_interval;

uint32_t m_packetsSent;

};

// Create a sink node that broadcasts interest messages

Ptr<Socket> sinkSocket = Socket::CreateSocket(nodes.Get(0), UdpSocketFactory::GetTypeId());

Address sinkBroadcast = InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address(“10.1.1.255”), 8080);  // Broadcast address for interest propagation

Ptr<SinkApplication> sinkApp = CreateObject<SinkApplication>();

sinkApp->Setup(sinkSocket, sinkBroadcast, 1024, 100, Seconds(1.0));  // Send interest every second

nodes.Get(0)->AddApplication(sinkApp);

sinkApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(1.0));

sinkApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(10.0));

• Source Node Application (Data Response):

Source nodes are listen for interest messages and react with related data if they match the query.

class SourceApplication : public Application

{

public:

SourceApplication() {}

virtual ~SourceApplication() {}

void Setup(Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address)

{

m_socket = socket;

m_peer = address;

}

private:

virtual void StartApplication(void)

{

m_socket->Bind();

m_socket->SetRecvCallback(MakeCallback(&SourceApplication::HandleRead, this));

}

void HandleRead(Ptr<Socket> socket)

{

Ptr<Packet> packet = socket->Recv();

// Process interest query and send response

Ptr<Packet> response = Create<Packet>(1024);  // Send data if query matches

socket->SendTo(response, 0, m_peer);

}

Ptr<Socket> m_socket;

Address m_peer;

};

// Create source nodes that respond to interest queries

Ptr<Socket> sourceSocket = Socket::CreateSocket(nodes.Get(5), UdpSocketFactory::GetTypeId());

Address sinkAddress = InetSocketAddress(interfaces.GetAddress(0), 8080);  // Send data back to the sink

Ptr<SourceApplication> sourceApp = CreateObject<SourceApplication>();

sourceApp->Setup(sourceSocket, sinkAddress);

nodes.Get(5)->AddApplication(sourceApp);

sourceApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(2.0));

sourceApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(10.0));

1. Enable Tracing and Animation

Allow PCAP tracing and NetAnim to monitor the packet exchanges and envision the network.

wifiPhy.EnablePcapAll(“data_centric_simulation”);

AnimationInterface anim(“data_centric_simulation.xml”);

1. Run the Simulation

Set the simulation stop time and run the simulation.

Simulator::Stop(Seconds(20.0));

Simulator::Run();

Simulator::Destroy();

3. Full Example Script for Data-Centric Simulation

The followings is a comprehensive script for replicating a basic data-centric protocol using Directed Diffusion concepts in NS3.

#include “ns3/core-module.h”

#include “ns3/network-module.h”

#include “ns3/internet-module.h”

#include “ns3/wifi-module.h”

#include “ns3/mobility-module.h”

#include “ns3/applications-module.h”

#include “ns3/netanim-module.h”

using namespace ns3;

class SinkApplication : public Application

{

public:

SinkApplication() {}

virtual ~SinkApplication() {}

void Setup(Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address, uint32_t packetSize, uint32_t nPackets, Time interPacketInterval)

{

m_socket = socket;

m_peer = address;

m_packetSize = packetSize;

m_nPackets = nPackets;

m_interval = interPacketInterval;

m_packetsSent = 0;

}

private:

virtual void StartApplication(void)

{

m_socket->Bind();

SendPacket();

}

void SendPacket()

{

Ptr<Packet> packet = Create<Packet>(m_packetSize);

m_socket->SendTo(packet, 0, m_peer);

++m_packetsSent;

if (m_packetsSent < m_nPackets)

{

Simulator::Schedule(m_interval, &SinkApplication::SendPacket, this);

}

}

Ptr<Socket> m_socket;

Address m_peer;

uint32_t m_packetSize;

uint32_t m_nPackets;

Time m_interval;

uint32_t m_packetsSent;

};

class SourceApplication : public Application

{

public:

SourceApplication() {}

virtual ~SourceApplication() {}

void Setup(Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address)

{

m_socket = socket;

m_peer = address;

}

private:

virtual void StartApplication(void)

{

m_socket->Bind();

m_socket->SetRecvCallback(MakeCallback(&SourceApplication::HandleRead, this));

}

void HandleRead(Ptr<Socket> socket)

{

Ptr<Packet> packet = socket->Recv();

// Process interest query and send response

Ptr<Packet> response = Create<Packet>(1024);  // Send data if query matches

socket->SendTo(response, 0, m_peer);

}

Ptr<Socket> m_socket;

Address m_peer;

};

int main(int argc, char *argv[])

{

NodeContainer nodes;

nodes.Create(6);  // Create 6 nodes

YansWifiChannelHelper wifiChannel = YansWifiChannelHelper::Default();

YansWifiPhyHelper wifiPhy = YansWifiPhyHelper::Default();

wifiPhy.SetChannel(wifiChannel.Create());

WifiHelper wifi;

wifi.SetStandard(WIFI_PHY_STANDARD_80211g);

wifi.SetRemoteStationManager(“ns3::AarfWifiManager”);

WifiMacHelper wifiMac;

wifiMac.SetType(“ns3::AdhocWifiMac”);

NetDeviceContainer devices = wifi.Install(wifiPhy, wifiMac, nodes);

InternetStackHelper internet;

internet.Install(nodes);

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

address.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces = address.Assign(devices);

MobilityHelper mobility;

mobility.SetPositionAllocator(“ns3::GridPositionAllocator”,

“MinX”, DoubleValue(0.0),

“MinY”, DoubleValue(0.0),

“DeltaX”, DoubleValue(100.0),

“DeltaY”, DoubleValue(100.0),

“GridWidth”, UintegerValue(3),

“LayoutType”, StringValue(“RowFirst”));

mobility.SetMobilityModel(“ns3::ConstantPositionMobilityModel”);

mobility.Install(nodes);

Ptr<Socket> sinkSocket = Socket::CreateSocket(nodes.Get(0), UdpSocketFactory::GetTypeId());

Address sinkBroadcast = InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address(“10.1.1.255”), 8080);

Ptr<SinkApplication> sinkApp = CreateObject<SinkApplication>();

sinkApp->Setup(sinkSocket, sinkBroadcast, 1024, 100, Seconds(1.0));

nodes.Get(0)->AddApplication(sinkApp);

sinkApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(1.0));

sinkApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(10.0));

Ptr<Socket> sourceSocket = Socket::CreateSocket(nodes.Get(5), UdpSocketFactory::GetTypeId());

Address sinkAddress = InetSocketAddress(interfaces.GetAddress(0), 8080);

Ptr<SourceApplication> sourceApp = CreateObject<SourceApplication>();

sourceApp->Setup(sourceSocket, sinkAddress);

nodes.Get(5)->AddApplication(sourceApp);

sourceApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(2.0));

sourceApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(10.0));

wifiPhy.EnablePcapAll(“data_centric_simulation”);

AnimationInterface anim(“data_centric_simulation.xml”);

Simulator::Stop(Seconds(20.0));

Simulator::Run();

Simulator::Destroy();

return 0;

}

4. Running the Simulation

• Build and run the script using NS3’s waf build system:

./waf build

./waf –run data_centric_simulation

5. Analyzing Results

• PCAP Traces: The .pcap files are generated in the course of the simulation can be investigated using tools such as Wireshark to monitor the interest propagation and data transmission.
• NetAnim: We can envision the node interactions in NetAnim using the .xml file generated during the simulation.

6. Extending the Simulation

We can expand this simple data-centric protocol simulation by:

• Inserting the aggregation at intermediate nodes to replicate data aggregation.
• Mimicking a sensor network with several sources and sinks.
• Executing energy-efficient communication in which nodes are decide to send data according to the obtainable energy.

We systematically carried out a detailed process on data centric protocol, with simulation and examine done through the simulation tool NS3. Additional informations regarding this topic will be shared, if required.

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