To simulate a Distance Vector Routing (DVR) project using OPNET Modeler that permits to examine the routing protocol’s performance, which utilize the distance vector algorithm like RIP (Routing Information Protocol). Distance Vector Routing protocols depend on the routers sharing routing tables along with neighbors, to allow them making routing decisions according to the distance such as hop count or other parameters. Stay in touch with our team if you want more help in this area. Here’s a detailed guide for simulating Distance Vector Routing project using OPNET:
Steps to Simulate Distance Vector Routing Project in OPNET
- Set Up the OPNET Project
- To make a new project in OPNET Modeler.
- Describe the workspace, network environment, and simulation time depends on the targets such as experimenting convergence time, packet delay, or network stability.
- Design the Network Topology
- Make a network topology including routers, clients, and servers are associated by links.
- The network would encompass several routers along with minimum two paths among nodes, monitoring distance vector routing behavior.
- For creating traffic, insert client and server nodes if we need to examine the routing with data flow.
- Enable Distance Vector Routing Protocol (e.g., RIP)
- Allow the RIP protocol that utilizes distance vector routing principles in properties of each router.
- Set up RIP-specific metrics for every router:
- Update Interval: Configure the time interval to swap routing data (per 30 seconds) for routers.
- Maximum Hop Count: Describe the maximum permissible hops such as RIP normally utilizes a hop count limit of 15.
- Route Timeout: Configure how long a route stays within the routing table if updates are not obtained.
- Configure Link Metrics
- For the routing protocol, configure the parameters at each link to find out the “distance” cost.
- Link parameters can denote the hop count or other characteristics like bandwidth or delay according to the situation we want to replicate.
- Define Application Traffic (Optional)
- Set up application traffic like HTTP, FTP, or VoIP among clients and servers to mimic real traffic through the network.
- In Application Config and Profile Config:
- In Application Config, configure traffic patterns like data transfer sizes and session time.
- Describe when and how frequently traffic is made to attach profiles to clients and servers in Profile Config.
- Set Up Network Parameters
- Set up network links along with realistic settings like bandwidth, delay, and error rates to replicate diverse network conditions.
- For instance, configure higher delays at specific links monitoring how the routing protocol selects the alternative paths.
- Add Background Traffic (Optional)
- Utilize applications such as HTTP or video streaming to add background traffic at certain links or through the whole network, replicating a congested network.
- It will support to monitor how Distance Vector Routing adjusts within high-load scenarios.
- Configure Simulation Parameters
- Configure metrics to seize protocol-specific parameters such as route updates, convergence time, packet delay, and hop count.
- For RIP, allow logging or the Distance Vector protocol to seize the routing updates and network state modifications.
- Run the Simulation
- Begin the replication then monitor the performance RIP like routers exchange routing tables and update paths.
- Observe how routers meet to a stable state in which every routing table are synchronized.
- Analyze Results
- Estimate the DVR-specific parameters using OPNET’s analysis tools, after the simulation accomplishes:
- Convergence Time: After a topology change, calculate how long it takes for every router to attain a stable routing state.
- Hop Count: For routes, compute the number of hops and then examine how RIP restrictions hop count avoiding loops.
- Routing Table Stability: Verify the routing tables’ stability over time and detect any route flapping.
- Packet Delay and Throughput: Investigate the packet delay and throughput on routes are launched by the DVR protocol.
- Traffic Distribution: Monitor how traffic is routed via the network and observe how load balancing happens through diverse paths.
OPNET facilitated a detailed simulation process, allowing us to configure and simulate the Distance Vector Routing Projects. We are ready to expand it further on demand.
