To Simulate the SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) a protocol in OPNET has includes the configuration of WAN surroundings that network policies and routing decisions are centrally controlled. SD-WAN merges the flexibility of software-defined networking (SDN) with traditional WAN their permitting the optimized traffic routing and load balancing for application prioritization across multiple WAN connections. Here’s a step-by-step procedures to replicate the SD-WAN protocols in OPNET:
Steps to Simulate SD-WAN Protocol Projects in OPNET
- Initialize the Project and Define Network Topology
- Create a New Project: Open OPNET, create a new project, and choose a WAN topology, by way of SD-WAN primarily function in a shared network via multiple branches.
- Define the Network Layout: Configure a topology with multiple branch sites, data centers, and a central SD-WAN controller node. All branch sites must associate to the central office or data center across at least two WAN links like MPLS and broadband that replicate SD-WAN’s ability to dynamically route traffic.
- Add and Configure SD-WAN Components
- Place Edge Routers and End Devices: configure edge routers at each branch and data center location to signify the devices which handles SD-WAN traffic policies. Associate end devices such as workstations, servers to these routers inside each branch network.
- Establish WAN Links: set up WAN links among branch sites and the central office/data centre using diverse kinds of links, like MPLS, broadband, and LTE. Allocate bandwidth and delay values to all links to characterize the differences in performance and cost connected with each connection.
- Configure SD-WAN Controller and Protocol Policies
- Enable SD-WAN Controller: Place a central SD-WAN controller on the main data centre or headquarters. This controller will handle routing policies and enthusiastically control the WAN links.
- Define Routing Policies:
- Application-Based Policies: Set policies to transmit certain applications such as VoIP, video conferencing through high-performance links such as MPLS while forwarding the less complex applications such as an email or file backups through broadband or LTE.
- Dynamic Path Selection: set up policies to track link performance such as latency, packet loss and interchange traffic to the best available path according to real-time network conditions.
- Quality of Service (QoS): Allow QoS policies on SD-WAN devices to select traffic according to application type make sure high-priority applications gets suitable bandwidth.
- Define Traffic Models
- Application Traffic: Configures traffic flows which replicate a usual enterprise scenario that contain HTTP, FTP, VoIP, and Video Streaming.
- Traffic Patterns:
- Branch-to-Data Center Traffic: set up traffic flows among branch offices and the data center to learn on how SD-WAN policies handle inter-branch communication.
- Branch-to-Branch Communication: configure traffic flows directly among the branches to validate SD-WAN’s ability to transmit traffic optimally via multiple paths without going across the data centre.
- High-Priority and Low-Priority Applications: Describe traffic flows for applications with changing levels of priority, enabling you to see how SD-WAN manage differentiated services.
- Simulation Parameters and Scenario Setup
- Set Simulation Duration: select a simulation time which permits the SD-WAN controller to track and enhance routing for diverse applications.
- Create Multiple Scenarios:
- Link Failures and Recovery: Replicate link failures such as MPLS or broadband outages to validate SD-WAN’s failover capabilities and monitor how rapidly it switches traffic to the next best path.
- Varying Network Conditions: Establish changes in link performance such as increased delay or packet loss on a broadband link to validate how SD-WAN policies with dynamism adjust to real-time conditions.
- Traffic Load Variations: Upsurge traffic load on complex applications to learn on how SD-WAN selects high-priority applications through other traffic types.
- Define Performance Metrics and Data Collection
- Key Metrics for SD-WAN:
- Packet Delivery Ratio: Measure the successful delivery of packets to measure SD-WAN’s routing reliability.
- End-to-End Delay: evaluate delay for complex applications, especially in those transmitted via diverse WAN links.
- Link Utilization: Observe bandwidth utilization on each WAN link to learn SD-WAN’s load balancing and path selection.
- Path Failover Time: Evaluate the time SD-WAN takes to change to another path when a primary link fails or worsens.
- QoS and Application Performance: measure the parameters for certain high-priority applications such as VoIP quality or video streaming quality to evaluate how well SD-WAN satisfy QoS necessities.
- Data Collection Setup: Utilize OPNET’s data collection tools to log parameters such as latency, packet delivery, path failover, and link usage, concentrates on SD-WAN’s capability to meet performance and reliability objectives.
- Run the Simulation and Analyse Results
- Execute the Simulation: Execute the replication and learn on how the SD-WAN are dynamic routing activities, particularly on how the controller adapts path selection according to real-time network conditions.
- Analyze Results: Utilize OPNET’s evaluation tools to create plots for packet delivery ratio, end-to-end latency, path failover times, and link usage. Measure SD-WAN’s efficiency in enhancing performance, particular for high-priority applications, and in reacting to network variations.
Through the entire process, you can acquire the simulation and execution process regarding the Software-Defined Wide Area Network project offered in it using OPNET tool. We will plan to offer the more information regarding the Software-Defined Wide Area Network in another manual.
