To simulate optimal routing projects using OMNeT++, we can utilize built-in protocols such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) for shortest-path routing or execute the own custom optimal routing techniques. Optimal routing can be founded on diverse conditions like shortest path, lowest delay, maximum throughput, or custom-defined parameter.
Steps to Simulate Optimal Routing Projects in OMNeT++
- Set up OMNeT++ and INET Framework
Before beginning, make sure that we have:
- OMNeT++ installed: Download it from OMNeT++’s official website.
- INET Framework installed: INET deliver several pre-built network protocols, that contain OSPF for shortest-path routing. Download it from the INET GitHub page or install it using OMNeT++’s package manager.
- Define Network Topology in NED (Network Description)
To simulate optimal routing, initially we want to describe a network topology using NED. This topology will consist of routers and hosts in which the routing protocols will estimate optimal paths.
Here’s an instance NED file for a simple network:
network OptimalRoutingNetwork
{
parameters:
@display(“bgb=600,400”);
submodules:
routerA: Router {
@display(“i=abstract/router”);
}
routerB: Router {
@display(“i=abstract/router”);
}
routerC: Router {
@display(“i=abstract/router”);
}
hostA: StandardHost {
@display(“i=device/pc”);
}
hostB: StandardHost {
@display(“i=device/pc”);
}
connections:
routerA.pppg++ <–> PointToPointLink <–> routerB.pppg++;
routerB.pppg++ <–> PointToPointLink <–> routerC.pppg++;
hostA.ethg++ <–> EthernetLink <–> routerA.ethg++;
hostB.ethg++ <–> EthernetLink <–> routerC.ethg++;
}
This network involves of two hosts (hostA and hostB) connected through three routers (routerA, routerB, and routerC). Optimal routing will be estimated among these nodes.
- Choose or Implement an Optimal Routing Algorithm
You can either:
- Use existing optimal routing protocols like OSPF (which computes the shortest path).
- Implement a custom optimal routing algorithm according to different optimization parameters like delay, throughput, or congestion.
(1) Using OSPF for Optimal Routing
OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that estimate the shortest path among routers. It’s available in the INET framework, and we can allow it by adapting the .ini file.
Here’s how to configure OSPF in OMNeT++:
network = OptimalRoutingNetwork
sim-time-limit = 100s
# Enable OSPF for all routers
*.routerA.hasOspf = true
*.routerB.hasOspf = true
*.routerC.hasOspf = true
# Assign unique OSPF router IDs
*.routerA.routingTable.ospfRouterId = “192.168.1.1”
*.routerB.routingTable.ospfRouterId = “192.168.2.1”
*.routerC.routingTable.ospfRouterId = “192.168.3.1”
# Define OSPF areas (0.0.0.0 is the default area)
*.routerA.ospf.areaConfig[0] = “0.0.0.0”
*.routerB.ospf.areaConfig[0] = “0.0.0.0”
*.routerC.ospf.areaConfig[0] = “0.0.0.0”
# Specify OSPF network interfaces
*.routerA.ospf.interfaceConfig[0].interface = “ppp0”
*.routerB.ospf.interfaceConfig[0].interface = “ppp0”
*.routerC.ospf.interfaceConfig[0].interface = “ppp0”
- OSPF Router IDs: Allocate unique IDs to each router.
- OSPF Interfaces: permit OSPF on each router interface to enable link-state advertisements and path computation.
When we execute the simulation, OSPF will estimate the shortest paths among the routers according to the network topology and traffic patterns.
(2) Custom Optimal Routing Algorithm
We need to execute custom optimal routing techniques (such as based on delay, bandwidth, or congestion), we will required to generate a custom routing module in C++.
Here’s a high-level approach:
- Create a Custom C++ Class for Routing Logic: Describe a custom routing module that encompasses cSimpleModule to manage custom path calculations.
class CustomOptimalRouting : public cSimpleModule
{
private:
std::map<int, RouteEntry> routingTable;
protected:
virtual void initialize() override;
virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override;
void calculateOptimalRoute();
};
- Implement the Optimal Route Calculation: Utilize an algorithm such as Dijkstra’s algorithm or custom techniques to estimate optimal routes according to chosen parameters (latency, congestion, etc.).
void CustomOptimalRouting::calculateOptimalRoute()
{
// Custom logic to compute the optimal route based on defined metrics
}
- Modify the Routing Table: After computing the optimal path, update the router’s routing table to replicate the optimal route.
- Compile the Code: insert the C++ class to the simulation scenario and adapt the .ini file to utilize the custom routing module.
*.routerA.customRoutingModule = “CustomOptimalRouting”
*.routerB.customRoutingModule = “CustomOptimalRouting”
*.routerC.customRoutingModule = “CustomOptimalRouting”
- Run the Simulation
Once the routing protocol (either OSPF or custom) is executed, we need to execute the simulation using OMNeT++.
- Utilize Qtenv or Tkenv to envision the simulation process and track packet transmissions, routes chosen, and overall network performance.
- We can establish traffic among hosts and track on how the routers estimate and utilize optimal paths for forwarding the packets.
- Analyse Simulation Results
After executing the simulation, we need to measure the following parameters to measure the performance of the optimal routing algorithm:
- Shortest Path: make sure that the chosen paths are the most optimal according to the condition (e.g., shortest path, minimum latency).
- Packet Delivery Ratio: measure on how efficiently the packets are delivered to their destination.
- Throughput: Evaluate the throughput via the network, especially for high traffic.
- Latency: Validate the latency experienced by packets and validate if the routing minimize delay.
- Routing Overhead: Evaluate the amount of routing control traffic (OSPF advertisements or custom routing messages).
- Simulate Network Failures (Optional)
We can also simulate network failures by disabling links or routers and monitoring on how the routing protocol adapts. For OSPF, the protocol will recomputed routes when a link fails. For custom protocols, we required to implement a fault-tolerance mechanism to manage failures.
To disable a link in the course of the simulation:
**.routerA.pppg[0].disableAfter = 50s # Disables the connection after 50 seconds
- Extend the Project
Here are some extensions that can add to optimal routing simulation project:
- Larger Network Topology: Replicate more complex networks with multiple routers and hosts.
- Multiple Routing Metrics: Execute multi-criteria optimization by considering delay, bandwidth, and load simultaneously.
- Dynamic Traffic Loads: Replicate variable traffic patterns and evaluate on how the optimal routing protocol act as varying conditions.
- Network Failures: Establish network disruptions (e.g., node failures) and monitor on how the routing protocol adjust to sustain an optimal paths.
Example Project Structure:
OptimalRoutingSimulation/
├── src/
│ └── OptimalRoutingNetwork.ned # Network topology
│ └── CustomOptimalRouting.cc # Custom routing algorithm (if applicable)
├── omnetpp.ini # Simulation configuration
└── Makefile # Build file for compilation
Conclusion
By following these steps, we can replicate optimal routing in OMNeT++ using whether pre-built protocols such as OSPF or your custom-designed optimal routing techniques.
We had completely thorough the manual and successfully executed the optimal routing project using the tool of OMNeT++ that has setup the topology then choose the optimal routing technique after that execute and evaluate the performance metrics to analyse the outcomes. If you need more information regarding this project feel free to ask! Receive top-notch guidance on comparative analysis from our team. Let us know your requirements for Optimal Routing Projects, and we will provide you with the best simulation support from the phdprime.com team. We handle various scenarios, including shortest path, lowest delay, maximum throughput, or any custom-defined parameters for your projects.
