[Ns-developers] GSoC Idea - HLA interfaces for ns-3

[Tommaso Pecorella]

Hello,

the project details are not yet finalized, as right now it was just an idea. The basis about it is the analogous HLA support offered by Omnetpp. The idea is not to do-it-like-them tho, the idea is to do it somewhat *better*.

The work probably will involve a new scheduler (time is of the essence, and time is shared in this case) and proper APIs for the relevant parts. Considering we're aiming not at federating with similar simulators (e.g., with Omnetpp) but with higher-level ones (e.g., scenario simulators), the task might be a bit simpler.

I'd suggest to check the solution offered for Omnetpp as a start, purely because it might give a good indication of what are the features of an HLA-compliant simulator have.

Some links are:
http://freedownload.is/doc/hla-compliant-network-enabled-distribute-modeling-and--2632737.html
http://www.ce.uniroma2.it/~egalli/projects.html

I just did a fast google search, there might be more around.

About the GSOC timeframe, there is no real problem. The ideas are right now there to be discussed and modified so to be reasonably done in the official GSOC period. Most of the bigger projects are just started in a GSOC with a proof of concept as the final deliverable. Then they're finalized afterwards, it can take months to have them really integrated into the main codebase, but that's normal. In the post-GSOC period the students are supposed to be involved in the development and finalization of their contribution, but tmopre people can contribute to it toward the final product.

Anyway, we can discuss about what is reasonable for the GSOC timeline, however I think that the bare minimum would be a scheduler compliant with HLA and a module or two able to be "driven" by an external scenario simulator. Probably the mobility one being the most interesting due to the immediate and "visible" output.
Example: HLA scenario simulating a traffic jam (highway: a car crash and the opposite line experiences a traffic jam due to the idiots looking) while the simulator does a Vehicular Network Simulation.

Of course to have a complete HLA compliance we'd need more modules to be integrated, ranging from applications to propagation models, but as you noticed, doing all of them would be too time consuming.
The important thing about the solution is that it should be easy to extend for the missing models, so to serve as a guideline for future expansions. So the most important part is actually the solution design rather than the raw coding.

Best regards,

Tommaso






On 21 Feb 2012, at 08:01, Mudit Gupta wrote:

> Dear Professor Pecorella,
> 
> I am Mudit Raj Gupta, a fourth year undergraduate student of M. Sc.(H)
> Chemistry and B.E.(H) Electronics and Instrumentation I from BITS - Pilani
> (INDIA) (http://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/). I am interested in applying for
> the project "High-Level Architecture (HLA) interfaces for ns-3" for GSoC
> 2012. I am interested in modeling and simulation of complex distributed
> systems and swarm intelligence. I successfully completed GSoC - 2011 for
> Center for the Study of Complex Systems (CSCS) - University of Michigan. I
> worked on Complex Systems Modelling using an Agent Based Modelling tool -
> Repast Symphony. I am also interested in Wireless Sensor Networks and
> Networked Embedded System.
> 
> I have gone through the project description given here:
> 
> http://www.nsnam.org/wiki/index.php/GSOC2012Projects#High-level_architecture_.28HLA.29_interfaces_for_ns-3
> 
> and gone through the references including "IEEE 1516-2010 - IEEE Standard
> for Modeling and Simulation (M&S) High Level Architecture (HLA) --
> Framework and Rules". The project look interesting although I am not
> sure weather it could be completed during GSoC. Although these are
> only my initial thoughts.
> 
> It would be greatly appreciated if you and/or community members could
> provide any pointers or further information about the project at their
> leisure. Thank you for your time.
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> Mudit Raj Gupta
> BITS-Pilani Goa Campus

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The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.
And if you really don't like all the standards you just have to wait another year until the one arises you are looking for.
-- A. Tanenbaum, "Introduction to Computer Networks"

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Tommaso Pecorella - Ph.D.

Assistant professor
Dpt. Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni
Università di Firenze

CNIT - Università di Firenze Unit

via di S. Marta 3
50139, Firenze
ITALY

email: tommaso.pecorella at unifi.it
       tommaso.pecorella at cnit.it

phone : +39-055-4796412
mobile: +39-320-4379803
fax   : +39-055-494569







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Thinking evolution:
 "To be is to do" - Socrates
 "To do is to be" - Sartre
 "Do Be Do Be Do" - Sinatra
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 "Yaba Daba Doo!" - Fred Flintstone 

--------------------------------------------------------------

Tommaso Pecorella - Ph.D.

Assistant professor
Dpt. Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni
Università di Firenze

CNIT - Università di Firenze Unit

via di S. Marta 3
50139, Firenze
ITALY

email: tommaso.pecorella at unifi.it
       tommaso.pecorella at cnit.it

phone : +39-055-4796412
mobile: +39-320-4379803
fax   : +39-055-494569