High-Fidelity Network Simulation Using a Flexible Agent-Based Parallel Discrete Event Simulation Framework

Highly parallel computing clusters hold out significant promise for improving fidelity of mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) simulations as well as increases in the scale of network simulations to hundreds or thousands of network nodes. However, harnessing such systems for parallel discrete event simulation (PDES) of MANETs presents significant challenges in model programming and implementation, achieving efficient processor utilization, and physical layer modeling. In this effort, we propose an agent-based simulation framework that incorporates the following aspects: 1) Flexible time management. We hypothesize that selective relaxation of some certain time management constraints can lead to significant performance increases while remaining within bounds of acceptable fidelity, 2) Reuse and integration of existing and new network models. An agent based approach will provide effective ways to integrate existing and new models within a PDES system, and 3) High fidelity physical layer simulation of carrier recovery, synchronization, demodulation, and decoding, and signal propagation. The result of the overall effort will provide a new high-fidelity scalable MANET simulation capability infeasible on current hardware.