ECE6110 - CAD For Computer Networks

Instructor

Dr. George F. Riley
Office: Klaus 3360
Office hours: Tue-Thu 10-11am
Email: riley@ece.gatech.edu

Course Summary

ECE6110 is a graduate course which introduces students to the concepts used in simulations of computer networks. We will cover a wide range of issues in computer network simulation, and try to understand both how to create simulations and how to interpret results. We use a number of network simulation tools, including GTNetS, ns2, and ns3 for out of class projects. At the completion of the semester, students will have a detailed understanding of computer network simulation and how to apply it networking research.

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching is interactive! Students are strongly encouraged to participate in class and offer opinions on the issues being discussed. I encourage (and expect) you to participate actively in the learning process. In particular, I welcome your comments and questions as we cover material in class. One-way lectures quickly becoming boring, both for you and for me. Also, I have found that students often learn more from other students comments than from the instructor! By asking lots of questions, your understanding of the material will be deepened significantly, and the course will be much more fun! From time to time there will be readings for a class session; these will be posted on the class web page below in a downloadable format. Students are expected to download and read the assigned readings before class.

Computing Resources

We have a newly installed linux-based computing cluster known as the Hogwarts cluster. This platform is the recommended platform for completing all of the class projects, although you are free to use your personal laptops or desktops, as long as they have linux and appropriate libraries. The link above describes the hogwarts cluster and how to access it.

Textbook

There is no textbook for this class. We will use research papers as required for our reading and discussion.

Course Outline

The list of topics to be covered is tentative, but expected to include the following:

Network Simulation Basics

Creating topologies

Defining data flows

Defining queuing disciplines

Trace file analysis methods

Using network animation

Introduction to Simulation

Discrete Event Simulation (DES)

Simulating Networks with DES

Modeling Network Elements

Levels of abstratction

Parallel and Distributed Simulation

Conservative vs. Optimistic Simulation Methods

Time Management in Conservative Simulation

Event Distribution Methods

Overview of Network Simulation Tools

GTNetS

ns3

ns2

Opnet

SSF

GloMoSim

Using Parallel/Distributed GTNetS

Defining submodels

Defining cross simulator links

Defining cross simulator data flows

Using Ghost Nodes

Initiating multi-process simulations

Measuring Network Performance via Simulation

Performance Metrics

Goodput, Throughput, Loss, Delay, Jitter, etc.

Factors Affecting Performance

Predicting Affect of Changes

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

Modeling TCP

Existing TCP Variations

Factors Affecting TCP Performance

New TCP variations

Congestion Avoidance in TCP

Using TCP over satellite links

Using simulation to measure TCP performance

Multicast

Multicast group management

Source based trees vs. Core based trees

Modeling multicast in network simulations

Measuring multicast routing protocol overhead

Simulating Routing Prototocols

Routing in Network Simulators

Modeling EIGRP and BGP

Active Queue Management (AQM) and queueing Disciplines

DropTail, RED, Priority, WFQ, SCFQ, others

Implementation of active queues in network simulators

Measuring the affect of AQM

Streaming Video/Audio Models

Creating a MPEG video model

Measuring MPEG performance

Performance tradeoffs in streaming applications

Modeling Web Browsing

Using request/response distribution models

Using page distribution models

Measuring HTTP Performance

Getting Help

There will be one teaching assistant for this course. She will do all grading of out of class projects and should be your first point of contact when you have questions about assignments or grading.

Teaching Assistant: Elizabeth Lynch elizabeth.lynch@gatech.edu

Office hours: Tue 2:00 - 3:30, Wed 1:30 - 3:00, Klaus 3355

Grading

Project 1	10%
Project 2	10%
Project 3	20%
Midterm	20%
Final Project	30%
Class Participation	10%
Total	100%

Syllabus

Day	Month	Date	Description	Handout	Due Date
Mon	Aug	17	Introduction to Network Simulation
Wed	Aug	19	Introduction to Network Simulation (cont.)
Mon	Aug	24	Using GTNetS	GTNetS-ECE6110-Fall2009.ppt
Wed	Aug	26	Using GTNetS (continued)
Wed	Aug	26	TCP Througput Comparisions	Lab 1 assigned	Wed Sep 9
Mon	Aug	31	Congestion Avoidance Paper	VanJacobsonCongestionAvoidance.pdf
Wed	Sep	2	Congestion Avoidance (continued)
Mon	Sep	7	School Holiday
Wed	Sep	9	NIx-Vector Routing	RileyStatelessRouting.pdf
Mon	Sep	14	Random Early Detection Queuing	Floyd-Red.pdf
Mon	Sep	14	Comparison of Queuing Methods	Lab 2 assigned	Fri Oct 9
Wed	Sep	16	Improving Simulator Performance	wsc03.pdf
			Tuning RED	TuningRedLong.pdf
Mon	Sep	21	Guest Lecture by Prof. Goldsman (ISYE)
Wed	Sep	23	Guest Lecture by Prof. Goldsman (ISYE)
Mon	Sep	28	Tuning RED (continued)	TuningRedLong.pdf
Wed	Sep	30	Effect of Ethernet Detail	EthernetDetail.pdf
			Ethernet Detail Revisited	EthernetRevisited.pdf
			Packet Reordering in the Internet	Partridge-PacketReordering.pdf
			Fluid Modeling-Towsley	Towsley-Fluid-sim.pdf
			Fluid Modeling-Jaafar	Riley-Jaafar-Fluid.pdf
Mon	Oct	5	Fall Break
Wed	Oct	7	Distributed Simulation	pdns.pdf
Mon	Oct	12	Mid-Term Exam
Wed	Oct	14	Wireless Simulation Overview
Mon	Oct	19	MIT Roofnet Paper	WirelessMeasurements.pdf
			Measurement Based Physical Layer Modeling	PhysicalModel.pdf
Mon	Oct	19	Wireless Throughput	Lab 3 assigned	Fri Nov 6
Wed	Oct	21	Dynamic Source Routing	DSRMultihop.pdf
Mon	Oct	26	Experimental Evaluation of Wireless Assumptions	experimental_wireless.pdf
Wed	Oct	28	Wireless Simulator Accuracy	ManetSimulatorAccuracy.pdf
			Wireless Simulator Comparison	DheerajWirelessComparison.pdf
				testptx.cc
				testadhoc.cc
Mon	Nov	2	Effect of Details on Wireless	WirelessDetail.pdf
Wed	Nov	4	Wireless Capacity Limits	GuptaKumarWireless.pdf
				Detailed modeling of OFDM
Mon	Nov	9	Detailed modeling of OFDM	Detailed-OFDM-Modeling-Bagrodia.pdf
			Distributed Simulation	Distributed Simulation
			Distributed Simulation	Distributed Simulation
Mon	Nov	9	Modeling Internet Worms	Riley-Sharif-Worms.pdf
			Abstract Worms	Nicol-Worms-Abstract.pdf
			Flash Worms	FlashWorms-Staniford.pdf
Mon	Nov	9	Final Project Assigned	Lab 4 assigned	Mon Dec 7
Wed	Nov	11	Can We Simulate the Internet?	RileySimulatingInternet.pdf
Mon	Nov	16	Can We Simulate the Internet?	RileySimulatingInternet.pdf
Wed	Nov	18	NS3	ns3_tutorial-presentation.pdf
Mon	Nov	23	NS3 Continued
Wed	Nov	25	No Class. Happy Thanksgiving
Mon	Nov	30	No Class. Extended Office Hours
Wed	Dec	2	No Class. Extended Office Hours
Mon	Dec	7		Final Exam 2:50 - 5:40 pm

Contact Information:

riley@ece.gatech.edu

School of Electrical and Computer Computing

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA 30332-0250