ECE6110 - CAD For Computer Networks

Instructor

Dr. George F. Riley
Office: Klaus 3360
Office hours: Thu/Fri 2-4pm, other times by email
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 ns3 and/or GTNetS, 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 Jinx cluster. This platform is the recommended platform for completing all of theThis 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 jinx 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. He 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: Farhan Aziz faziz3@gatech.edu

Office hours: Mon 12:00 - 1:30, Monday 4:30 - 6:00 Wed 12:00 - 1:30, Wed 4:30 - 6:00, Klaus 1446

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	22	Introduction to Network Simulation
Wed	Aug	24	Introduction to Network Simulation (cont.)
Mon	Aug	29	Download ns-3	http://www.nsnam.org
			ns-3 tutorial	ns-3-tutorial.pdf
			John Abrahams combined ns3 and animator	ns-3-ece-6110-gatech.tgz
			Wiki instructions for the animator	http://www.nsnam.org/wiki/index.php/NetAnim
Wed	Aug	31	Using ns-3 continued
Mon	Sep	5	NO CLASS	HOLIDAY
Wed	Sep	7	Guest Lecture by John Abraham the ns-3 animator
Wed	Sep	7	TCP Througput Comparisions	Lab 1 assigned	Sept 14
Mon	Sep	12	Discussion of Lab 1
			John Abrahams drop-tail-queue example	dumbbell-animation-dtq.cc
			John Abrahams TCP Variant example	dumbbell-animation-tcpvariant.cc
Wed	Sep	14	TCP Congestion Avoidance Paper	VanJacobsonCongestionAvoidance.pdf
Mon	Sep	19	TCP Variations	TCPflavors.pdf
Wed	Sep	21	Random Early Detection Queuing	Floyd-Red.pdf
Mon	Sep	26	Tuning RED for Web Traffic	TuningRedLong.pdf
Wed	Sep	28	Bruce Mah HTTP Study	MahHttp.pdf
Wed	Sep	28	RED vs Drop TailComparisions	Lab 2 assigned	Oct 10
			NIx-Vector Routing	RileyStatelessRouting.pdf
Mon	Oct	3	Difficuties Simulating the Internet	FloydDifficultiesSimulatingInternet.pdf
			Can We Simulate the Internet?	RileySimulatingInternet.pdf
Wed	Oct	5	Modeling Internet Worms	Riley-Sharif-Worms.pdf
			Worm Containment	Hafez-Containment.pdf
			Sample midterm exam from prior class	mt1-example.pdf
Mon	Oct	10	Mid Term Exam
Wed	Oct	12	Effect of Ethernet Detail	EthernetDetail.pdf
			Ethernet Detail Revisited	EthernetRevisited.pdf
Mon	Oct	17	Fall break
Wed	Oct	19	Wireless Simulation Overview
Wed	Oct	19	Wireless Throughput	Lab 3 assigned	Nov 4 2012
Mon	Oct	24	MIT Roofnet Paper	WirelessMeasurements.pdf
			Experimental Evaluation of Wireless Assumptions	experimental_wireless.pdf
Wed	Oct	26	Wireless Simulator Accuracy	ManetSimulatorAccuracy.pdf
			Comparing Wireless Simulators	DheerajWirelessComparison.pdf
			Final Projects Posted	finalproj.pdf
Mon	Oct	31	Measurement Based Physical Layer Modeling	PhysicalModel.pdf
			Another Experimental Validation of Wireless	Direct-Execution-Wireless-Nicol.pdf
Wed	Nov	2	Dynamic Source Routing	DSRMultihop.pdf
			Detailed modeling of OFDM	Detailed-OFDM-Modeling-Bagrodia.pdf
Mon	Nov	7	Wireless Capacity Limits	GuptaKumarWireless.pdf
Wed	Nov	9	More Efficient Wireless Simulation	WirelessLamp.pdf
			Effect of Details on Wireless	WirelessDetail.pdf
Mon	Nov	14	Distributed Simulation	ghosts.pdf
			Distributed Simulation with NS3	DistNS3.pdf
Wed	Nov	16	NO CLASS - Instructor out of town
Mon	Nov	21	Fluid Modeling-Jaafar	Riley-Jaafar-Fluid.pdf
Wed	Nov	23	Fluid Modeling-Kiddle	p143-kiddle.pdf
			Fluid Modeling-Towsley	Towsley-Fluid-sim.pdf
			Fluid Models	wodes02.pdf
Mon	Nov	28	Packet Reordering in the Internet	Partridge-PacketReordering.pdf
Wed	Nov	30	Flash Worms	FlashWorms-Staniford.pdf
			Simulating the Compact Flash Worm	cflash.pdf
			Worm Containment	Hafez-Containment.pdf
Mon	Dec	5	Final Project Presentations
Wed	Dec	7	Final Project Presentations
Wed	Dec	9	Final Project Presentations Klaus 1116W 11-2pm

Contact Information:

riley@ece.gatech.edu

School of Electrical and Computer Computing

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA 30332-0250