Network Modeling and Simulation


In communication and computer network research, network simulation is a technique where a program models the behavior of a network either by calculating the interaction between the different network entities (hosts/routers, data links, packets, etc) using mathematical formulas, or actually capturing and playing back observations from a production network. The behavior of the network and the various applications and services it supports can then be observed in a test lab; various attributes of the environment can also be modified in a controlled manner to assess how the network would behave under different conditions. When a simulation program is used in conjunction with live applications and services in order to observe end-to-end performance to the user desktop, this technique is also referred to as network emulation.