ns-3 Project

http://www.nsnam.org/

ns-3 Overview

ns-3 is a discrete-event network simulator for Internet systems, targeted primarily for research and educational use. It is the next major revision of the ns-2 simulator.

ns-3 is intended to provide better support than in ns-2 for the following items:

• Modularity of components
• Scalability of simulations
• Integration/reuse of externally developed code and software utilities
• Emulation
• Tracing and statistics
• Validation

Details

• While in ns-2, simulation scripts are written in OTcl, in ns-3, simulation scripts can be written in C++ and Python.
• ns-3 is using a version of the query interface design pattern to avoid downcasts and "weak base class" problems. This design is based on the idea of COM (Component Object Model).

Current Situation

• Use the waf build system to compile and install. There may be some errors during the installation and it takes a while to solve the problems.
• All codes are written in C++ (Python bindings have yet to be written). So, this simulator is easier to follow than ns-2.
• 1.5MB source code
• Layer2: CSMA and point-to-point protocols (no wireless yet)
• Ipv4 stack
• Application: on-off UDP traffic
• Static unicast routing

-- YingxinJiang - 04 Sep 2007