A Cloud-Based Service for Generating Ns-3 Network Simulation Programs

A cloud-based web service is presented for users to machine-generate network simulation programs for the opensource ns-3 network simulator. The service takes as input a userprovided network system model and delivers as output an ns-3 'main' program. An accompanying user-based modeling tool provides a graphical user interface for constructing and editing models of four layer Internet systems in terms of backbone nodes and links, different types of wireless networks (LTE, Wifi infrastructure, Wifi adhoc, Wimax, or CSMA), end-to-end application traffic sources, mobility models, routing protocols, and trace sources. Methods are also developed to make the cloudbased program generation service secure in terms of not exposing network model information in the cloud during the entirety of the program generation process. A masking technique is presented for hiding network information such as node or link names, link end-point names, IP and MAC addresses, model option choices, parameter values, and application-layer traffic end-point names. A network model decomposition technique is presented for obscuring network topology information such as the mix and graphical interconnection of nodes, links, wireless networks, wireless network elements, and application-layer traffic flows. The ns-3 program generation service facilitates the production and editing of ns-3 programs for large or complex network systems. It can also assist new users or non-experts with generating ns-3 programs.