How to Start Multicast Routing Projects Using NS2

To create a Multicast Routing project in NS2 has includes the configuration for network in which the data can be transmitted to different destinations at once, rather than just a single destination. The Multicast routing protocols are used in environment in which transmit require to the data transfer to a group of receivers instantaneously, like as in video streaming, conferencing, and large-scale content distribution.

In NS2, multicast routing is typically apply by protocols such as DVMRP (Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol), PIM-SM (Protocol Independent Multicast – Sparse Mode), or MOSPF (Multicast Open Shortest Path First). This protocol is used to maintain the transfer for multicast traffic efficiently, and they various in their approach we handling the multicast group membership, path selection, and maintenance.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you start a multicast routing project in NS2:

Steps to Start Multicast Routing Projects Using NS2

  1. Install NS2

If NS2 is not installed yet, we can follow for this installation procedure below:

  • For Linux (Ubuntu/Debian-based):

sudo apt update

sudo apt install ns2

sudo apt install nam

  • For Windows: we will essential to use a virtual machine or Cygwin, as NS2 does not support Windows natively.

Once installed, validate the installation with processing:

ns

This should open the NS2 command-line interface.

  1. Understand Multicast Routing

In multicast routing, data is transfer to several receivers in a group. The important aim for multicast routing is efficiently handle the delivery for multicast packets through creating a multicast distribution tree which joins the source to all receivers.

Common Multicast Routing Protocols:

  • DVMRP (Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol): According to the distance-vector routing technique, DVMRP uses a shared tree for transfer the multicast congestion and prune unnecessary branches.
  • PIM-SM (Protocol Independent Multicast – Sparse Mode): A scalable multicast routing protocol that use distribute the tree for group transmission and uses Rendezvous Points (RPs) for connection groups.
  • MOSPF (Multicast OSPF): An extension for OSPF which helps the multicast routing using source-specific trees.
  1. Set up the NS2 Simulation Environment

To create a multicast routing project in NS2, we will create a TCL script to state your network topology, multicast sources, and receivers. We will require to setting a multicast routing protocol for effective packet delivery.

Basic Network Setup Example

Here is a sample of how you can state a multicast network using PIM-SM for routing in NS2. This script builds a simple network by multicast routing from one source to several receivers.

# Create a simulator object

set ns [new Simulator]

# Create nodes (5 nodes in this case)

set n0 [$ns node]  ;# Source node

set n1 [$ns node]

set n2 [$ns node]  ;# Multicast receivers

set n3 [$ns node]

set n4 [$ns node]

# Create links between nodes

$ns duplex-link $n0 $n1 10Mb 20ms DropTail

$ns duplex-link $n1 $n2 10Mb 20ms DropTail

$ns duplex-link $n1 $n3 10Mb 20ms DropTail

$ns duplex-link $n1 $n4 10Mb 20ms DropTail

# Set up multicast routing (e.g., PIM-SM)

# NS2 doesn’t natively support PIM-SM, so you’d need to enable multicast

# routing via the IP multicast routing feature in NS2.

# Define the multicast group address.

set mgroup “233.1.1.1”

# Set the source to send multicast traffic (node 0)

set udp [new Agent/UDP]

set null [new Agent/Null]

$null attach-agent $n2

$udp attach-agent $n0

# Set multicast traffic from node 0 to group address

$ns at 0.5 “$udp send”

# Create the multicast group

set mc [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$mc set packetSize_ 512

$mc set interval_ 0.1

$mc attach-agent $n0

# Define the multicast receivers (node 2, node 3, node 4)

$mc join-multicast-group $mgroup $n2

$mc join-multicast-group $mgroup $n3

$mc join-multicast-group $mgroup $n4

 

# Run the simulation

$ns run

  1. Multicast Routing in NS2

While NS2 does not directly apply for the multicast protocols such as PIM-SM or DVMRP, it helps the IP multicast classify, that permits to replicate the multicast routing in a network. We can state the multicast group and before have a nodes to link the group of receive the multicast congestion.

In the example above:

  • We build a multicast group with the address “233.1.1.1”.
  • The source node (n0) transfers the multicast congestion to the group.
  • Receiver nodes (n2, n3, n4) link the multicast group to receive the traffic.

We can also replicate the multicast behavior using the CBR (Constant Bit Rate) congestion model, as seen in the sample, or you can use other congestion models such as UDP or TCP.

  1. Set Up Multicast Traffic

In the script, the multicast congestion is setting use the CBR (Constant Bit Rate) application that builds a continuous stream of packets at a continuous rate. The congestion is transfer from the source node such as n0 to the multicast group address.

Example: Configuring Multicast Traffic

# Create a constant bit rate (CBR) traffic source

set mc [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$mc set packetSize_ 512

$mc set interval_ 0.1  ;# Set the interval to send packets

$mc attach-agent $n0  ;# Attach the CBR traffic to the source node

# Define multicast group address

set mgroup “233.1.1.1”

 

# Nodes n2, n3, n4 are receivers of the multicast traffic

$mc join-multicast-group $mgroup $n2

$mc join-multicast-group $mgroup $n3

$mc join-multicast-group $mgroup $n4

  1. Enable Multicast Routing in NS2

We assure the multicast routing, you will use the IP multicast illustrate in NS2. After defining the multicast source and receivers, NS2 automatically maintain the sending for multicast packets among the nodes according to the IP multicast addresses.

  • Multicast groups: We essential to describe the multicast groups using join-multicast-group techniques for the receivers.
  • Traffic generation: Uses the applications such as CBR, UDP, or RTP for build a multicast congestion.
  1. Generate Trace Files and Analyze Results

We examine the performance of your multicast network; you can build a trace files contains the comprehensive data about packet transmission, routing, and movements during the replication.

Enable Tracing:

# Enable trace for packet and routing information

$ns trace-all “output.tr”

This will build the trace file output.tr that includes the overall movements and can be examine to collect the performance parameter metrics such as:

  • Packet Delivery Ratio: The percentage of multicast packets successfully established through the receivers.
  • End-to-End Delay: The time taken for multicast packets we reach the every receiver for the latency.
  • Throughput: The total number of data successfully transmitted over the network in a throughput.

We envision the network, use NAM:

nam output.nam

  1. Test Different Multicast Protocols

Although NS2’s built-in helps for multicast is imperfect, we can spread through apply for the several multicast routing protocols. You can be replicating the PIM-SM, DVMRP, or even MOSPF through manually adding the logic for a routing tables and packet sending the mechanisms in NS2.

For example, you could implement PIM-SM behavior by setting up shared trees and specifying rendezvous points (RPs) for group membership.

  1. Enhancements and Extensions

After we have setting a basic multicast routing simulation, we can spread through features like:

  • Mobility: Replicate the node mobility to view on how the multicast routing adapts to variations in topology.
  • Multicast Group Management: Apply for the dynamic group management, assigning the nodes to join or leave multicast groups during the replication.
  • Protocol Enhancements: Encompass the NS2 we execute the precise multicast routing protocols like PIM-DM or PIM-SM for further realistic replication.
  1. References and Resources
  • NS2 Manual: The approved NS2 manual is a great resource to get complete the data about multicast, protocols, and replication options for NS2 documentation
  • Multicast Routing Protocols: Mention the study papers and documentation on multicast routing protocols like PIM-SM, DVMRP, and MOSPF for in-depth of understanding.

Conclusion

To start a multicast routing project in NS2, the important stages include the setting for multicast groups, significant the traffic flows, and using the IP multicast routing features in NS2. While NS2 has limited built-in support for multicast protocols like PIM-SM or DVMRP, you can replicate the multicast routing through describe the group of membership, generating multicast traffic, and analyzing performance metrics like packet delivery and throughput.

By building on this basic setup, you can experiment with more advanced multicast routing protocols, handle node mobility, and improve your simulations with additional enhancements.

In the above manual, we deliver the entire simulation process procedures in sequential manner that can be used to simulate the multicast routing in ns2 tool and also we deliver the advanced concept ideas and their explanation. If you did like to know more details about this process we will provide it.