How to Start Storage Area Networks Projects Using NS2

To stimulate a Storage Area Network (SAN) project using Network Simulator 2 (NS2) can be challenging as NS2 primarily concentrate on replicating the communication networks, and Storage Area Networks (SANs) has includes the association of network structure and storage technologies. Nevertheless, we can replicate the networking aspects of a SAN, like as traffic, data transfer, and interconnection among servers and storage devices, using NS2. The storage-specific details like as SAN protocols or the behavior of storage devices would typically be abstracted away.

Step-by-Step Guide to Start a SAN Simulation in NS2

Step 1: Understand Storage Area Networks (SAN)

A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a devoted network that links servers to storage devices. The main objective of a SAN is to offers the high-speed, low-latency data transfers among servers and storage devices, often using protocols such as Fibre Channel (FC), iSCSI, or FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet).

In the setting of NS2, we would replicate the networking aspects of a SAN, concentrate on the data transfer, traffic models, and network protocols. We won’t be able replicate the precise SAN protocols in NS2; nevertheless we can replicate the TCP/IP or UDP-based traffic which SAN applications for sample iSCSI generate.

Step 2: Install NS2

Previously proceeding by the replication, assure that NS2 is installed on the machine. It is not already installed; follow the procedure from the previous answer for installation.

Once installed, you can test if the installation is successful by typing:

ns

in the terminal.

Step 3: Design the SAN Network Architecture

Designed for the SAN replication, we will need to concentrate on the network infrastructure that connects servers and storage devices. Typically, SAN topology has includes the servers, switches, and storage devices for instance disk arrays or storage servers.

Here’s a basic breakdown of SAN architecture:

  • Servers: Signify the end systems such as database servers or application servers.
  • Switches: Network switches which intersect the servers and storage devices.
  • Storage Devices: Characterize the devices which save the data for sample disk arrays, NAS servers.

We will replicate the elements in NS2 through build a nodes such as servers and switches and connection among them.

Step 4: Define Your SAN Network Topology

The following step is choosing the topology we need to replicate. The most general SAN topologies include:

  1. Point-to-point: The simple direct connection among the server and a storage device.
  2. Fabric-based: The several servers are stored in a devices are linked through a fabric such as network of switches, that is the most scalable and general SAN topology.

For simplicity, start with a basic fabric-based topology and extend it as needed.

Step 5: NS2 Script to Simulate the SAN Network

Now which we have understanding of the SAN’s structure, we can start the writing for NS2 script to replicate the network. In NS2, we will typically use TCP or UDP to design the data transfers complete network. While SAN such as iSCSI are beyond the scope of NS2, we can replicate the congestion by FTP, CBR (Constant Bit Rate), or other data flows.

Here’s an example of a simple fabric-based SAN simulation:

# Define simulation

set ns [new Simulator]

# Create nodes for servers and storage devices

set server1 [$ns node]

set server2 [$ns node]

set switch1 [$ns node]

set switch2 [$ns node]

set storage1 [$ns node]

set storage2 [$ns node]

# Define links between nodes (bandwidth, delay, queue size)

$ns duplex-link $server1 $switch1 100Mb 10ms DropTail

$ns duplex-link $server2 $switch2 100Mb 10ms DropTail

$ns duplex-link $switch1 $switch2 1Gb 5ms DropTail

$ns duplex-link $switch2 $storage1 100Mb 10ms DropTail

$ns duplex-link $switch2 $storage2 100Mb 10ms DropTail

# Define traffic models (simulating data transfer like iSCSI traffic)

set tcp1 [new Agent/TCP]

$ns attach-agent $server1 $tcp1

set sink1 [new Agent/TCPSink]

$ns attach-agent $storage1 $sink1

$ns connect $tcp1 $sink1

 

set tcp2 [new Agent/TCP]

$ns attach-agent $server2 $tcp2

set sink2 [new Agent/TCPSink]

$ns attach-agent $storage2 $sink2

$ns connect $tcp2 $sink2

# Define FTP applications to simulate data transfer

set ftp1 [new Application/FTP]

$ftp1 attach-agent $tcp1

set ftp2 [new Application/FTP]

$ftp2 attach-agent $tcp2

# Set simulation time and run the simulation

$ns run

Explanation of the Code:

  1. Node Creation: We describe the six nodes — two servers such as server1 and server2, two switches like as switch1 and switch2, and two storage devices for sample storage1 and storage2.
  2. Link Definition: Connection among the nodes is generated by detailed bandwidth for sample 100Mb, delay such as 10ms, and queue type like as DropTail.
  3. Traffic Generation: We replicate the data transfer using TCP agents such as Agent/TCP and attach to the servers. Then, we assign the TCP sinks like an Agent/TCPSink to the storage devices to receive data.
  4. Application Setup: FTP applications (Application/FTP) are devoted the TCP agents, creating the data transfer among the servers and storage devices.

Step 6: Run the Simulation

After the script is ready, process for the replication through previous the following steps in the terminal:

ns san_simulation.tcl

This will process for the replication and create the output (trace files) encompassing the specific data about the packets sent, received, and the network performance.

Step 7: Analyze the Results

NS2 produces trace files which includes the specific data on the replication. We can analyze the files to excerpt performance metrics like:

  • Throughput: Calculate the number of data transferred among servers and storage devices.
  • End-to-End Delay: Measure the duration it takes for a packet to travel from the source to the destination.
  • Packet Loss: Monitor the number of packets loss during the transfer.

We can use tools like Xgraph to envision for performance metrics, or we can write custom scripts for sample in Python or MATLAB and we process trace files.

Step 8: Extend the Simulation

Next the simple replication, we can extend the model in several ways:

  • Traffic Models: Use the various types of congestion, like as CBR (Constant Bit Rate) or HTTP, we replicate the further complex SAN traffic.
  • Multiple Servers and Storage Devices: Improve the further servers and storage devices to replicate the larger SAN environments.
  • Advanced Routing Protocols: SAN replication has involves the complex routing such as in Fibre Channel over Ethernet, research by routing protocols or execute the custom network models to replicate the Fibre Channel or iSCSI.

Step 9: Report and Document Your Findings

Prepare a report on the simulation, including:

  • Network Architecture: Explanation for the SAN topology and components.
  • Simulation Setup: data about the nodes, traffic, and protocols used.
  • Performance Analysis: Outcomes from analyzing throughput, delays, and packet loss.
  • Conclusions: Understandings the performance and scalability of SAN in the replicated conditions.

By following these steps, you can start simulating Storage Area Networks in NS2, focusing on the network and traffic aspects of SANs like data transfer, routing, and performance evaluation.

In the above simulation, we had gained the knowledge on how to execute and analyse the Storage Area Network discovery using ns2 tool. We will intend to offer how the storage area network will simulate in other scenarios.