How to Start Inter Planetary Networking Projects Using NS2

To start an interplanetary Networking (IPN) that includes interaction among the planets, spacecraft, satellites, and ground stations in-depth space. This kind of networking provides unique challenges such as delays, high error rates, and intermittent connectivity. NS2 isn’t created for IPN, thus it can alter for replicating a few features of such networks.

Below is ordered steps to get starting an Interplanetary Networking project using NS2:

Steps to Start IPN Projects in NS2

  1. Understand Interplanetary Networking
  • Key Features:
    • Very extensive interaction delays as more than a few minutes to hours.
    • High error rates by reason of interference and long distances.
    • Intermittent connectivity because of the planetary rotations and orbital dynamics.
    • Make use of Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocols such as Bundle Protocol.
  • Applications:
    • These networking is frequently utilised in space exploration missions like Mars rovers.
    • Interaction among the Earth, satellites, and deep space probes.
    • Data collection from interplanetary scientific tests.
  1. Prepare Your Environment
  • Install NS2:
    • We can install the NS2 on a Linux system:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install ns2 nam

  • Learn NS2 Basics:
    • Focus on TCL scripting for simulation situations.
    • Discover the C++ modules to prolong the functionality such as executing custom protocols within NS2.
  1. Define Project Objectives
  • Key Goals:
    • Replicate the long-delay interaction scenarios.
    • Examine the routing protocols’ performance for DTN.
    • Design intermittent connectivity and high error rates.
  • Metrics to Measure:
    • Data delivery success rate.
    • End-to-end latency.
    • Throughput in diverse delay and error conditions.
  1. Simulate Interplanetary Topology
  • Nodes:
    • It denotes the spacecraft, satellites, and ground stations depend on nodes.
  • Links:
    • Specify the links like high-latency, high-error-rate for replicating interplanetary distances.
  • Traffic:
    • Mimic periodic or bursty data transmissions in scientific data from a rover.
  1. Write the TCL Script
  • Example: Basic Earth-to-Mars Communication

# Create a simulator

set ns [new Simulator]

# Trace and animation files

set tracefile [open trace.tr w]

set namfile [open output.nam w]

$ns trace-all $tracefile

$ns namtrace-all $namfile

# Create nodes (Earth station, satellite, Mars rover)

set earth_station [$ns node]

set satellite [$ns node]

set mars_rover [$ns node]

# Define high-delay, high-error-rate links

$ns duplex-link $earth_station $satellite 1Mb 300ms DropTail

$ns duplex-link $satellite $mars_rover 1Mb 500ms DropTail

# Configure links to simulate packet loss

$ns lossmodel Uniform 0.1 $earth_station $satellite

$ns lossmodel Uniform 0.2 $satellite $mars_rover

# Define traffic sources

set udp [new Agent/UDP]

set null [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $earth_station $udp

$ns attach-agent $mars_rover $null

$ns connect $udp $null

set cbr [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr attach-agent $udp

$cbr set packetSize_ 1024

$cbr set rate_ 100Kb

# Schedule traffic

$ns at 1.0 “$cbr start”

$ns at 30.0 “finish”

# Finish procedure

proc finish {} {

global ns tracefile namfile

$ns flush-trace

close $tracefile

close $namfile

exit 0

}

# Run simulation

$ns run

  1. Implement Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN)
  • Routing Protocols:
    • Execute or replicate the routing protocols such as Epidemic Routing, Spray and Wait, or Bundle Protocol.
  • Buffering and Storage:
    • Mimic buffering and storage for managing delayed delivery at intermediate nodes.
  • Example: Alter NS2 to replicate the DTN by:
    • Inserting large buffers at nodes.
    • Making a custom routing protocol for transmitting packets according to the buffer availability and destination delays.
  1. Simulate Realistic Delays and Errors
  • Delays:
    • In NS2, replicate the interplanetary distances, for instance Earth-Mars communication contain a delay of 4-24 minutes to utilise large propagation delays.
    • Set up the connections:

$ns duplex-link $node1 $node2 1Mb 600ms DropTail

  • Error Rates:
    • Replicate high packet loss rates with loss model of NS2:

$ns lossmodel Uniform 0.2 $node1 $node2

  1. Analyze Simulation Results
  • Trace File Analysis:
    • Examine the trace file for measuring:
      • Throughput.
      • Delivery success rate.
      • End-to-end latency.
  • Graphing Results:
    • To envision performance parameters such as delay vs. delivery ratio to utilise Gnuplot, Python (Matplotlib), or MATLAB.
  1. Advanced Features
  • Mobility Models:
    • Orbital dynamics of planets, satellites, or spacecraft are replicated by custom mobility patterns.
  • Intermittent Connectivity:
    • Design the link disruptions by reason of planetary rotations or orbital shadows by way of temporarily inactivating links in the course of the simulation.

$ns at 10.0 “$ns link-loss $node1 $node2”

$ns at 20.0 “$ns link-up $node1 $node2”

  • Energy Constraints:
    • Mimic energy-limited interaction systems for experimenting energy-efficient protocols.
  1. Research Topics for IPN Projects
  • Delay-Tolerant Networking Protocols:
    • In interplanetary scenarios, equate the DTN protocols such as Epidemic Routing, Spray and Wait, or the Bundle Protocol.
  • Congestion Control:
    • Examine how congestion affects the data delivery within long-delay networks.
  • Adaptive Link Management:
    • Refine the algorithms for adjusting transmission rates or paths according to the link conditions and availability.
  • Energy-Efficient Communication:
    • Enhance the energy consumption for power-constrained space systems.

These projects uncover detailed simulation process that contains project objectives, implementation, simulation and advanced research topics for replicating and examining the Inter Planetary Networking Projects in NS2. More details will be added in upcoming manual.