How to Start Software Defined Wide Area Network Using NS3

To start a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) project using NS3 that encompasses to make network architecture in which a centralized controller actively handles the network. SD-WAN are created to associate geographically dispersed positions through WAN, according to the real-time conditions which concentrate on enhancing routing, bandwidth allocation, and security. We mentioned below is a detailed method to configuring an SD-WAN simulation project using NS3.

Steps to Start Software-Defined Wide Area Network Projects in NS3

Step 1: Set Up NS3 Environment

  1. Download and Install NS3:
    • Go to official NS3 site, we can download NS3 and also install it including any essential dependencies.
    • Confirm the installation by executing example programs such as simple-point-to-point.cc, making sure that NS3 is properly operating.
  2. Install or Integrate OpenFlow for SDN (Optional):
    • For SD-WAN, if we need to replicate the SDN-based management then we can insert OpenFlow support to NS3 via the ns-3-dev-openflow extension or by utilizing integrated modules, which simulate the SDN behavior.
    • In the SD-WAN, it will support to make a centralized SDN controller for handling the routing policies.

Step 2: Understand Key Components of SD-WAN

  1. SDN Controller:
    • In the SD-WAN, centralized controller handles and sets up network devices like routers and switches, actively modifying the adjusting routes and applying policies.
  2. SD-WAN Edge Devices:
    • Edge routers or switches perform like the interface among the local networks and the WAN. According to the policies they manage data transmission set by the SDN controller.
  3. Data Plane and Control Plane:
    • From the control plane (network management), SD-WAN isolate the data plane (real data forwarding). The SDN controller functions at the control plane, to transmit guidelines to edge devices.
  4. Overlay Network
    • The SD-WAN makes an overlay network, which links positions through existing WAN infrastructure. Traffic among the places is handled depends on the performance parameters such as latency, throughput, and link stability.

Step 3: Define Project Objectives and Metrics

  1. Set Key Project Goals:
    • For SD-WAN project, general objectives contain:
      • Dynamic Path Selection: We can select the optimal path for data rely on network conditions.
      • Latency and Bandwidth Optimization: For critical applications, reduce delay and increase the throughput.
      • Application-Aware Routing: According to the application requirements like prioritizing VoIP, route traffic.
      • Link Aggregation and Failover: For redundancy and load balancing utilising several links.
  2. Choose Relevant Metrics:
    • Key performance parameters like latency, throughput, packet loss, link utilization, path stability, and controller response time.

Step 4: Set Up Network Topology

  1. Define Nodes for SD-WAN Controller, Edge Devices, and Remote Sites:
    • Signify the SD-WAN controller, SD-WAN edge devices, and remote sites (branches) using NS3 nodes.
    • Normally, each remote site contains an edge device, which links to the SD-WAN overlay network.
  2. Create Network Links:
    • For direct connections among the edge devices, the controller, and the WAN to utilize Point-to-Point links.
    • Configure data rate and delay at links to replicate diverse connection types such as broadband, fiber, or satellite.
  3. Set Up WAN Connections and Redundant Links:
    • Make several WAN links among the edge devices and then configure redundant paths to assist failover and load balancing.
    • For instance, configure main and secondary paths along with diverse latencies, replicating SD-WAN path optimization.

Step 5: Configure IP Addressing and Routing

  1. Assign IP Addresses:
    • Allocate an IP addresses to each node using Ipv4AddressHelper within the network. Isolate IP subnets can be denoted diverse branches or data centers.
  2. Configure Static Routing as a Baseline:
    • Configure simple static routing, describing routes manually to utilize Ipv4StaticRoutingHelper. It will support in knowing the enhancement of SD-WAN offers once we change to active path selection.

Step 6: Implement SDN Controller Logic (Emulate Centralized Control)

  1. Implement Custom Applications for the Controller:
    • Make a custom application to perform like the SDN controller. The controller can be collected the network parameters such as latency, throughput and modify routes actively.
    • Replicate the controller interacting with edge devices using socket communication.
  2. Simulate Dynamic Routing Decisions:
    • Designate the controller, according to the link performance or application needs to observe the network parameters and update routing tables actively.
  3. Deploy Application-Aware Routing:
    • For application-aware routing, append logic to give precedence specific kinds of traffic such as low-latency paths for VoIP traffic, high-throughput paths for file transfers.
    • For instance, VoIP traffic can be showed over the low-latency primary path, whereas regular data traffic can be utilized the secondary path.

Step 7: Configure Traffic and Applications to Simulate Real-World Use Cases

  1. Simulate Different Types of Traffic:
    • Replicate different SD-WAN traffic using NS3 applications:
      • VoIP and Video Conferencing: Replicate the real-time and low-latency interaction.
      • File Transfer (FTP): Mimic large amount of data transfer applications.
      • Web Traffic (HTTP): For common data traffic including intermittent request.
  2. Set Up Traffic Patterns and Data Rates:
    • Set data rates, packet sizes, and intervals, signifying diverse application needs and replicate different load conditions such as low, moderate, high.
  3. Implement Failover and Redundancy:
    • Adjust the SDN controller, identifying the link failure and reroute traffic via redundant paths. Replicate the link failures to experiment resilience of network and then we estimate the failover response time.

Step 8: Run Simulation Scenarios

  1. Define Testing Scenarios:
    • Baseline Scenario: Compute baseline performance parameters like latency and throughput to utilize static routing.
    • SD-WAN with Dynamic Routing: Allow dynamic routing including the SDN controller, estimating the enhancement in performance.
    • High Traffic Load: Maximize traffic load, analysing the load balancing and link aggregation.
    • Link Failure: We replicate a failure within one or more links and then monitor how the SD-WAN reroutes traffic, sustaining connectivity.
  2. Test Application-Aware Routing:
    • Configure situations in which certain applications like VoIP are routed via enhanced paths and also estimate the influence over latency and jitter.

Step 9: Collect and Analyze Performance Metrics

  1. Gather Simulation Data:
    • Accumulate information on latency, throughput, packet loss, link utilization, and failover response time using NS3’s tracing and logging tools.
    • Allow ASCII and PCAP tracing to seize in-depth packet-level information that is helpful for examining the route changes and link performance.
  2. Evaluate SD-WAN Performance:
    • Examine parameters to know the effectiveness of SD-WAN aspects like:
      • Latency Reduction: Equate the latency among baseline and SD-WAN effective routing situations.
      • Failover Efficiency: We estimate how rapidly the network reroutes traffic in the course of a link failure.
      • Bandwidth Optimization: To monitor how successfully the SD-WAN uses available links in various traffic loads.
  3. Identify Areas for Optimization:
    • Modify routing algorithms, traffic prioritization, or load balancing parameters to more enhance network performance depends on the analysis.

Step 10: Optimize and Experiment with Advanced SD-WAN Features

  1. Experiment with Load Balancing and Traffic Engineering:
    • Execute diverse load-balancing algorithms such as round-robin, least-latency, or weighted balancing to efficiently deliver the traffic.
    • Enhance the traffic engineering by rerouting traffic actively depends on the present network conditions.
  2. Simulate Real-Time Monitoring and Adaptive Routing:
    • We execute a periodic monitoring aspect in which the controller verifies the link performance like latency, packet loss and consequently modifies routes.
    • Experiment the situations in which link quality fluctuates and then monitor the adaptability of network.
  3. Analyze Security and Policy Management:
    • Mimic SD-WAN security policies by means of limiting specific traffic flows or by making access control rules.
    • For application-specific security, we can experiment the policies and also compute the compliance of network along with these policies.
  4. Evaluate Scalability and Multiple Controllers:
    • Execute several SDN controllers for larger networks and replicate the controller-to-controller interaction.
    • We need to measure if the network stays effective and stable as per the number of edge devices and traffic maximizes.
  5. Compare SD-WAN vs. Traditional WAN Performance:
    • Utilize only traditional WAN with static routes, we execute a situation then equate the outcomes to the SD-WAN configuration, examining the enhancements within latency, throughput, and failover response.

Here, we all know and understood how to simulate and evaluate the Software Defined Wide Area Network projects using NS3 tool through the above offered process. If you have any query regarding this project kindly ask we will clarify it.

We help you with your Software Defined Wide Area Network Projects using NS3. If you want to kick off a Smart Grid Networks Project with NS3, phdprojects.org offers advice on improving routing, bandwidth allocation, and security for your projects. Keep in contact with us for the best support!