1st International ICST Workshop on Network Simulation Tools

Research Article

SYNTONY: network protocol simulation based on standard-conform UML 2 models

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/nstools.2007.2016,
        author={Isabel Dietrich and Falko Dressler and Volker Schmitt and Reinhard German},
        title={SYNTONY: network protocol simulation based on standard-conform UML 2 models},
        proceedings={1st International ICST Workshop on Network Simulation Tools},
        proceedings_a={NSTOOLS},
        year={2010},
        month={5},
        keywords={},
        doi={10.4108/nstools.2007.2016}
    }
    
  • Isabel Dietrich
    Falko Dressler
    Volker Schmitt
    Reinhard German
    Year: 2010
    SYNTONY: network protocol simulation based on standard-conform UML 2 models
    NSTOOLS
    ICST
    DOI: 10.4108/nstools.2007.2016
Isabel Dietrich1,*, Falko Dressler1,*, Volker Schmitt1, Reinhard German1,*
  • 1: Computer Networks and Communication Systems University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
*Contact email: isabel.dietrich@informatik.uni-erlangen.de, dressler@informatik.uni-erlangen.de, german@informatik.uni-erlangen.de

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the need for using standardized graphical modeling languages for developing and evaluating simulation models. In particular, we use UML 2 diagrams to construct simulation models to be executed in an event-driven simulation framework (currently, we are using OMNeT++). The translation of the UML 2 models is provided by Syntony, an Eclipse-based framework that we developed for automated and tool assisted development and analysis of network protocols. With the help of Syntony we are able to use a simple graphical modeling language to describe complex protocols. Additionally, the complete process of debugging and analyzing the protocol is tool-assisted. For verification purposes, we developed an UML 2 model of the Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) protocol. In comparison with a native OMNeT++ model, we were able to show, first, that the developed model works suitably and the achieved performance measures of the routing protocol are comparable, and second, that the overhead of the translation process does not lead to an essential performance degradation of the simulation process.