Small Internetworks

TUT-2-1 OPNET Modeler/Release 17.5

Small Internetworks
In this tutorial, you will see how OPNET Modeler can do organizational scaling
to solve a typical what if problem. You will learn how to use OPNET Modeler
features to build and analyze network models. This tutorial focuses on the use
of the Project Editor and how it will be used with the Node and Process editors
in later tutorials.
In this tutorial, you will
Build a network quickly
Collect statistics about network performance
Analyze these statistics
Key ConceptIn this tutorial, you will use the Project Editor to build a topology
of a small internetwork, choose statistics to collect, run a simulation, and
analyze the results.
In this tutorial, you plan for the expansion of a small companys intranet.
Currently, the company has a star topology network on the first floor of its office
building and plans to add an additional star topology network on another floor.
You will build and test this what-if scenario to ensure that the load added by
the second network will not cause the network to fail.
Figure 2-1 The Final Network
First floor
Planned expansion
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Getting Started
When creating a new network model, you must first create a new project and
scenario. A project is a group of related scenarios that each explore a different
aspect of the network. Projects can contain multiple scenarios.
After creating a new project, use the Startup Wizard to set up a new scenario.
The options in the Wizard let you
Define the initial topology of the network
Define the scale and size of the network
Select a background map for the network
Associate an object palette with the scenario
Key ConceptThe Startup Wizard automatically appears each time you create
a new project. The Startup Wizard lets you define certain aspects of the network
environment.
The following procedure describes how to use the Startup Wizard to set up a
new scenario.
Procedure 2-1 Setting Up a New Scenario
1 If OPNET Modeler is not already running, start it.
2 Select File > New
3 Select Project from the pull-down menu and click OK.
4 Name the project and scenario, as follows:
4.1 Name the project <initials>_Sm_Int.
Include your initials in the project name to distinguish it from other versions of
this project.
4.2 Name the scenario first_floor.
4.3 Click OK.
The Startup Wizard opens.
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5 Enter the values shown in the following table in the dialog boxes of the Startup
Wizard.
A workspace of the size you specified is created. The object palette you
specified opens in a separate window.
End of Procedure 2-1
Table 2-1 Values to Enter in the Startup Wizard
Dialog Box Name Value
1. Initial Topology Select the default value: Create empty scenario.
2. Choose Network Scale Select Office. Select the Use metric units checkbox.
3. Specify Size Select the default size: 100 m x 100 m
4. Select Technologies Include the Sm_Int_Model_List model family.
5. Review Check values, then click Finish.
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Creating the Network
Key ConceptNetwork models are created in the Project Editor using nodes
and links from the object palette.
NodeA representation of a real-world network object that can transmit and
receive information.
Figure 2-2 Nodes
LinkA communication medium that connects nodes to one another. Links
represent physical connectivity (e.g., electrical or fiber optic cables).
Figure 2-3 A Link
These objects are found in the object palette, a dialog box that contains
graphical representations of node and link models.
If it is still open, close the object palette.
Key ConceptUse any of three methods to create a network topology, or a
combination of all three. One method is to import the topology (discussed in a
later tutorial). Another is to place individual nodes from the object palette into
the workspace. The third method is to use Rapid Configuration.
Rapid Configuration creates a network in one action after you select a network
configuration, the types of nodes within the network, and the types of links that
connect the nodes.
Use the following procedure to o create the first-floor network with Rapid
Configuration.
Procedure 2-2 Creating the First-floor Network with Rapid Configuration
1 Select Topology > Rapid Configuration
2 Select Star from the pull-down menu of available configurations, then click Next
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Figure 2-4 Available Configurations Pull-Down Menu
Specify the node models and link models in the network. Models follow this naming
scheme:
Generic Devices:
<protocoln>_..._<protocoln>_<function>_<mod>
Vendor Devices:
<Vendor>_<Chassis/Make>_<protocoln>
where:
<protocoln> specifies a specific protocol supported by the model and the
number of ports using that protocol
<function> is an abbreviation of the general function of the model
<mod> indicates the level of derivation of the model
For example:
ethernet2_bridge_int
specifies the intermediate (int) derivation of a 2-port Ethernet (ethernet2) bridge
(bridge).
Vendor models have an additional prefix that specifies the vendor and the vendor
product number for that particular network object.
For example, the 3Com switch used in this tutorial is named:
3C_SSII_1100_3300_4s_ae52_e48_ge3
This node is a stack of two 3Com SuperStack II 1100 and two Superstack II 3300
chassis (3C_SSII_1100_3300) with four slots (4s), 52 auto-sensing Ethernet ports
(ae52), 48 Ethernet ports (e48), and 3 Gigabit Ethernet ports (ge3).
End of Procedure 2-2
To specify the nodes and links to use to build the network:
Procedure 2-3 Specifying the Nodes and Links to Use to Build the Network
1 Set the Center Node Model to 3C_SSII_1100_3300_4s_ae52_e48_ge3. This is
a 3Com switch.
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2 Set the Periphery Node Model to Sm_Int_wkstn, and change the Number of
periphery nodes to 30. This sets 30 Ethernet workstations as the peripheral nodes.
3 Set the Link Model to 10BaseT.
End of Procedure 2-3
Specify where the new network will be placed.
Procedure 2-4 Specifying Where the Network Will Be Placed
1 Set the X center and Y center to 25.
2 Set the Radius to 20.
Figure 2-5 Rapid Configuration Dialog Box
3 Click OK.
The network is drawn in the Project Editor. To see it better, choose View >
Zoom > To All.
Figure 2-6 The First Floor Network
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End of Procedure 2-4
Now that the general network topology has been built, you need to add a server.
You will use the second method of creating network objects: dragging them from
the object palette into the workspace.
Procedure 2-5 Creating Network Objects
1 Open the object palette by clicking on the Object Palette tool button.
2 Find the Sm_Int_server object in the palette and drag it into the workspace.
You will not find this exact server model on other object palettes because we
created it with the correct configuration for this tutorial.
3 By default, you can create additional instances of the same object by left-clicking
after the initial drag-and-drop from the palette.
Because you do not need additional copies of this model, right-click to turn off node
creation.
NoteYou also need to connect the server to the star network.
4 Find the 10BaseT link object in the palette and double-click on it.
5 Move the mouse from the object palette to the project workspace. Now click on the
server object to draw one endpoint of your link, then click on the switch object in
the center of the star to complete the link.
A link is drawn, connecting the two objects.
6 Right-click to turn off link creation.
Finally, you need to add configuration objects to specify the application traffic that
will exist on the network. Configuring the application definition and profile definition
objects can be complicated, so you do not have to do these tasks right now. For
this tutorial, we have included on the object palette:
an application definition object with the default configurations of the standard
applications, and
a profile definition object with a profile that models light database access
You need only drag the objects into your network. Doing so means that the traffic
caused by workstations accessing a database at a low rate will be modeled.
7 Find the Sm_Application_Config object in the palette and drag it into the
workspace
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8 Right-click to turn off object creation.
9 Find the Sm_Profile_Config object in the palette, drag it into the workspace, and
right-click.
10 Close the object palette.
End of Procedure 2-5
The network is now built and should look similar to the following figure.
Figure 2-7 The Finished First Floor Network
You are now ready to collect statistics.
First, however, lets explore the Node and Process Editors.
Key ConceptThe Node and Process Editors are integral to the
OPNET Modeler workflow. The Node Editor is used to create node models that
describe the internal flow of data within a network object. The Process Editor is
used to create process models that describe the behavioral logic of a module in
a node model.
Every node in a network has an underlying node model that specifies the
internal flow of information in the object. Node models are made up of one or
more modules connected by packet streams or statistic wires. Node
modules in turn contain process models. A process model is represented by a
state transition diagram (STD) that describes the behavior of a node module
in terms of states and transitions.
Lets explore the node model that controls the server in the first floor network:
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Procedure 2-6 Examing the Node Model
1 Double-click on node_31 (the Server object) in the Project Editor.

The Node Editor opens as a new window within OPNET Modeler.
The following figure shows the node model within the Ethernet Server network
object. The node model is made up of several different types of modules, which
are described in the M/M/1 tutorial. Packet streams and statistic wires connect
the modules.
Figure 2-8 Ethernet Server Node Model
During a simulation, packets sent from a client machine are received by the hub
receiver object (hub_rx_0_0) and processed up the protocol stack to the
application module. After processing, they are sent down the stack to the
transmitter (hub_tx_0_0), then back to the client machine.
packet streams
statistic wire
modules
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Figure 2-9 Packet Processing by the Node Model
Next, lets look at the process model that defines the behavior of the tpal module.
To view the process model:
2 Double-click on the tpal module in the Node Editor.
The Process Model Editor opens in a new window.
Figure 2-10 Example Process Model
3 Note the red and green states (these will be discussed in greater detail in the Basic
Processes tutorial) and the solid and dotted lines indicating transitions between the
states.
Each state in the process model contains an enter executive and an exit
executive. Enter executives are executed when a process enters a state. Exit
executives are executed when the process leaves the state. Operations performed
in the state are described in C or C++.
4 Open an enter exec by double-clicking on the top half of the init state.
5 Open an exit exec by double-clicking on the bottom half of the state.
Packets are received by
the hub receiver object
After processing,
packets are sent by the
hub transmitter object
states
transitions
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Figure 2-11 Opening the Enter Exec or Exit Exec of a State
6 Close both exec windows.
States are connected via transitions. Transitions can be either conditional (that is,
they have a logical test that must be true before the transition occurs) or
unconditional (no logical test).
The following figure shows a conditional transition (the dotted line) from the wait
state to the reg state. The condition SERV_REG must be true before the transition
can occur. However, the transition from reg to wait (solid line) is unconditional, and
occurs whenever the code in the reg state has finished execution.
Figure 2-12 Conditional and Unconditional Transitions
Later tutorials explore these editors in greater depth.
Double-click in the top
half of the state to open
an enter exec
Double-click in the
bottom half to
open an exit exec
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7 Close the Node and Process editors. If prompted, do not save changes.
End of Procedure 2-6
Collecting Statistics
Key ConceptYou can collect statistics from individual nodes in your network
(object statistics) or from the entire network (global statistics).
Now that you have created the network, you should determine which statistics
are needed to answer the questions presented earlier:
Will the server be able to handle the additional load of the second network?
Will the total delay across the network be acceptable once the second
network is installed?
To answer these questions, you need a snapshot of the current performance for
comparison. To get this baseline, you will collect one object statistic, Server
Load, and one global statistic, Ethernet Delay.
Server load is a key statistic that reflects the performance of the entire network.
To collect statistics related to the servers load, do the following procedure:
Procedure 2-7 Collecting Object Statistics
1 Right-click on the server node (node_31) and select Choose Individual DES
Statistics from the server Object pop-up menu.
The Choose Results dialog box for node_31 appears.
The Choose Results dialog box hierarchically organizes the statistics you may
collect.
2 To collect the Ethernet load on the server:
2.1 Expand the treeview node for Ethernet in the Choose Results dialog box to
see the Ethernet statistic hierarchy.
NoteThe list of statistics can vary from the ones shown in this tutorial; they
depend on the set of software components you have installed.
2.2 Click the checkbox next to Load (bits/sec) to enable collection for that
statistic.
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Figure 2-13 Choose Results Dialog Box
2.3 Click OK to close the dialog box.
End of Procedure 2-7
Global statistics can be used to gather information about the network as a
whole. For example, you can find out the delay for the entire network by
collecting the global Delay statistic:
Procedure 2-8 Collecting Global Statistics
1 Right-click in the workspace (but not on an object) and select Choose Individual
DES Statistics from the workspace pop-up menu.
2 Expand the Global Statistics node.
3 Expand the Ethernet node.
4 Click the checkbox next to Delay (sec) to enable data collection.
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Figure 2-14 Global Statistic Chosen
5 Click OK to close the Choose Results dialog box.
6 It is good to get into the habit of saving your project every so often. Choose File >
Save, then click Save (the project already has a name, so you dont need to
rename it).
End of Procedure 2-8
Now that you have specified the statistics to collect and saved the project, you
are almost ready to run your simulation.
First, though, verify that your Network Simulation Repositories preference is
set appropriately.
Procedure 2-9 Verifying the Repositories Preference
1 Choose Edit > Preferences.
2 Type network sim in the Search for: field and click the Find button.
3 If the Value field for the Network Simulation Repositories preference is not
stdmod, click on the field.
The Network Simulation Repositories dialog box opens.
4 Click on the current value (such as <empty>), then click the Insert button.
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5 Type stdmod and press Enter.
6 Click OK twice to close the Network Simulation Repositories and Preferences
dialog boxes.
End of Procedure 2-9
The following procedure describes how to run a simulation.
Procedure 2-10 Running a Simulation
1 Select DES > Configure/Run Discrete Event Simulation
You can also open the Configure/Run DES dialog box by clicking on the
Configure/Run Discrete Event Simulation (DES) tool button.
2 Click on the Detailed button, if it is present.
3 Make the following changes in the dialog box:
Figure 2-15 Configure Discrete Event Simulation Dialog Box
3.1 Type 0.5 in the Duration: field to simulate one-half hour of network activity.
3.2 Type 10000 (events) in the Update interval: field to specify how often the
simulation calculates events/second data.
The simulation calculates and displays events/second data at 10,000-event
intervals. The default setting for this is 500,000 for larger network simulations.
3.3 Set the Simulation Kernel to Optimized.
You can use one of two types of kernels to run your simulation. The
development kernel collects simulation data you can use to debug your
models, but the optimized kernel runs faster.
4 Click the Run button to begin the simulation.
While the simulation runs, a dialog box appears showing the simulations progress.
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Figure 2-16 Simulation Progress Dialog Box
The dialog box above shows that, in 1 second of elapsed (actual) time,
OPNET Modeler has simulated 19 minutes and 25 seconds of network time. The
entire simulation should take less than one minute to completethe elapsed time
varies according to the speed of your computer.
5 When the simulation finishes, the contents of the Messages tab appears. Click the
Close button in the Simulation Sequence dialog box.
6 If your simulation does not complete, if no results were collected, or if the results
vary significantly from those shown, you will have to troubleshoot your simulation.
See Troubleshooting Tutorials.
End of Procedure 2-10
Elapsed Time: Number of seconds the simulation has run
Simulated Time: Minutes of network time
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Viewing Results
After your simulation has executed, you will want to see the information
collected for each statistic. There are several ways to view results; in this tutorial
you will use the View Results option in the Workspace pop-up menu.
You will learn different ways to view results in later tutorials.
To view the server Ethernet load for the simulation:
Procedure 2-11 Viewing the Server Ethernet Load for the Simulation
1 Right-click on the server node (node_31) choose View Results from the servers
Object pop-up menu.
The Results Browser opens.
2 Expand the Object Statistics > Office Network > node_31 > Ethernet hierarchy.
3 Click on the checkbox next to Load (bits/sec) to indicate that you want to view that
result.
4 Click the Show button in the Results Browser.
The graph of the server load appears in the Project Editor, as shown in the
following figure.
End of Procedure 2-11
The graph of the server load should resemble the following graph. Your results
may differ slightly due to differences in node placement and link length, but the
general trends should be consistent.
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Figure 2-17 Server Load Graph
NoteAt its peak, the load on the server is about 5,500 bits/second. You will
need this baseline for comparison after you add the second network.
When you finish viewing the server load graph, close this dialog box and the
Results Browser. (If the system prompts you, choose to delete the graph panel.)
Key ConceptThe View Results option from the Workspace pop-up menu
allows you to obtain global statistics and individual object statistics from one
treeview.
You also should look at the Global Ethernet Delay on the network. To view this
statistic:
Procedure 2-12 Viewing the Global Ethernet Delay Statistic
1 Right-click in the workspace, then select View Results from the pop-up menu.
2 Check the box next to Global Statistics > Ethernet > Delay (sec).
3 Click the Show button to view the Ethernet delay for the whole network.
The Ethernet delay graph appears in the Project Editor. The graph should
resemble the following figure.
Simulation time, in
minutes
Bits/second. The
unit of measure
on this axis is
shown in the
statistic in the
Choose Results
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Figure 2-18 Ethernet Delay Graph
End of Procedure 2-12
Note that after the network reaches steady state, the maximum delay is around
0.4 milliseconds.
When you finish viewing the graph, close the graph and the Results Browser.
Expanding the Network
You have created a baseline network and gathered statistics about it. Now you
are ready to expand the network and verify that it still operates sufficiently well
with the additional load.
When performing a what-if comparison, it is convenient to store the baseline
network as one scenario and create the experimental network as a different
scenario. You will duplicate the existing scenario and make changes to it
instead of building the new topology from the beginning.
Procedure 2-13 Duplicating a Scenario
1 Choose Scenarios > Duplicate Scenario
2 Enter expansion as the name for the new scenario.
Simulation time, in minutes
Seconds
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3 Click OK.
The scenario, with all the nodes, links, statistics, and the simulation
configuration, is duplicated and named expansion.
End of Procedure 2-13
The second-floor segment will resemble the first-floor segment, but will not have
a server of its own.
Procedure 2-14 Building a New Segment
1 Select Topology > Rapid Configuration.
2 Choose Star for the topology and click Next
3 Complete the Rapid Configuration dialog box with these values:
Center Node Model: 3C_SSII_1100_3300_4s_ae52_e48_ge3
Periphery Node Model: Sm_Int_wkstn
Number: 15
Link model: 10BaseT
X: 85, Y: -10, Radius: 20
Figure 2-19 Rapid Configuration Dialog Box
4 Click OK to create the network.
End of Procedure 2-14
Next, join the two networks.
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Procedure 2-15 Joining Two Networks
1 If it is not already open, click the tool button to open the object palette.
2 Expand the Cisco 2514 folder.
3 Drag the Cisco 2514 router icon into the workspace between the two networks.
Right-click to turn off node creation.
4 Expand the Link Models folder and double-click on the 10BaseT link icon in the
object palette.
5 Create 10BaseT links between the Cisco router (node_50) and the 3Com switches
at the center of each star.
6 Right-click to turn off link creation.
7 Close the object palette.
8 Select File > Save.
End of Procedure 2-15
The final network should resemble the following figure.
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Figure 2-20 The Final Network
Next, run the expansion scenario.
Procedure 2-16 Running the Expansion Scenario
1 Select DES > Configure/Run Discrete Event Simulation
2 Click the Detailed button, if it appears, and verify that the Duration is set to 0.5
hours and the Update interval is set to 10000.
3 Click the Run button to begin the simulation.
Figure 2-21 Simulation Progress Dialog Box, Simulation Speed Tab
Selected
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As before, a window displays simulation start-up messages first, and then an
animated graph shows both the current and average speed in events per second
during the simulation. When the simulation is completed, you can view the
event/second graph results from the Simulation Speed tab.
4 When the simulation is done, close the Simulation Progress dialog box. If you had
problems, see Troubleshooting Tutorials.
End of Procedure 2-16
Comparing Results
To answer the questions posed about the addition of a second network to the
existing LAN, you need to compare the results from both of the simulations you
ran.
You will use the View Results menu item in the Object and Workspace pop-up
menus to combine statistics from different scenarios in the same graph. When
comparing results, choosing a statistic in one scenario produces a graph
showing the value of that statistic in all scenarios.
To view the server load from both scenarios at once:
Procedure 2-17 Viewing the Server Load from Both Scenarios
1 Right-click on the server node (node_31) to display the pop-up menu and choose
View Results.
2 Select Current Project from the Results for: pull-down menu.
3 Select the box next to each of the two scenarios.
4 In the Presentation area, select Overlaid Statistics from the pull-down menu.
NoteIf your results differ radically from those shown in the following figures, you
will have to troubleshoot your simulation. See Troubleshooting Tutorials.
5 Select the Object Statistics > Office Network > node_31 > Ethernet >
Load (bits/sec) statistic and click the Show button. Your results should resemble
those in the following figure (but may not be identical):
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Figure 2-22 Ethernet Loads Compared
The following graph is the time average of the Ethernet load between the baseline
(first_floor) scenario and the expansion scenario. You will learn how to create a
graph of the time average in the next tutorial.
Figure 2-23 Time-Averaged Server Load Compared
NoteAlthough the average load for the expansion scenario is higher (as
expected), the load as a whole appears to be leveling off (that is, not monotonically
increasing), indicating a stable network.
Next, see how much the networks delay is affected by adding a second floor. To
compare Ethernet delay for the two scenarios:
6 Close the graph and the Results Browser for the server.
Simulation time, in minutes
Bits/second
Simulation time, in minutes
Bits/second
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7 Right-click in the workspace to display the pop-up menu and choose
View Results.
8 As before, select Current Project from the Results for: pull-down menu, then
select the box next to each of the two scenarios.
9 Under Show Results, select Global Statistics -> Ethernet -> Delay (sec).
10 In the Presentation area, select Overlaid Statistics from the pull down menu.
11 Click the Show button to display the graph.
12 Your graph of Ethernet Delay should resemble the following figure.
Figure 2-24 Ethernet Delay Compared
This graph shows that there is no significant change in Ethernet delay on the
network. Although server load has increased, delay has not.
13 Close the graph and the Results Browser.
14 Select File > Close and save changes before closing.
End of Procedure 2-17
Now you are ready to go on to the M/M/1 Queue tutorial. This tutorial explores
the use of node models in the workflow. Return to the main tutorial menu and
choose M/M/1 Queue from the list of available tutorials. Or, if you prefer, choose
another tutorial of interest.
Simulation time, in minutes
Seconds
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NoteBe sure to delete the stdmod setting for the Network Simulation
Repositories preference when you are finished doing tutorials. To delete the
setting, select Edit > Preferences, search for Network Simulation
Repositories, click on the value, and choose Delete.