Self routing Banyan networks in an ATM-environment

1. Objectives To be familiar with the OPNET package by going through several built-in tutorial exercises. 2. Introduction to OPNET OPtimized Network Engineering Tools (OPNET) is a comprehensive simulation package capable of simulating large communications networks with detailed protocol modelling and performance analysis. OPNET features include: graphical specification of models; a dynamic, event-scheduled Simulation Kernel; integrated data analysis tools; and hierarchical, object-based modelling. OPNET has eight different tools which fit into three categories: model development, simulation execution and result analysis. The Network, Node, and Process Editors are the primary development tools. They each have the single purpose of defining models at one level of the modelling hierarchy. Typically, initial design efforts in a project will focus on developing node models for each distinct type of node. Process models will initially be placeholders, but they will be successively refined during model development. The network model, consisting of nodes and links, must be defined before the network simulation can be built. The Parameter Editor is used in conjunction with the process and node model development to define special model structures. The Parameter Editor has five modes, each used to define a Simulation execution typically involves the preparatory step of attaching probes to the points of interest in the model using the Probe Editor. Probes monitor statistics computed during a simulation. The Simulation Tool allows specification of a sequence of simulations which use particular input and output options. The Analysis Tool presents statistics gathered during simulations in the form of two dimensional graphs or text listings. The information collected by a simulation can be viewed directly, or processed by filters. The Filter Editor is used to define filters to mathematically process, reduce, or combine statistical data.