Simulation Standardization: Current State and Cross-Platform System for Network Simulators

The amount of research done in the field of mobile ad hoc networks is extraordinarily large. Evaluation of protocols designed for ad hoc networks is challenging as the cost of node deployment in terms of resources required is high, hence, most of the researchers use simulations for performance evaluation. In this paper we address the pitfalls of simulation studies in ad hoc routing protocols published in recent years. We have conducted a survey to evaluate the current state of simulation studies published in top conference/journals of the communication domain. In majority of the published papers (the way simulation results are reported) we have found design flaws, unrealistic assumptions, are non-reproducible, and statistically invalid results. We also propose a standardizing architecture for automating the reporting and replication process for network simulators. This platform independent architecture alleviates the challenge of simulation parameter reporting and facilitates in designing better network simulation experiments.