Simulation of service-oriented systems for Mobile Ad hoc Networks

The simulation of distributed systems that implement a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) imposes a set of requirements on their simulation models. These models must replicate the interactions that characterise the SOA operational paradigm and the role of the entities that support an SOA. When those interactions occur over Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs), simulation models must accurately reproduce the effects that mobility and other networking factors have on the system. This paper presents the architecture of a simulation environment for MANET-interconnected Service-Oriented Systems. The simulation environment combines the realistic SOA support provided by OSGi with the network simulation capabilities of ns-2. The application-layer elements of the simulation models built for this environment are also SOA implementations, thus promoting structural model validity. This approach provides the opportunity of utilising elements or prototypes from the modelled systems as part of the simulation model, promoting its continuity. In addition, it takes advantage of the benefits that SOA has brought to field of Modelling and Simulation.