Canet: an object-oriented software package for neitwork design, analysis, and simulation

Recent advances in fiber optics transmission, multi-media services, software technologies, and internetworking methodologies have made the design, management, and analysis of communication networks very complicated. Such complexity requires a more structured view of representing and managing heterogeneity. Subsequently, computer-aided design and simulation tools could be used for real-time design and what-if analysis. A well structured and integrated software, specialized for future integrated services networks, can also be an important experimental tool for understanding these networks. A major contribution of CANeT is the integration of various time-scaled link and .network management functions (design, configuration, routing, flow control, switching, and packet queueing) on a single graphical, optimization, and simulation platform. Such integration is important for the overall network engineering problem. For example, network design is the process of engineering transmission and switching facilities over fairly long time horizon for a wide area network. Network management generally refers to the reconfiguration of network resources to handle hourly or daily variations in the traffic pattern or network topology. Network control very often refers to