Abstract Simulation for the GIG by Extending the IP Cloud Concept

The Global Information Grid (GIG) network is envisioned to consist of many large networks, each consisting of hundreds or even thousands of nodes. Performing simulations that detail each node would be infeasible. This paper presents abstract simulation as an approach to performing trade studies on the GIG. The abstract simulation approach in this paper expands on the IP cloud concept. Clouds model specific networks that not only include IP characteristics of that network, but also include the MAC and physical layers for radios that are specific to that network. The approach presented in this paper allows the modeler to abstract all, or parts, of the GIG based on the focus of the study. Thus the modeler is able to obtain results quickly with acceptable accuracy, or perform more detailed analysis.