An automated tool selection method based on model transformation: OPNET and NS-3 case study

Errors in telecom service (TS) design may be expensive to correct by telecommunication enterprises, especially if they are discovered late and after the equipments and software are deployed. Verifying complex architectures of TS designs is a daunting task and subject to human errors. Thus, we aim to provide supportive tools that helps during the TS creation activity. Network simulators play an important role in detecting design errors and predicting performance quality violations in the TS domain due to the measurements that they can produce. The metrics associated with performance requirements are numerous, and it is difficult to find a unique tool that can handle the prediction of their values. In this paper, we tackle the tool selection challenge for non domain-expert designers taking into consideration the differences between tools and the large number of metrics that they can measure. Thus, by applying model transformation techniques, we propose a method to select the proper tool(s) to obtain the measurements needed during verification activity. Therefore, we present our contributions on the modeling language level, and the tool selection algorithm with its implementation. Reusability, complexity, and customized measurements are taken into account. We illustrate our approach with a video conference and customized measurement example using OPNET and NS-3 simulators.