GENESIM [generic network simulator]

A description is given of the GENESIM generic network simulator, a communications network simulation tool designed specifically to facilitate simulation development for large, research-level network problems. The structure of the package has been derived in response to the need to study large networks with experimental variation of adaptive routing algorithms. Such efforts are considered not well-served by parameter-driven simulators because the variations in possible message processing/routing and system topology are difficult to plan for in advance. It is also pointed out that ad hoc coding of each possible network variant affects both project costs and schedules. The GENESIM system provides a hybrid approach to such tasks, which will permit coding the network algorithms with the full flexibility of a general-purpose language, while relieving the programming of the details normally associated with simulation coding