Improving the credibility of simulation-based research in mobile networks
Aarti Munjal · 2012
This dissertation focuses on improving the credibility of simulation-based research in mobile networks. Simulations are typically the only tools available for the performance analysis of a routing protocol in a mobile network; unfortunately, the credibility of simulations has been highly compromised over the years. Therefore, as part of this research, we have developed tools that will help researchers perform credible simulations. Specifically, we provide regression models that allow researchers to construct rigorous simulation scenarios in mobile networks. Using our models, researchers can test routing protocols for mobile networks in a more realistic manner, as our models are designed using a recently published mobility model that is constructed by extracting the statistical features of real human movement. Movement patterns of mobile nodes significantly affect the performance of a routing protocol in a mobile network. The probability distribution of mobile nodes (over the simulation area) varies with time before it reaches a steady-state. Therefore, we propose to sample a mobility model's input parameter values from their stationary distributions. Sampling from stationary distributions guarantees that the convergence to steady-state is immediate. In addition to being realistic, a mobility model should be simple to understand and use. In this work, we have developed a mobility model that is simple as well as realistic; other simple mobility models developed thus far are not realistic and other realistic mobility models proposed thus far are not simple to use. To help the research community in its ongoing efforts of improving the credibility of simulation-based research, all the software packages developed as part of this work are available on our research group's website, http://toilers.mines.edu/.