Modeling Architecture

Modeler is architected on a series of hierarchical editors that parallel the structure of real networks, equipment, and protocols.

Project Editor
graphically represents the topology of a communications network.

Users create node and link objects to represent network topology elements and configure those quickly using dialog boxes. Projects can contain multiple “what if” scenarios to facilitate design comparisons.

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Node Editor
captures the architecture of a network device or system by depicting the flow of data between functional elements, called "modules".

Modules typically represent network protocols or algorithms and are assigned process models (developed in the Process Editor) to achieve any required behavior.

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Process Editor
uses a powerful finite state machine (FSM) approach to support detailed specification of protocols, resources, applications, algorithms, and queuing policies.

 FSMs are dynamic and can be spawned during simulation in response to specific events. The C/C++ code that governs each state of a process model can be rapidly customized. OPNET Kernel Procedure APIs exist to facilitate development and support common communications mechanisms, such as packets, queues, and traffic.

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Complete Protocol and Vendor Device Model Suite

Modeler’s comprehensive library of more than 400 detailed protocol and vendor device models accelerates the model design process.

The most popular protocol models include:

Network equipment models are offered for leading vendors including:

All standard models are provided with source code to facilitate customization.
Click here for the complete list of supported models.

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Incorporating Operational Network Data

Network models can be built by instantiating objects from the model library, importing configurations from text/XML files, or by importing operational data from device configurations and other third-party data sources. Operational network traffic flow and load data can be imported from text files or via popular third-party tools from CA, Cisco Systems, HP, InfoVista, NetScout, Statseeker, and others.

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Capturing Live Application Behavior

Modeler offers numerous advanced features for capturing the behavior of custom applications. Live applications can be captured using OPNET’s ACE™ Analyst solution or injected into a simulation in real-time using OPNET System-in-the-Loop.

ACE Analyst allows users to:

• Capture packet traces of live applications in a production or test environment
• Define a model that captures the intricacies of live applications
• Craft new application models from scratch by architecting transaction flows using Modeler’s Whiteboard feature

System-in-the-Loop allows users to:

• Perform developmental, interoperability, scalability, and conformance testing of prototype hardware and software applications
• Create a virtual training facility for devices or applications interfacing directly with simulated network infrastructure containing numerous simulated devices
• Study the behavior of prototype applications by deploying them on a simulated network topology
• Analyze the performance of a new protocol deployed in a simulated network environment by injecting real network traffic

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Detailed Wireless Modeling

The Modeler Wireless Suite and Modeler Wireless Suite for Defense provide the industry's most flexible and scalable wireless network modeling environment, and include a broad range of powerful technologies for accelerating simulation run-time. All wireless characteristics are seamlessly integrated with higher layer protocol models, providing the ability to model the many aspects of wireless transmission, including:

• RF propagation (path loss with terrain diffraction, fading, and atmospheric attenuation)
• Signal modulation and de-modulation
• Interference and jamming
• Transmitter/receiver characteristics
• Node mobility including handover
• Interconnection with wired transport networks

The Modeler Wireless Suite and Modeler Wireless Suite for Defense simulate wireless links using a modular and opensource framework, called the Transceiver Pipeline™. The Transceiver Pipeline is fully customizable and designed to efficiently calculate wireless effects such as link closure, directional antenna gain, path loss, noise and interference, modulation effects, and bit errors.

Evaluate UMTS network designs

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Understanding RF Propagation over Open Terrain and Within Urban Environments

Modeler Wireless Suite and Modeler Wireless Suite for Defense offer multiple models for calculating signal propagation over open terrain and within urban environments. The open modeling framework can be used to customize existing propagation models (through parameter sets or model source code) and create custom model implementations.

Models provided include:

CCIR
Free-Space
HATA
Longley Rice
Walfisch-Ikegami

Modeler Wireless Suite and Modeler Wireless Suite for Defense utilize Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) and Digital Elevation Map (DEM) raw data sources for propagation calculations and rendering of elevation maps.

The Modeler Wireless Suite for Defense also includes the Terrain Integrated Rough Earth Model (TIREM) that computes accurate propagation losses due to terrain effects, such as diffraction and absorption, within wireless network simulations. TIREM is the de facto United States DoD standard algorithm for signal propagation modeling. The Modeler Wireless Suite for Defense supports TIREM v4 (available exclusively through OPNET) along with TIREM v3. TIREM v4 operates significantly faster than v3 with added precision.

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3D Network Visualization

The 3D Network Visualizer (3DNV™) enables three-dimensional displays of Modeler’s network simulations that incorporate topology, node relationships, and performance statistics overlaid on realistically rendered terrain. 3DNV is available as part of the Modeler Wireless Suite for Defense and is designed to facilitate the efforts of wireless engineers and defense network planners to optimize mobile system development and deployment.

3DNV creates a three-dimensional synthetic environment that provides a backdrop for overlaid node mobility and communications system performance. 3DNV utilizes OpenFlight databases, the industry standard for producing three-dimensional synthetic environments, to render terrain and network entity representations.

Overlay communications effects onto a dynamic 3D scenario

OPNET also provides an optional Multi-Federate Logger for 3DNV capability. The Multi-Federate Logger for 3DNV captures and saves information passed between OPNET Modeler and 3DNV during simulation runtime and is used to review results visually post-simulation.

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