How to Calculate Network Overhead in routing in omnet++

To calculate the network overhead in routing within OMNeT++ has requires to include calculating the further network resources consumed by the routing protocol itself. It is usually the number of control packets like acknowledgments, routing updates and etc. the size of the packets and any extra computational resources used to maintain and update routing tables. The following is a procedure to calculate network overhead in routing within OMNeT++:

1. Identify Control Packets:

• The initial step is to find what constitutes a control packet in the network. Control packets are those that are used by the routing protocol to maintain and create routes rather than to transmit user data.
• General kinds of control packets might contain:
  • Routing updates: Periodic messages that nodes interchange to update their routing tables.
  • Hello messages: Used in some protocols to find neighbours.
  • Route requests (RREQs) and Route replies (RREPs): Used in on-demand routing protocols like AODV.

2. Modify the Network Configuration:

• If using a predefined routing protocol like AODV, OLSR in INET, make sure that the simulation is configured to count and log these control packets.

Example Configuration in .ned File:

• We define the network with the chosen routing protocol.

import inet.routing.ospfv2.OSPFv2;

network MyNetwork {

submodules:

node[0..9]: StandardHost {

parameters:

routingProtocol = “OSPFv2”; // Example with OSPFv2

}

connections allowunconnected:

node[*].pppg++ <–> PointToPointLink <–> node[*].pppg++;

}

3. Track Control Packets:

• In the routing protocol’s implementation, or by changing the network’s handleMessage function, track the number of control packets sent and received.

Example in C++:

• If we are using a protocol like AODV, we can count control packets in the handleMessage function or in the protocol’s message handling routines.

int controlPacketCount = 0;

int controlPacketBytes = 0;

virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override {

if (isControlPacket(msg)) {

controlPacketCount++;

controlPacketBytes += msg->getByteLength();

}

// Process the message

}

bool isControlPacket(cMessage *msg) {

// Define logic to check if msg is a control packet

return dynamic_cast<RoutingControlPacket*>(msg) != nullptr;

}

4. Calculate Network Overhead:

• Network overhead can be measured based on the number of control packets and the total size of these packets:

double overheadRatio = (double)controlPacketBytes / totalNetworkBytes;

• This ratio gives an idea of how much of the network’s bandwidth is being used for routing overhead.
• Otherwise, if interested in the number of control packets relative to data packets, use:

double overheadRatio = (double)controlPacketCount / dataPacketCount;

• We can also compute overhead in terms of energy consumption if energy models are in use, by tracking the energy used to transmit and receive these control packets.

5. Record and Analyze Overhead:

• Note down the overhead data using OMNeT++’s statistics recording features.

recordScalar(“Control Packet Count”, controlPacketCount);

recordScalar(“Control Packet Bytes”, controlPacketBytes);

recordScalar(“Network Overhead Ratio”, overheadRatio);

• It can be done at the end of the simulation to get a final value for network overhead.

6. Simulation Setup:

• Configure the simulation parameters in the omnetpp.ini file to make sure the correct behaviour of the network, with the duration of the simulation, packet generation rates, and mobility (if applicable).

Example Configuration in omnetpp.ini:

*.node[*].routingProtocolType = “AODV”;

*.node[*].mobilityType = “RandomWaypointMobility”;

*.node[*].**.recordScalar(“Control Packet Count”);

*.node[*].**.recordScalar(“Control Packet Bytes”);

7. Post-Processing:

• Analyse the recorded values to measure the network overhead after the simulation. We might compare overhead across various routing protocols, mobility scenarios, or network sizes.

8. Advanced Considerations:

• If the network uses many kind of control packets, consider breaking down the overhead calculation by packet type for extra granular analysis.
• In highly dynamic networks with node mobility, the overhead may vary significantly over time, so consider time-based analysis.

In this paper, we are provided more informations and procedure to calculate the Network Overhead in routing in OMNeT++. We will give further details as per your needs.

Getr top project execution concepts and topics from the researchers and developers at omnet-manual.com. To assess your network performance regarding Network Overhead in routing using the OMNeT++ tool, share your parameter details with us, and we will deliver optimal results. Our developers specialize in control packets, including acknowledgments and routing updates pertinent to your project.