In the Phase I effort of "Efficient Network Models", we have developed a detailed design for a new class of network simulation tool that provides comprehensive capabilities and is portable across many machines, including PC's. In the phase II effort, we propose to implement this design. Our proposed design employs the most recently developed DOS extender and windows-oriented graphical user-interface technology to provide a full-featured simulator on a low-cost IBM-PC workstation for the first time. The new technical features of our proposed design provide the network designer with additional flexibility, ease-of-use and run-time efficiency over competing approaches. A novel feature of our proposed design is the ability to model communication networks at a variable level of detail, even within the same simulation. The proposed tool employs an object-oriented design methodology to model layered network architectures in an integral fashion with their protocols. The simulator is designed to support the OSI layered architecture and general layered network architectures. The specific application target of our proposed design is the class of networks operating in stressed environments, subject to jamming of links, failures of nodes, etc. The simulator is expected to find wide application to military and commercial network problems.
