[Read] Difficulties in simulating the internet

Abstract:
Simulating how the global Internet behaves is an immensely challenging
undertaking because of the network's great heterogeneity and rapid change.
The heterogeneity ranges from the individual links that carry the network's
traffic, to the protocols that interoperate over the links, the "mix" of
different applications used at a site, and the levels of congestion seen on
different links. We discuss two key strategies for developing meaningful
simulations in the face of these difficulties: searching for invariants and
judiciously exploring the simulation parameter space. We finish with a brief
look at a collaborative effort within the research community to develop a
common network simulator.

Attachment: Difficulties in simulating the internet.pdf
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