How to Begin Implement Network Accounting in NS3

To implement and analyse the network accounting using NS3 environment that has several steps to monitor and record the network resource usage like bandwidth, packet counts, or connection details, offering insights to network performance and behavior. Below is a comprehensive method on how to get started:

Steps to Begin Implement Network Accounting in NS3

1. Understand Network Accounting

• Purpose: Network accounting’s main goals are observing and recording the network usage statistics.
• Key Metrics:
  • Connection details (source, destination, protocols, and ports).
  • Packet counts (transmitted, received, lost).
  • Bandwidth utilization.
• Applications: Billing, performance monitoring, anomaly detection.

2. Set Up ns3

• Make sure that we have installed ns3 on the computer:

./waf configure –build-profile=debug –enable-examples –enable-tests

./waf build

• Confirm the installation by running:

./waf –run hello-simulator

3. Define Accounting Requirements

• We can observe:
  • Bandwidth usage, latency, packet drops, and so on.
  • Per-node or per-link statistics.
• Find the recording data in which:
  • Console, file, or external tool integration.

4. Set Up a Basic Network

Make a basic network topology to experiment the network accounting.

Example: Basic Topology

#include “ns3/core-module.h”

#include “ns3/network-module.h”

#include “ns3/internet-module.h”

#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”

#include “ns3/applications-module.h”

using namespace ns3;

int main(int argc, char *argv[])

{

Time::SetResolution(Time::NS);

// Create nodes

NodeContainer nodes;

nodes.Create(2);

// Configure point-to-point link

PointToPointHelper p2p;

p2p.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“10Mbps”));

p2p.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“2ms”));

// Install devices

NetDeviceContainer devices = p2p.Install(nodes);

// Install Internet stack

InternetStackHelper stack;

stack.Install(nodes);

// Assign IP addresses

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

address.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces = address.Assign(devices);

// Set up a UDP echo server on node 1

uint16_t port = 9;

UdpEchoServerHelper echoServer(port);

ApplicationContainer serverApp = echoServer.Install(nodes.Get(1));

serverApp.Start(Seconds(1.0));

serverApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

// Set up a UDP echo client on node 0

UdpEchoClientHelper echoClient(interfaces.GetAddress(1), port);

echoClient.SetAttribute(“MaxPackets”, UintegerValue(5));

echoClient.SetAttribute(“Interval”, TimeValue(Seconds(1.0)));

echoClient.SetAttribute(“PacketSize”, UintegerValue(1024));

ApplicationContainer clientApp = echoClient.Install(nodes.Get(0));

clientApp.Start(Seconds(2.0));

clientApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

// Run simulation

Simulator::Run();

Simulator::Destroy();

return 0;

}

5. Enable Accounting Mechanisms

• Observe all events to utilize Tracing.
• Make use of FlowMonitor for in-depth statistics.

Option 1: Basic Accounting with Packet Traces

• Add trace callbacks for recording the packet events such as transmitted and received.

void PacketSentCallback(Ptr<const Packet> packet)

{

NS_LOG_UNCOND(“Packet sent at: ” << Simulator::Now().GetSeconds() << ” seconds”);

}

void PacketReceivedCallback(Ptr<const Packet> packet)

{

NS_LOG_UNCOND(“Packet received at: ” << Simulator::Now().GetSeconds() << ” seconds”);

}

void InstallAccounting(Ptr<Node> node)

{

Ptr<NetDevice> device = node->GetDevice(0);

device->TraceConnectWithoutContext(“MacTx”, MakeCallback(&PacketSentCallback));

device->TraceConnectWithoutContext(“MacRx”, MakeCallback(&PacketReceivedCallback));

}

Attach to Nodes:

InstallAccounting(nodes.Get(0)); // Monitor node 0

InstallAccounting(nodes.Get(1)); // Monitor node 1

Option 2: Detailed Accounting with FlowMonitor

• Utilize FlowMonitor for monitoring every flow.

#include “ns3/flow-monitor-helper.h”

FlowMonitorHelper flowmonHelper;

Ptr<FlowMonitor> monitor = flowmonHelper.InstallAll();

• Serialize outcomes to a file:

monitor->SerializeToXmlFile(“network-accounting.xml”, true, true);

• Examine the outputs:

monitor->CheckForLostPackets();

Ptr<Ipv4FlowClassifier> classifier = DynamicCast<Ipv4FlowClassifier>(flowmonHelper.GetClassifier());

std::map<FlowId, FlowMonitor::FlowStats> stats = monitor->GetFlowStats();

for (auto &flow : stats)

{

Ipv4FlowClassifier::FiveTuple t = classifier->FindFlow(flow.first);

NS_LOG_UNCOND(“Flow ” << flow.first << ” (” << t.sourceAddress << ” -> ” << t.destinationAddress << “)”);

NS_LOG_UNCOND(”  Tx Bytes: ” << flow.second.txBytes);

NS_LOG_UNCOND(”  Rx Bytes: ” << flow.second.rxBytes);

NS_LOG_UNCOND(”  Throughput: ” << (flow.second.rxBytes * 8.0 / (flow.second.timeLastRxPacket.GetSeconds() – flow.second.timeFirstTxPacket.GetSeconds())) << ” bps”);

}

6. Run and Test

• Construct the script and run the simulation in NS3:

./waf –run scratch/network-accounting

• Confirm logs or FlowMonitor outcomes.

7. Enhance Accounting Features

• To refine the aspects of network accounting, we can integrate:
  • Per-link or per-node counters for in-depth logging.
  • Bandwidth usage envisions using gnuplot tools.
  • Modify parameters such as average latency or jitter.

Example: Custom Counter

static uint32_t packetCounter = 0;

void CountPackets(Ptr<const Packet> packet)

{

packetCounter++;

NS_LOG_UNCOND(“Packet count: ” << packetCounter);

}

Connect to a device:

device->TraceConnectWithoutContext(“MacTx”, MakeCallback(&CountPackets));

8. Analyze Results

• Examine outcomes to utilize:
  • Console Logs: It supports basic events.
  • FlowMonitor: Used for end-to-end statistics.
  • Custom Scripts: For post-process simulation information.

We have delivered step-by-step execution instructions for implementing and examining the Network Accounting in NS3 simulator with sample coding. We are prepared to offer further details on this topic in upcoming manual.