How to Begin Implement Network Compliance in NS3

To implement the network compliance using ns3 which requires making sure that the simulated network follows certain protocols, strategies, or principles. It could comprise of compliance including security policies, bandwidth limits, Quality of Service (QoS) agreements, or particular network sets up.

Below is a comprehensive mechanism on how to start executing the network compliance within ns3:

Steps to Begin Implement Network Compliance in NS3

1. Define Network Compliance Goals

• Detect the standards, policies, or protocols to follow:
  • Security Compliance: Make sure data encryption, access control, and traffic filtering for security.
  • Bandwidth Compliance: Apply restrictions at data transfer rates.
  • QoS Compliance: Ensure QoS parameters such as latency, jitter, or throughput.
  • Protocol Compliance: Confirm conformance to protocols like TCP/IP, HTTP, or custom protocols.
• Discover compliance parameters for observing the packet loss, delay, or unauthorized traffic.

2. Set Up ns3 Environment

• Make sure that we have installed ns3 simulator on the system:

git clone https://gitlab.com/nsnam/ns-3-dev.git

cd ns-3-dev

./ns3 configure –enable-examples –enable-tests

./ns3 build

• Verify the installation by running:

./ns3 run hello-simulator

3. Design the Network Topology

• Make a network topology with clients, servers, and intermediary nodes such as routers or gateways for policy application.
• Example:
  • Clients: Nodes supports to create traffic.
  • Servers: These nodes receiving traffic.
  • Policy Enforcer: To apply compliance with router, gateway, or firewall.

4. Steps to Implement Network Compliance

(a) Create Nodes

• Make nodes for clients, servers, and policy enforcers:

NodeContainer clients, servers, enforcer;

clients.Create(1);

servers.Create(1);

enforcer.Create(1); // Policy enforcement node

(b) Set Up Network Links

• Associate nodes for configuring the network links using PointToPointHelper or CsmaHelper:

PointToPointHelper p2p;

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

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

NetDeviceContainer clientToEnforcer = p2p.Install(NodeContainer(clients.Get(0), enforcer.Get(0)));

NetDeviceContainer enforcerToServer = p2p.Install(NodeContainer(enforcer.Get(0), servers.Get(0)));

(c) Install Internet Stack

• We can install the Internet stack at all nodes:

InternetStackHelper stack;

stack.InstallAll();

(d) Assign IP Addresses

• Allocate an IP addresses to the devices:

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

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

Ipv4InterfaceContainer clientEnforcerInterfaces = address.Assign(clientToEnforcer);

address.SetBase(“10.1.2.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

Ipv4InterfaceContainer enforcerServerInterfaces = address.Assign(enforcerToServer);

(e) Configure Routing

• Allow transmitting the IP addresses at the policy enforcer node:

Ptr<Ipv4> ipv4Enforcer = enforcer.Get(0)->GetObject<Ipv4>();

ipv4Enforcer->SetAttribute(“IpForward”, BooleanValue(true));

5. Implement Compliance Mechanisms

(a) Bandwidth Compliance

• Apply bandwidth limits to leverage traffic control:

TrafficControlHelper tch;

tch.SetRootQueueDisc(“ns3::FqCoDelQueueDisc”);

tch.Install(clientToEnforcer.Get(0));

(b) QoS Compliance

• Implement QoS strategies with the support of priority queues or packet scheduling:

tch.SetRootQueueDisc(“ns3::PriorityQueueDisc”);

(c) Security Compliance

• Refine packets with custom callbacks for security compliance:

void PacketFilter(Ptr<const Packet> packet, Ptr<Ipv4> ipv4, uint32_t interface) {

Ipv4Header ipv4Header;

packet->PeekHeader(ipv4Header);

Ipv4Address source = ipv4Header.GetSource();

Ipv4Address destination = ipv4Header.GetDestination();

// Example: Drop packets from unauthorized IPs

if (source == Ipv4Address(“10.1.1.1”)) {

NS_LOG_UNCOND(“Unauthorized packet from ” << source << ” dropped.”);

} else {

NS_LOG_UNCOND(“Packet from ” << source << ” allowed.”);

}

}

enforcer.Get(0)->GetObject<Ipv4>()->TraceConnectWithoutContext(“Tx”, MakeCallback(&PacketFilter));

6. Install Applications

• Install applications to replicate the traffic among clients and servers:
  • Server:

UdpEchoServerHelper echoServer(9);

ApplicationContainer serverApp = echoServer.Install(servers.Get(0));

serverApp.Start(Seconds(1.0));

serverApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

• • Client:

UdpEchoClientHelper echoClient(Ipv4Address(“10.1.2.2”), 9);

echoClient.SetAttribute(“MaxPackets”, UintegerValue(10));

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

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

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

clientApp.Start(Seconds(2.0));

clientApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

7. Monitor Compliance

• Guarantee compliance including policies to utilize FlowMonitor:

FlowMonitorHelper flowmon;

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

Simulator::Run();

monitor->SerializeToXmlFile(“compliance-results.xml”, true, true);

8. Complete Example Code

Below is the comprehensive instance to integrate the compliance strategies:

#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”

#include “ns3/traffic-control-module.h”

#include “ns3/flow-monitor-module.h”

using namespace ns3;

void PacketFilter(Ptr<const Packet> packet, Ptr<Ipv4> ipv4, uint32_t interface) {

Ipv4Header ipv4Header;

packet->PeekHeader(ipv4Header);

Ipv4Address source = ipv4Header.GetSource();

Ipv4Address destination = ipv4Header.GetDestination();

// Example: Drop packets from unauthorized IPs

if (source == Ipv4Address(“10.1.1.1”)) {

NS_LOG_UNCOND(“Unauthorized packet from ” << source << ” dropped.”);

} else {

NS_LOG_UNCOND(“Packet from ” << source << ” allowed.”);

}

}

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

CommandLine cmd;

cmd.Parse(argc, argv);

// Create nodes

NodeContainer clients, servers, enforcer;

clients.Create(1);

servers.Create(1);

enforcer.Create(1);

// Create links

PointToPointHelper p2p;

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

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

NetDeviceContainer clientToEnforcer = p2p.Install(NodeContainer(clients.Get(0), enforcer.Get(0)));

NetDeviceContainer enforcerToServer = p2p.Install(NodeContainer(enforcer.Get(0), servers.Get(0)));

// Install Internet stack

InternetStackHelper stack;

stack.InstallAll();

// Assign IP addresses

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

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

Ipv4InterfaceContainer clientEnforcerInterfaces = address.Assign(clientToEnforcer);

address.SetBase(“10.1.2.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

Ipv4InterfaceContainer enforcerServerInterfaces = address.Assign(enforcerToServer);

// Enable IP forwarding

Ptr<Ipv4> ipv4Enforcer = enforcer.Get(0)->GetObject<Ipv4>();

ipv4Enforcer->SetAttribute(“IpForward”, BooleanValue(true));

// Attach packet filter

enforcer.Get(0)->GetObject<Ipv4>()->TraceConnectWithoutContext(“Tx”, MakeCallback(&PacketFilter));

// Install applications

UdpEchoServerHelper echoServer(9);

ApplicationContainer serverApp = echoServer.Install(servers.Get(0));

serverApp.Start(Seconds(1.0));

serverApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

UdpEchoClientHelper echoClient(Ipv4Address(“10.1.2.2”), 9);

echoClient.SetAttribute(“MaxPackets”, UintegerValue(10));

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

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

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

clientApp.Start(Seconds(2.0));

clientApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

// Install FlowMonitor

FlowMonitorHelper flowmon;

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

// Run simulation

Simulator::Run();

// Output FlowMonitor results

monitor->SerializeToXmlFile(“compliance-results.xml”, true, true);

Simulator::Destroy();

return 0;

}

This procedure offered the step-by-step guide to help you implement Network Compliance in ns3 environment and provides from the basic set up to observing the network compliance. We will provide any details regarding this manual, if needed.