Planning Grant: Simulation of Wireless Systems Using a Modular Supercomputing Platform

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this effort is to study the feasibility of adapting the latest supercomputing blade technology to the task of performing high fidelity and cross-layer simulations of mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) with large numbers of mobile nodes. This computing power has the potential to dramatically accelerate the simulation of MANET and other complex wireless networks, and increase the number of nodes that can be studied in great detail. The large number of nodes can be programmed to interact across different protocol layers, and the physical layer will include detailed characterization of propagation channels, something frequently omitted in current simulation tools. In this planning effort, a supercomputing blade computing system will be adapted to high fidelity and cross-layer simulation of MANETS with large numbers of nodes (500 or more) and the feasibility of porting or adapting existing simulation programs to the supercomputing platform will be investigated. The system will be used to perform example high fidelity and cross-layer simulations of MANET routing and other applications, and conduct studies on system speed-up and scalability that will then be shared with the research community.