Simulation software for communications networks: the state of the art

In the last five to ten years, simulation has been used with greater frequency to analyze communications networks, due in part to the increased number of networks in existence and to their greater complexity. The authors define the types of simulation software that are available for network analyses and also discuss desirable features for such products. They then present brief descriptions of seven prominent simulation products, emphasizing their approach to building a simulation model. They also give a four-activity approach for selecting a simulation package for an organization or a particular application. A general reference for the simulation concepts discussed in this article is Law and Kelton (1991).<>