Implementation of routing protocols for Testbeds

Routing is in fact a simple task, yet the implementation of routing protocols requires specific operating system related knowledge. The developer has to deal with particular kernel internals that might have severe side effects. Furthermore, novel routing protocols require features that are not provided by current operating systems. Thus, routing protocols for mobile ad-hoc networks and wireless mesh networks are often studied in simulation environments. However, simulations have limitations that can result in conclusions that do not hold in real networks. A framework for the implementation of routing protocols in operating systems is required to enable real world oriented research. We introduce the DES Simple and Extensible Routing-Framework for Testbeds (DES-SERT). It supports the implementation, experimentation, and evaluation of routing protocols in a testbed environment. A structured protocol implementation is advocated by transmitting data in extensions attached to packets and by its pipeline based architecture. Several steps are elaborated how to derive an implementation from a routing protocol specification. A gossip implementation is presented as a simple example.