This is a project-based, task-oriented course, where the students get a hands-on experience with a network simulator.

The lecture introduces fundamental concepts about discrete-event simulation, modelling of communication networks, and statistics for generating parameters and analyzing results. This knowledge has to be applied in the exercises, where the students learn to use the OMNeT++ network simulator and the INET framework in a series of practical exercises.

The examination at the end of the semester consists of a project where the students take on the role of network consultants that have to analyze a problem in a complex scenario via simulations. The students have multiple weeks to work on the task and have to summarize there findings in a written report and a presentation.

Contents

• Introduction to Concepts of a Simulator
• Stochastic / Distribution Functions
• Random Number Generation
• Simulation Models used in a Simulator (Traffic, Mobility, Radio Propagation, etc.)
• Hypothesis Testing (Chi-Square Test, etc.)
• Analysis of Results (Confidence Interval)
• Wireless LAN
• Network Emulation
• Advanced Topics in Simulation

Publications about this Course

The concept and structure of this course was published in our paper "Teaching Modelling and Analysis of Communication Networks using OMNeT++ Simulator", for which we received the "Best Scientific Contribution Award" of the 5th OMNeT++ Summit in 2018. Parallel to the paper, we released the exercises and the final task of this year as open teaching material.

In 2020, we also published our experiences in teaching this course online in our paper "Online Teaching of Project-based Learning Courses - Issues, Challenges and Outcomes" as part of the "On-line Networking Education Community Discussion" at SIGCOMM 2020.

• Online teaching of project-based learning courses : issues, challenges and outcomes
  Kuladinithi, Koojana; Fisser, Leonard; Fuger, Konrad; Stolpmann, Daniel; Vatandas, Zeynep; Timm-Giel, Andreas; Dürkop, Axel
  ACM Special Interest Group on Data Communication (SIGCOMM 2020)
  Open Access
• Teaching Modelling and Analysis of Communication Networks using OMNeT++ Simulator
  Kuladinithi, Koojana; Elsner, Raphael; Krüger, Leo; Lindner, Sebastian; Petersen, Christoph; Plöger, Daniel; Vatandas, Zeynep; Timm-Giel, Andreas
  EPiC series in computing 111-123 (2018)
  Publisher DOI