ABSTRACT NCR-9527163 Hajnal, Andras Rutgers University MDC: Simulations of Integrated Communications Systems The rapidly developing synthesis of communications and computing technologies, the ongoing construction of immense digital data networks, and the global deregulation of telecommunications industries will have a tremendous impact on the national economy and infrastructure. This proposal brings together leading experts in network modeling, network design and analysis, and high performance discrete-event simulation to focus on the development and validation of high-performance modeling and simulation tools for broadband networks and wireless communication services. The project will apply these tools to cutting edge problems in network design and operations that cannot be answered otherwise. The goals of this project are to: (1) develop network description methodology, similar in spirit to VHDL (very high speed integrated circuit hardware design language), suitable for the description of current and future telecommulication networks (2) provide validated high-performance simulation software prototypes based on this methodology, and (3) demonstrate the use of the tools for network construction and operation problems that cannot be answered otherwise. An important aspect of this project involves education and training of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows by involvement in pressing industrial problems, and via sharing the high-performance modeling and simulation tools within the public domain. The multidisciplinary project team attacks the problem by covering all of its critical elements. The team includes applications scientists who will help shape the network description and simulation tools by their experience and knowledge of current research directions in networking, and who will use the tools to explore those directions: it includes network modeling experts who contribute mathematically valid network behavioral models that help to accelerate the simulations ; it includes experienced developers of high performance simulation tools. Most critically, all members will participate vigorously in the design of the network specification methodology, for that methodology must address the needs and concerns of each. We envision a role analogous to the academic and industrial research partnership which successfully fostered the rapid expansion of the computer-aided-design industry in microelectronics. Indeed, we employ some of the proven strategies critical to that expansion - standardized description methodologies and highly efficient simulation tools.
