A Fluid Simulation Methodology for Complex, Large Scale Networks

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Researchers from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and DartmouthCollege jointly propose to perform fundamental research on developing afluid simulation methodology that will enable efficient, multi-time-scale,hierarchical performance modeling of complex networks such as the nextgeneration Internet. The proposed effort will allow networks to be moreeasily modeled and their performance to be evaluated significantly faster;it will make it possible to model significantly larger networks than beforeand to allow the tradeoffs between modeling accuracy and solution speed tobe quantitatively assessed. The novel features of the proposed fluidmodeling methodology include:Modeling at multiple time-scales. The proposed unified modeling frameworkprovides for modeling system behavior at different time-scales, allowing forsignificant savings in simulation execution times when modeling at coarsertime-scales. Development of formal means for quantitatively characterizingthe potential loss of modeling accuracy when fast-time-scale behavior ismodeled at a coarser time-scale is an important part of the framework.Hierarchical fluid modeling. The PIs demonstrate that multi-level(hierarchical) fluid modeling allows for abstraction of a potentiallycomplex component of the simulation by a simpler model and substitution ofthis simpler model into the larger simulation. The PIs also developrigorous techniques that can automatically identify when such substitutioncan be performed without significant loss of modeling accuracy.Efficiency in modeling complex systems. The PIs demonstrate that inaddition to providing for multi-time-scale, multi-level modeling, fluidsimulation can be significantly more efficient than traditional discreteevent simulation. The PIs' initial work shows a 50-fold speedup in auniprocessor fluid simulation speed over the discrete-event counterpart withlittle loss in modeling accuracy. Applicability in many problem domains. The PIs demonstrate that fluidsimulation methodologies are ``plug and play'' in the sense that they can beapplied equally well to the current Internet protocol suite, futurereal-time and multicast protocols, or ATM networks.