High-fidelity and time-driven simulation of large wireless networks with parallel processing

Abstract

Parallel processing is a promising technique for reducing the execution time of a large and complex wireless network simulation. In this article, a parallel processing technique is presented for time-driven simulations of large and complex wireless networks. The technique explicitly considers the physical-layer details of wireless network simulators such as shadowing and co-channel interference. The technique uses multiple processors interconnected with highspeed links. Principles and issues are elaborated, including workload partitioning, synchronization, and database design. Numerical results from two different wireless network simulators employing the technique are presented to demonstrate the performance of the technique. The results indicate that the technique can significantly improve the run-time performance of time-driven simulations of large and complicated wireless networks of different types.