Multicast Routing Algorithms' Simulation Platform Designing

QoS Multicast Routing is one of the key technologies to provide quality of service in future networks. The goals of QoS Multicast Routing are to select feasible paths that meet QoS constraints and to make efficient utilization of the network resource for multiple-users network applications. In the research of QoS Multicast Routing, strict theory analysis and enough experiments are needed. Nowadays, two primary problems exist in the research process: first, it's hard to build topology models reflecting the real networks' properties; secondly, there are diversities of the optimizing aims and evaluating standards, which make it hard for researchers to the analysis algorithms' performance accurately.This paper proposes an improved Transit-Stub topology model. It is on the routing level of the Internet, so that the topologies created could be directly applied in the routing algorithms' simulation. The average of the path length characteristic of this model is more according with the Internet, better than the traditional Waxman random model and the quondam hierarchical model. A new network parameter model which is independent from network algorithms is given based on that, it overcomes the simple-link-weighted disadvantage and could be more appropriate to describe the network QoS mechanism.This paper suggests an evaluation strategy of multicast routing algorithms based on the linear energy function — IESMR. It transforms all the QoS performance parameters into one single value using linear energy functions and calculates the offset radius from the utmost-best-solution, then makes the point-of-fall frequency curve as the integrative measurement of evaluation. By appraising multi optimizing aims of the algorithm at one time, this strategy increases objectivity and reliability of the evaluation.Based on those algorithms above, the paper designs a skeleton of QoS multicast routing algorithm platform and realizes the system protocol. This platform can accomplish several functions including simulating environment generation, algorithm simulation and performance evaluation. It integrates the graphics display and the data analysis, can be specially used for routing algorithms' simulating and evaluating. Besides, the platform supports standard interfaces, all the algorithms with the interface can be integrated in for simulating experiments.