OPNET Simulations Of IPv6 Multicast Protocol

Multicast technology appeared while Internet developed quickly. All kinds of multimedia applications based on multicast technology come into people's daily life, for example remote instruction, video conferencing, P2P games and so on. IPv6 multicast has not been deployed wholesale though new Internet protocol prescript that multicast is one of the technologies supported by networks. There are many IPv6's self problems as well as transition from IPv4. OPNET is an excellent network simulation software which can help researchers to design, construct, analyze and manage the architecture, device and application of networks. We can design ourselves' IPv6 multicast model by using OPNET, and take advantage of multicast traffic and delay information gathered from simulation to analyze problems of IPv6 multicast, study better algorithms and design better models.In this paper, firstly we introduce multicast application and basic theory, then analyze and compare IPv4 multicast and IPv6 multicast with an emphasis on IPv6 multicast's new characteristics, including IPv6 multicast addresses, group membership and multicast Routing protocols. In this paper, we introduce two forms of IPv6 multicast simulation by OPNET. One of them is adopting MLD and SSM, and the other is adopting MLD and PIM-SM. We particularly describe packets' formation and modules' design method, then gather and analyze simulation data, at last compare these two simulations. We also propose a new dynamic RP selection algorithm based on delay on PIM-SM protocol and introduce steps and methods of wholesale parallel-multicast simulation.