How to Implement Network Fusion Fronthaul in NS2

To implement the Network Fusion Fronthaul in NS2 that refers to incorporating numerous fronthaul technologies and enhancing data transmission among the radio heads and centralized processing units (CPUs) or Baseband Units (BBUs) in modern wireless networks like 5G technology. These networks are connect dispersed radio units (RUs) to centralized BBUs, permitting for centralized processing and coordination of several RUs. In the simulation NS2, mimicking a network fusion fronthaul would contain modeling numerous fronthaul links, various kinds of RUs, and the central BBUs or CPUs which manage this connections. Given below is a stepwise technique to executing the Network Fusion Fronthaul in NS2.

Step-by-Step Implementation:

  1. Understand the Components of Fusion Fronthaul
  • Remote Units (RUs): It is the radio heads or remote radio units (RRUs) which communicate with mobile devices.
  • Baseband Units (BBUs): These are centralized units which act baseband signal processing. BBUs normally connect to several RUs.
  • Fronthaul Links: These links among the RUs and BBUs that may be according to the fiber optics, Ethernet, or other technologies, which normally need low latency and high bandwidth.
  • CPRI/eCPRI: Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) and its improved version (eCPRI) are general protocols used in fronthaul networks to transmit data among the RUs and BBUs.

In a fusion fronthaul network, we focus to merge various fronthaul technologies into a unified architecture. For instance, some RUs might attach through the fiber optics, whereas others use Ethernet or wireless links.

  1. Set up NS2 Environment

Make certain that NS2 is properly installed and configure on the system. If not installed, we follow these steps:

wget https://sourceforge.net/projects/nsnam/files/latest/download -O ns-allinone-2.35.tar.gz

tar -xzvf ns-allinone-2.35.tar.gz

cd ns-allinone-2.35

./install

  1. Define the Network Architecture

In the fusion fronthaul architecture, we will have numerous RUs connected to a central BBU using various fronthaul technologies. We will also require to replicate the traffic among the RUs and BBUs that signifying the fronthaul data flow.

3.1. Create Nodes for RUs and BBUs

In the simulation NS2, we can denote RUs and BBUs as nodes. We describe numerous RUs and one BBU which attaches to all the RUs. We can mimic the fronthaul links among the RUs and BBU.

Example OTcl Script to Create Nodes:

# Create a simulator object

set ns [new Simulator]

# Define the Remote Units (RUs)

set ru1 [$ns node]

set ru2 [$ns node]

set ru3 [$ns node]

# Define the Baseband Unit (BBU)

set bbu [$ns node]

# Create links between RUs and BBU (Fronthaul)

# Different types of fronthaul links can be simulated, such as fiber (low latency) or wireless (higher latency)

# RU1 connected to BBU using a high-speed fiber link

$ns duplex-link $ru1 $bbu 10Gb 1ms DropTail

# RU2 connected to BBU using an Ethernet link

$ns duplex-link $ru2 $bbu 1Gb 10ms DropTail

# RU3 connected to BBU using a wireless link

$ns duplex-link $ru3 $bbu 100Mb 20ms DropTail

In this example:

  • RU1 uses a high-speed fiber link as well as low latency (1ms).
  • RU2 uses an Ethernet link with moderate latency (10ms).
  • RU3 uses a wireless link including higher latency (20ms).
  1. Simulate Data Traffic Over Fronthaul Links

To replicate the network fusion fronthaul, we will require to produce traffic among the RUs and the BBU. It can signify the control and data plane traffic in the fronthaul. Normally, UDP is used for data transmission in fronthaul networks because of its low overhead.

4.1. Generate Traffic between RUs and BBU

We can use UDP and TCP agents within NS2 to produce traffic among the RUs and the BBU. Here’s a specimen that configures UDP traffic among an RU and the BBU.

Example OTcl Script for Traffic Generation:

# Create a UDP agent and attach it to RU1

set udp1 [new Agent/UDP]

$ns attach-agent $ru1 $udp1

# Create a UDP sink and attach it to the BBU

set sink1 [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $bbu $sink1

# Connect the UDP agent to the sink

$ns connect $udp1 $sink1

# Create a CBR (Constant Bit Rate) application to generate traffic over the UDP connection

set cbr1 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr1 attach-agent $udp1

$cbr1 set packetSize_ 1000   ;# Set packet size to 1000 bytes

$cbr1 set rate_ 100Mb        ;# Set the data rate to 100 Mbps

# Start sending traffic from RU1 to BBU

$ns at 1.0 “$cbr1 start”

# Generate traffic from RU2 to BBU (Ethernet)

set udp2 [new Agent/UDP]

$ns attach-agent $ru2 $udp2

set sink2 [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $bbu $sink2

$ns connect $udp2 $sink2

set cbr2 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr2 attach-agent $udp2

$cbr2 set packetSize_ 800    ;# Set packet size for RU2 to 800 bytes

$cbr2 set rate_ 50Mb         ;# Set the data rate for RU2 to 50 Mbps

$ns at 2.0 “$cbr2 start”

# Generate traffic from RU3 to BBU (Wireless)

set udp3 [new Agent/UDP]

$ns attach-agent $ru3 $udp3

set sink3 [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $bbu $sink3

$ns connect $udp3 $sink3

set cbr3 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr3 attach-agent $udp3

$cbr3 set packetSize_ 500

$cbr3 set rate_ 20Mb

$ns at 3.0 “$cbr3 start”

# End the simulation after 10 seconds

$ns at 10.0 “finish”

proc finish {} {

global ns nf

$ns flush-trace

close $nf

exit 0

}

$ns run

In this instance:

  • The traffic is generated from each RU to the BBU using UDP.
  • RU1 sends traffic at 100 Mbps, RU2 at 50 Mbps, and RU3 at 20 Mbps.
  • Various packet sizes and data rates are used to replicate the different traffic conditions.
  1. Model Fronthaul Performance

To assess the performance of the network fusion fronthaul, we can gather the metrics like delay, throughput, and packet loss. The simulation NS2 consequentially generates trace files that we can estimate the performance of the fronthaul.

5.1. Enable Trace File Generation

We can allow trace file generation by appending the given commands to the script:

# Create a trace file to record simulation data

set tracefile [open “out.tr” w]

$ns trace-all $tracefile

5.2. Analyse the Trace Files

We can examine the trace files to collect statistics on the performance of the fronthaul, after running the simulation.

We can use the tools such as AWK, Python, or custom scripts to compute the following metrics:

  • End-to-end delay: The time taken for packets to travel from RUs to the BBU.
  • Throughput: The rate as a result of which data is effectively transmitted from RUs to the BBU.
  • Packet loss: The percentage of packets which are lost while transmission.

Example AWK script to calculate throughput:

awk ‘{

if ($1 == “r” && $3 == “UDP”) {

total_bytes += $5;

end_time = $2;

}

} END {

throughput = (total_bytes * 8) / (end_time * 1000000);

print “Throughput: ” throughput ” Mbps”;

}’ out.tr

  1. Optimize Fronthaul Resources

To replicate and enhance the fusion fronthaul, we can:

  • Adjust bandwidth and latency: Examine various fronthaul configurations by modifying the bandwidth and latency of the links.
  • Introduce Load Balancing: Execute load balancing mechanisms in which traffic is dispersed depends on the obtainable fronthaul resources.
  • Evaluate QoS: Execute Quality of Service (QoS) policies to prioritize fronthaul traffic according to the kind of data.
  1. Run and Validate the Simulation
  1. Run the Simulation: After writing the OTcl script, then run the simulation using the below command:

ns your_script.tcl

  1. Use NAM to Visualize the Network: The simulation NS2 generates NAM files that we can visualize using the NAM (Network Animator) tool:

nam out.nam

  1. Analyze Results: We can use the trace files to collect the insights into the network performance such as latency, throughput, and so on.
  1. Future Enhancements
  1. Dynamic Fronthaul Management: Execute dynamic reconfiguration of fronthaul links depends on the load, like switching among the Ethernet and wireless fronthaul links relying on the network conditions.
  2. 5G Network Slicing: Replicate various network slices in the fronthaul, including every slice having its individual resource requirements and traffic patterns.
  3. CPRI/eCPRI Protocol Simulation: Expand NS2 to simulate the CPRI or eCPRI protocols used for high-speed fronthaul links.

Therefore, we successfully execute and replicate the Network Fusion Fronthaul with the help of step-by-step implementation techniques in the simulation NS2. More informations will be presented regarding this topic. ns2project.com will serve as your premier trusted partner, providing guidance in the optimal implementation of Network Fusion Fronthaul within the NS2 tool. We are committed to delivering comprehensive performance analysis by presenting the most favourable outcomes.