Objective The aim of this COST Action is to co-ordinate and promote European research into techniques for communication network simulation, with special emphasis on satellite networks and the integration of satellite and terrestrial networks. Applications include the investigations of issues related to the integration of satellites and (ATM-based) Wideband and Broadband ISDN; the interconnection of Local Area Networks (LANs) by satellite; and integration of satellites with terrestrial mobile networks such as GSM. It is the intention to develop a harmonised approach to network modelling, with a common understanding of the interfaces between software entities used to model various blocks. This is particularly important given the proliferation of different software tools in use by network designers and planners today. Particular effort will be directed towards developing models for various classes of user traffic and for characterising the service provided to higher communication layers by lower layers using selected performance parameters. The co-operative effort involving people with expertise in terrestrial network simulation and those with more satellite system experience is expected to be beneficial to both sides, and it could also be expected that some of the results would be of interest to the on-going European standardisation activities (e. g. in ETSI) .Activities completed Twelve MC meetings have been held to date. Progress has been made in several areas, and in particular related to * the modelling of traffic sources, including state of the art models, based on self-affine stochastic processes,* the modelling of transport entities (TCP, XTP),* the modelling of signalling protocols based on the Q.93x family,* the modelling of advanced routing,* the modelling and simulation of a Cellular Mobile Radio System,* the modelling of satellite oriented multiple access schemes, based on TDMA, * the modelling and simulation of satellite constellations and links,* the experience of using different modelling and simulation tools,*- the analysis and development of object oriented modelling and simulation tools, and in particular aiming to distributed simulations.Current statusMethod of working Small informal working groups of organisations with similar interests are set up to co-ordinate the research in their own particular area of interest. During the Management Committee meetings, the results from each organisation are presented and discussed, and promising areas for study in the next period are identified. So far, to avoid very open-ended topics, the specific tasks proposed have been short-term projects of about 6 months duration. It is understood that where possible the research work carried out within COST 228 should be applicable to the systems being studied within the COST Actions 226 and 227. Since several of the participants also participated in COST 226 and 227, close links were established. Action inputsParticipants contribute results of theoretical analysis and simulations, as well as experience of using simulation tools. Some participants are also developing simulation tools and exchange their experience.Other InformationCo-ordinationThe closest collaboration was with COST 226, as the COST 228 activities are oriented towards the systems being studied and implemented under COST 226. However, activities of interest to COST 227 were also increasingly considered. Since some of the COST 228 members also participate in related RACE projects, an informal link exists. Related ETSI work is monitored and analysed, directly or indirectly, through COST 226 and COST 227. The work under COST 242 is also monitored.Action drawbacks and difficultiesDifficulties have arisen in establishing satisfactory administrative rules, and from budgetary uncertainties. There has been discontinuity in secretariat support. It has proved difficult to get the contributions for the Final Report.Action recommendation A lot of work still remains to do on the theoretical (analytical) modelling and on the simulation of isolated and co-ordinated network elements. Follow-on activities are recommended. Programme(s) IC-COST - European cooperation in the field of scientific and technical research (COST), 1971- Topic(s) 1 - Telecommunications Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Norcontel Ltd EU contribution No data Address Bloomfield House, Bloomfield Avenue, 274 8 Dublin Ireland See on map Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Bulgarian Academy of Science Bulgaria EU contribution No data Address Bl. 8 Acad. Georgi Bontchev Str. 1113 Sofia See on map Total cost No data Instituto Superior Tecnico Portugal EU contribution No data Address av. Rovisco Pais 1096 Lisboa See on map Total cost No data SAIT sa/nv Belgium EU contribution No data Address Chaussee de Ruisbroek 66 1190 Bruxelles See on map Total cost No data
