Automated Tool for the Creation of Desired Emulated Topologies of a Mobile Ad-Hoc Network

摘要

This report documents a research effort that the U.S. Army Research Laboratory conducted in FY 2005 in support of the development of advanced technologies for tactical mobile ad hoc networks (MANET). The effort resulted in the creation of a visually appealing tool called TDFCreator. The purpose of the tool is to provide researchers with an automated tool and methods for creating desired topologies and generating topology scenario files through visual manipulation, inspection, and animation of changing topologies. The tool is easy to use as it has a graphical user interface and uses a computer pointing device with which the user is well familiar. The tool benefits its users in (1) providing several methods for improving design accuracy through visualization of newly created topological links among participating nodes using, (2) automatically managing the size and the complexity associated with the creation of topology files, (3) significantly reducing the time required to design and develop specific topologies required for the emulation of a MANET, and (4) avoiding the tedium of manually writing topology directives, effectively enabling its users to focus their efforts on the design of topologies rather than on the manual generation, manipulation, and inspection of topology directives.