In order to test the operation of mobile agents, we would need a large network with many hundreds of nodes. Since such a network is not available to use for testing, we must simulate a network.

The network simulator is a Java program which simulates the behaviour of a real network.

There are two major components: the simulator control program and the simulated network element (here we have two instances running, but there could be as many as we want spread over several computers – although from the SNE’s perspective, it will seem like one big simulated network).

The simulator control program is responsible for setting up and managing the simulated network elements.

The simulated network element is a Java program running in a separate Java Virtual Machine, abbreviated JVM, and contains a mobile code daemon, and a Hardware Behaviour Simulator object, abbreviated HBS. Any mobile agents sent to the simulated network element will be received, loaded and executed by the MCD. It may then try to communicate with the simulated hardware. The HBS will periodically update bogus hardware information, such as free memory or network packets received, and the mobile agent will retrieve this information and report it back to any querying network management program.

As part of my project, I am primarily responsible for designing, developing and testing the simulator.