7/28/2014 Open-Source Routing and Network Simulation | Open-Source Network Simulators

http://www.brianlinkletter.com/open-source-network-simulators/ 1/15
Open-Source Routing and Network
Simulation
Open-Source Network Simulators
This is a list of open-source network simulators and network emulators that run on Linux or BSD. Please
post a comment on this page to let me know about any other open-source network simulation tools I did
not include in this list.
Cloonix
The Cloonix network simulator provides a relatively
easy-to-use graphical user interface. Cloonix
recommends KVM to create virtual machines but it
also supports other virtualization technologies.
Cloonix provides a wide variety of pre-built
filesystems that can be used as virtual machines
and provides simple instructions for creating other
virtual machine root filesystems. Cloonix has an
active development team, who update the tool
every two or three months and who are very
responsive to user input.
URL: http://clownix.net
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
CORE
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The Common Open Research Emulator (CORE)
provides a GUI interface and uses the Network
Namespaces functionality in Linux Containers
(LXC) as a virtualization technology. This allows
CORE to start up a large number of virtual
machines quickly. CORE supports the simulation
of fixed and mobile networks.
CORE will run on Linux and on FreeBSD. CORE is
a fork of the IMUNES network simulator, and it
adds some new functionality compared to
IMUNES.
URL: http://cs.itd.nrl.navy.mil/work/core/index.php
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
GNS3
GNS3 is a graphical network simulator focused
mostly on supporting Cisco and Juniper software.
GNS3 has a large user base, made up mostly of
people studying for Cisco exams, and there is a
lot of information freely available on the web about
using GNS3 to simulate Cisco equipment.
GNS3 can also be used to simulate a network
composed exclusively of VirtualBox and/or Qemu
virtual machines running open-source software.
GNS3 provides a variety of prepared open-source
virtual appliances, and users can create their own.
URL: http://www.gns3.net
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
IMUNES
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A team of researchers at the University of Zagreb
developed the Integrated Multi-protocol Network
Emulator/Simulator (IMUNES) for use as a
network research tool. IMUNES runs on the
FreeBSD operating system and uses the kernel-
level network stack virtualization technology
provided by FreeBSD.
IMUNES supports a graphical user interface. It
appears to work well and offers good performance,
even when running IMUNES on a FreeBSD system
running in a VirtualBox virtual machine.
URL: http://www.imunes.tel.fer.hr/ or
http://www.imunes.net
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
Marionnet
Marionnet is called a virtual network laboratory on
its website. It allows users to define, configure and
run complex computer networks on a host
computer. It can simulate an Ethernet network
complete with computers, routers, hubs, switchs,
cables, and more. Marionnet seems designed to
be used as an education tool and has an attractive
graphical user interface, and some sample
practice lab configurations. Marionnet does not
provide a user manual but the user interface is
fairly intuitive.
URL: http://www.marionnet.org/EN/
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
Mininet
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Mininet is designed to support research in
Software Defined Networking technologies. It uses
Linux network namespaces as its virtualization
technology to create virtual switches and virtual
nodes. The web site indicates that the tool can
support thousands of virtual nodes on a single
operating system. Mininet is most useful to
researchers who are building SDN controllers and
need a tool to verify the behavior and performance
of SDN controllers. Knowledge of the Python
scripting language is very useful when using
Mininet.
The Mininet project provides excellent documentation and, judging from the activity on the Mininet mailing
list, the project is actively used by a large community of researchers.
URL: http://www.mininet.org
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
Netkit
Netkit is a command-line based simulation tool
that uses user-mode Linux to create the virtual
machines. A full Linux OS can run on each
machine. It has good documentation and the
projects web site has a long list of interesting lab
scenarios to practice, with documentation for each
scenario. It also appears to be actively supported
by a small community and was last updated in
2011.
URL: http://wiki.netkit.org
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
Psimulator2
Psimulator2 is a basic graphical network simulator
that may be used to demonstrate basic IP
networking concepts to students. It is not a fully-
functional simulator because only a small sub-set
of normal networking functionality is supported on
each emulated node.
It will run on any system that supports Java;
including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It offers
the ability to capture and play back data traffic
generated by the simulation. The packets are
7/28/2014 Open-Source Routing and Network Simulation | Open-Source Network Simulators
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displayed on the GUI as envelopes that move through the network.
URL: http://code.google.com/p/psimulator/
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
Virtualsquare
Virtualsquare is an interesting effort to create a virtual network tool. The developers are building their own
tools to create virtual networks, instead of re-using tools available in the common Linux distributions.
There are no prepared labs available so users will have to learn the tool before creating lab scenarios for
themselves. The project is well documented. It looks like a research project and Linux kernel or
programming skills may be required to fully appreciate it. Virtualsquare is also the source of the Virtual
Distributed Ethernet (VDE) program. VDE is used in some of the other network simulation tools.
URL: http://wiki.virtualsquare.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Evaluated: Not yet
VNX and VNUML
VNX supports two different virtualization
techniques and uses an XML-style scripting
language to define the virtual network. It also
supports chaining multiple physical workstations
together to support distributed virtual labs that
operate across multiple physical workstations. It is
supported by a small community and has been
updated within the past year.
VNX replaces VNUML. The old VNUML web site
still has sample labs and other content that would
be useful when using VNX.
URL: http://www.dit.upm.es/vnx
Evaluated: Yes. Click here to see posts.
24 responses to Open-Source Network Simulators
Vincent Perrier March 18, 2013 at 5:13 am
I cannot wait for all the missing evaluations, this web site does exactly what I wanted to do
but failed to find the time for it.
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The wording: simulation could be replaced by emulation, it would be good to add details
about the difference between network simulations (based on ns3 for example) that change
the time base (1 mn simulation is done in a much longer duration) and the network
emulation that are based on virtualisation and work in real time.
I am not even sure about my own vision of these word definitions (emulation, and simulation),
clearer definitions could be put on this web site. I like simulation more than emulation, so it
may be a good thing to keep calling the network emulation network simulation, in the end
the technical meaning of the word will cover both real time and non-real time way to
simulate.
Hit ns3+opnet+time+simulation in google to see about usual meaning of simulation.
Reply
Brian Linkleter March 18, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Hi Vincent,
You are correct that the tools I am working with are mostly related to emulation, not
simulation. Looking at the Google Analytics information for this site, I see that the
search terms most people use to find this site are the terms, network simulation or
network simulator. Very few people seem use the search term, network emulation.
I agree with you that using the term network simulation to describe both emulation
and simulation is an acceptable way to make this topic more accessible to searchers,
even if it is not really an accurate way to describe the tools.
Thanks,
Brian
Reply
Vincent Perrier April 17, 2013 at 4:09 am
The official simulation has for main goal to reduce the cpu/ram resources use in the study
of large scale topologies. The cpu and ram will not be a problem in a few years and
emulation will probably replace simulation in the end, the merge has already began:
http://www.nsnam.org/docs/release/3.11/models/html/emulation-overview.html
So I agree, the word simulation should cover both methods.
Reply
Mike Wills May 22, 2013 at 10:55 am
Brian this is a very interesting roundup of open source systems youve got here. I was
really intrigued by Marionet, but my problem is that I want to build a course that needs to
deal with students who are most likely running Windows based machines (I cant help it.)
Other than GNS3 do you know of a system that seems straightforward, friendly, and not
so tied to a particular vendors certification training, that can be used in an introductory
networks course?
Thanks!
7/28/2014 Open-Source Routing and Network Simulation | Open-Source Network Simulators
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Reply
Brian Linkleter May 23, 2013 at 9:03 am
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your question.
Based on what I know about all the tools in this list, I think that GNS3 is the only
system that will work on Windows. However, I was able to run most of the tools I
reviewed (and Ive reviewed about half the tools in this list so far) in a virtual machine and
the virtual machine will run on VirtualBox in Windows.
For the case you describe, and assuming you want a tool that has a GUI, I would also
recommend either IMUNES or the CORE Network Emulator running on a FreeBSD
system in a VirtualBox virtual machine on MS Windows. The instructor will have to do
some work to create the system and simplify the desktop setup so that the complexities
of using an unfamiliar operating system are hidden from the students but as soon as
IMUNES or CORE is started, the students will be using the application and not worrying
about running Unix BSD Unix commands. While this solution is not really straightforward
and simple, I believe that the instructor can set it up so that, from the students point of
view, it appears to be acceptably straightforward and simple.
Thanks,
Brian
Reply
Vijay Murugesan March 15, 2014 at 7:45 pm
This is a great article and information for people who are like me (Developers by nature but
still want to have a edge on the networking concepts). Im going to recommend this to all my
team. I feel bad I have missed it for so long.
Reply
Brian Linkleter March 15, 2014 at 9:07 pm
Hi Vijay,
Thanks for your interest in this blog. I have almost completed my survey of open-source
network simulators so, over the next few months, I will begin discussing examples of
simulated networking scenarios. I hope you and your team will find this blog to be useful.
Brian
Reply
David April 21, 2014 at 3:54 am
Hi,
Have you tested Live Raizo, an Linux environnement based on GNS3 ?
7/28/2014 Open-Source Routing and Network Simulation | Open-Source Network Simulators
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(http://sourceforge.net/projects/live-raizo/)
Reply
Brian Linkleter April 21, 2014 at 11:02 am
Hi David,
Yes, I tried Live Raizo. It offers GNS3 installed on a basic Linux system in a Live USB or
Live CD disk image. It also offers a useful selection of other Linux software and tools pre-
installed.
Thanks,
Brian
Reply
David May 19, 2014 at 9:43 am
I have tested it. It does a little more There has several VirtualBox Linux whose are
completely integrated with gns3, and these VMs have already many networks tools
installed.
Reply
David June 26, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Hi,
I will wish just your feedbacks on Live Raizo.
With your little description, i believe that you think that Raizo is just a Live where
GNS3/Qemu/VirtualBox are already installed and if you want use it, you must
configured a lot of things.
But, Live Raizo can do more : 18 Debian Linux VM are created and fully integrated
into GNS3/VirtualBox. These VM have same softwares that NetKit (which was
installed on the first releases of Raizo).
Without configuring anything, you can do the same things that with Cloonix or NetKit
(with VisualNetkit).
One of its advantages is that nothing is installed, modified or deleted on your own OS.
One of its drawbacks is that all is lost if you dont save.
David
PS : I think that your contact email on privacy-policy page doesnt work.
Reply
Brian Linkletter June 26, 2014 at 11:58 pm
Hi David,
7/28/2014 Open-Source Routing and Network Simulation | Open-Source Network Simulators
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Thanks. I fixed my contact e-mail address. And, thanks for the extra information
about Live Raizo.
I think Live Raizo is a good project. Projects like Live Razio and GNS3
Workbench provide an installation of GNS3 along with supporting filesystems
(with all necessary software pre-installed) and prepared lab scenarios are a great
way for people to become familiar with using GNS3 without having to install and
configure GNS3 on their PC. They also make it easier to use GNS3 to build
simulation scenarios.
I notice the both Live Raizo and GNS3 Workbench are prominently featured on
the GNS3 web site.
Thanks,
Brian
Reply
Larry Levin June 17, 2014 at 2:49 pm
Brian:
You have a great resource here. Thanks for making all this info available. Ive been looking for
an open source network emulator to suit my needs and was hoping I could get your opinion.
I want to connect openNMS to an emulator and then have the emulator run simple scenarios
that present a network admin with various types of problems to diagnose and correct. Any
suggestions would be most appreciated.
Thanks
Larry
Reply
Brian Linkletter June 17, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Hi Larry,
Thanks for your question.
I think you should use a network emulator that runs either KVM or user-mode linux. So
use either Cloonix or Netkit. These emulators will let you install the software you need
on each virtual machine (especially an SNMP agent and MIBs).
Thanks,
Brian
Reply
Larry Levin June 18, 2014 at 8:33 am
Brian:
Thanks for the feedback. I had been thinking about trying CORE but I will take a close
look at Cloonix and Netkit as you suggest. Ill let you know how it goes.
Thanks again
Larry
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Reply
Brian Linkletter June 18, 2014 at 9:11 am
Larry,
Thanks.
I think the main issue is virtualization of the file system. Ive not had to set up
MIBs on a lInux box so I do not know if CORE creates a namespace for the
directories used by SNMP. Cloonix and Netkit use KVM and user-mode-linux,
respectively and those technologies virtualize the full filesystem and allow you to
save the changes to the files for future use.
Brian
Reply
David June 19, 2014 at 8:10 am
Hi,
You can use also GNS3 who can easily incorporate your own VirtualBox VMs.
You dont need IOS Cisco to use GNS3.
Brian Linkletter June 21, 2014 at 11:47 pm
Good point, David! GNS3 would also be a good tool for this case. I have a few
posts on using open-source routers in GNS3. Click on the GNS3 tag to find
them.
Brian
Larry Levin June 23, 2014 at 8:55 am
Brian/David:
Thanks for all the feedback. I had posted the same question on an openNMS forum and
gotten zero responses so I really appreciate the info being provided here.
Regarding GNS3, I was under the impression its main focus is providing a high-fidelity
replication of Cisco and Juniper routers and enterprise-level WANs. By high-fidelity I mean
something detailed enough that it can be used as a study aide for somebody trying to get
certified by Cisco or Juniper. I think for my needs the best fit will be something that is fairly
broad in scope (e.g. can emulate anything from SOHO LAN to a global grid) but where
fidelity is less important than flexibility and ease of use. The idea is to get a basic network
emulation going and than interface to it via openNMS. I wondering if using GNS3 may force
me to go deeper into IOS and/or JUNOS that I want.
My understanding is that Cloonix is pretty easy to set up and use, allows the use of
standard Linux networking tools (e.g., ping, traceroute, etc) and, if desired, has support for
emulating cisco routers with some reasonable fidelity. If that is correct, Im thinking Ill try it
first.
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- Larry
Reply
Brian Linkletter June 23, 2014 at 11:46 am
Hi Larry,
I prefer cloonix for working with open-source routers, in the case where full-stack
virtualization is needed (using KVM).
GNS3 will work with open-source routers but, as you observed, its primary purpose is to
support Cisco router images and its management of open-source routers relies on
VirtualBox (which is OK but takes more steps to set up each unique virtual machine
disk image).
Both cloonix and GNS3 provide high-fidelity network simulation because they allow you
to work with virtual machines running real networking software. Cloonix is more
streamlined for use with open-source routers and other open-source software, which I
think fits better with your use-case for working with OpenNMS.
Thanks for your questions!
Brian
Reply
David June 23, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Hi,
You dont need to install or/and configure Cisco/Juniper to use GNS3
Look the first screen of Live Raizo here (http://sourceforge.net/projects/live-raizo/) which
uses GNS3, it is only Debian Linux.
And i think that GNSs interface is more beautiful than Cloonixs interface
Reply
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7/28/2014 Open-Source Routing and Network Simulation | Open-Source Network Simulators
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IMUNES network simulator
Marionnet network simulator
Mininet SDN network simulator
Netkit network simulator
Psimulator2 network simulator
VNX and VNUML network simulators
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netkit Psimulator2 quagga review SDN simulation theory tools virtualization VNX
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