To implement network fusion of fronthaul in ns3, by simulating a scenario using different types of fronthaul technologies (like fiber, wireless, etc.) that are combined together. This simulation will helps to enhance the overall network performance and reliability. In a mobile network architecture, Fronthaul networks which connect remote radio heads (RRHs) to centralized baseband units (BBUs). Here the steps given below will guide on how to implement network Fusion of Fronthaul in ns3.
Step-by-step guide on implementation
Step 1: Set Up ns3 Environment
- Download ns-3: Download ns3
- Install ns-3: Follow the installation instructions for operating system.
- Familiarize yourself with ns-3 basics: Understand how to create nodes, set up channels, and run basic simulations.
Step 2: Define Network Topology
Create a network topology that includes different fronthaul technologies such as fiber and wireless links.
Create Hybrid Fronthaul Network Topology
#include “ns3/core-module.h”
#include “ns3/network-module.h”
#include “ns3/internet-module.h”
#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”
#include “ns3/wifi-module.h”
#include “ns3/lte-module.h”
#include “ns3/mobility-module.h”
#include “ns3/applications-module.h”
using namespace ns3;
NS_LOG_COMPONENT_DEFINE(“FronthaulFusionSimulation”);
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
CommandLine cmd;
cmd.Parse(argc, argv);
// Create nodes
NodeContainer bbuNode;
bbuNode.Create(1);
NodeContainer rrhNodes;
rrhNodes.Create(3);
// Set up fiber point-to-point links
PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;
pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“10Gbps”));
pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“1ms”));
NetDeviceContainer fiberDevices;
fiberDevices.Add(pointToPoint.Install(bbuNode.Get(0), rrhNodes.Get(0)));
// Set up wireless links
YansWifiChannelHelper wifiChannel = YansWifiChannelHelper::Default();
YansWifiPhyHelper wifiPhy = YansWifiPhyHelper::Default();
wifiPhy.SetChannel(wifiChannel.Create());
WifiHelper wifi;
wifi.SetRemoteStationManager(“ns3::AarfWifiManager”);
WifiMacHelper wifiMac;
Ssid ssid = Ssid(“ns-3-ssid”);
wifiMac.SetType(“ns3::StaWifiMac”, “Ssid”, SsidValue(ssid), “ActiveProbing”, BooleanValue(false));
NetDeviceContainer wifiDevices;
wifiDevices = wifi.Install(wifiPhy, wifiMac, rrhNodes.Get(1));
wifiMac.SetType(“ns3::ApWifiMac”, “Ssid”, SsidValue(ssid));
wifiDevices.Add(wifi.Install(wifiPhy, wifiMac, bbuNode.Get(0)));
// Set up LTE links
Ptr<LteHelper> lteHelper = CreateObject<LteHelper>();
Ptr<PointToPointEpcHelper> epcHelper = CreateObject<PointToPointEpcHelper>();
lteHelper->SetEpcHelper(epcHelper);
Ptr<Node> pgw = epcHelper->GetPgwNode();
InternetStackHelper internet;
internet.Install(rrhNodes);
internet.Install(bbuNode);
NodeContainer ueNodes;
ueNodes.Add(rrhNodes.Get(2));
NodeContainer enbNodes;
enbNodes.Add(bbuNode.Get(0));
NetDeviceContainer enbLteDevs = lteHelper->InstallEnbDevice(enbNodes);
NetDeviceContainer ueLteDevs = lteHelper->InstallUeDevice(ueNodes);
lteHelper->Attach(ueLteDevs, enbLteDevs.Get(0));
// Assign IP addresses
Ipv4AddressHelper address;
address.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer fiberInterfaces = address.Assign(fiberDevices);
address.SetBase(“10.2.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer wifiInterfaces = address.Assign(wifiDevices);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer ueIpIface;
ueIpIface = epcHelper->AssignUeIpv4Address(NetDeviceContainer(ueLteDevs));
Ptr<Node> ueNode = ueNodes.Get(0);
Ptr<Ipv4StaticRouting>ueStaticRouting = Ipv4RoutingHelper::GetRouting<Ipv4StaticRouting>(ueNode->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetRoutingProtocol());
ueStaticRouting->SetDefaultRoute(epcHelper->GetUeDefaultGatewayAddress(), 1);
// Install applications
UdpEchoServerHelper echoServer(9);
ApplicationContainer serverApps = echoServer.Install(bbuNode.Get(0));
serverApps.Start(Seconds(1.0));
serverApps.Stop(Seconds(10.0));
UdpEchoClientHelper echoClient(fiberInterfaces.GetAddress(1), 9);
echoClient.SetAttribute(“MaxPackets”, UintegerValue(10));
echoClient.SetAttribute(“Interval”, TimeValue(Seconds(1.0)));
echoClient.SetAttribute(“PacketSize”, UintegerValue(1024));
ApplicationContainer clientApps = echoClient.Install(rrhNodes.Get(0));
clientApps.Start(Seconds(2.0));
clientApps.Stop(Seconds(10.0));
// Enable tracing
pointToPoint.EnablePcapAll(“fronthaul-fusion”);
wifiPhy.EnablePcap(“wifi”, wifiDevices.Get(0));
lteHelper->EnableTraces();
Simulator::Run();
Simulator::Destroy();
return 0;
}
Step 3: Configure Mobility
To simulate realistic scenarios where RRH nodes can move that set up mobility models.
// Set up mobility
MobilityHelper mobility;
mobility.SetPositionAllocator(“ns3::GridPositionAllocator”,
“MinX”, DoubleValue(0.0),
“MinY”, DoubleValue(0.0),
“DeltaX”, DoubleValue(5.0),
“DeltaY”, DoubleValue(10.0),
“GridWidth”, UintegerValue(3),
“LayoutType”, StringValue(“RowFirst”));
mobility.SetMobilityModel(“ns3::ConstantPositionMobilityModel”);
mobility.Install(bbuNode);
mobility.SetMobilityModel(“ns3::RandomWalk2dMobilityModel”,
“Bounds”, RectangleValue(Rectangle(-50, 50, -50, 50)));
mobility.Install(rrhNodes);
Step 4: Install and Configure Applications
Install applications on the nodes to generate and process network traffic.
// Install applications
UdpEchoServerHelper echoServer(9);
ApplicationContainer serverApps = echoServer.Install(bbuNode.Get(0));
serverApps.Start(Seconds(1.0));
serverApps.Stop(Seconds(10.0));
UdpEchoClientHelper echoClient(fiberInterfaces.GetAddress(1), 9);
echoClient.SetAttribute(“MaxPackets”, UintegerValue(10));
echoClient.SetAttribute(“Interval”, TimeValue(Seconds(1.0)));
echoClient.SetAttribute(“PacketSize”, UintegerValue(1024));
ApplicationContainer clientApps = echoClient.Install(rrhNodes.Get(0));
clientApps.Start(Seconds(2.0));
clientApps.Stop(Seconds(10.0));
Step 5: Enable Tracing
Enable tracing to analyze the network performance.
// Enable tracing
pointToPoint.EnablePcapAll(“fronthaul-fusion”);
wifiPhy.EnablePcap(“wifi”, wifiDevices.Get(0));
lteHelper->EnableTraces();
Full Example Code
Combining all the steps, the full example code is as follows:
#include “ns3/core-module.h”
#include “ns3/network-module.h”
#include “ns3/internet-module.h”
#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”
#include “ns3/wifi-module.h”
#include “ns3/lte-module.h”
#include “ns3/mobility-module.h”
#include “ns3/applications-module.h”
using namespace ns3;
NS_LOG_COMPONENT_DEFINE(“FronthaulFusionSimulation”);
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
CommandLine cmd;
cmd.Parse(argc, argv);
// Create nodes
NodeContainer bbuNode;
bbuNode.Create(1);
NodeContainer rrhNodes;
rrhNodes.Create(3);
// Set up fiber point-to-point links
PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;
pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“10Gbps”));
pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“1ms”));
NetDeviceContainer fiberDevices;
fiberDevices.Add(pointToPoint.Install(bbuNode.Get(0), rrhNodes.Get(0)));
// Set up wireless links
YansWifiChannelHelper wifiChannel = YansWifiChannelHelper::Default();
YansWifiPhyHelper wifiPhy = YansWifiPhyHelper::Default();
wifiPhy.SetChannel(wifiChannel.Create());
WifiHelper wifi;
wifi.SetRemoteStationManager(“ns3::AarfWifiManager”);
WifiMacHelper wifiMac;
Ssid ssid = Ssid(“ns-3-ssid”);
wifiMac.SetType(“ns3::StaWifiMac”, “Ssid”, SsidValue(ssid), “ActiveProbing”, BooleanValue(false));
NetDeviceContainer wifiDevices;
wifiDevices = wifi.Install(wifiPhy, wifiMac, rrhNodes.Get(1));
wifiMac.SetType(“ns3::ApWifiMac”, “Ssid”, SsidValue(ssid));
wifiDevices.Add(wifi.Install(wifiPhy, wifiMac, bbuNode.Get(0)));
// Set up LTE links
Ptr<LteHelper> lteHelper = CreateObject<LteHelper>();
Ptr<PointToPointEpcHelper> epcHelper = CreateObject<PointToPointEpcHelper>();
lteHelper->SetEpcHelper(epcHelper);
Ptr<Node> pgw = epcHelper->GetPgwNode();
InternetStackHelper internet;
internet.Install(rrhNodes);
internet.Install(bbuNode);
NodeContainer ueNodes;
ueNodes.Add(rrhNodes.Get(2));
NodeContainer enbNodes;
enbNodes.Add(bbuNode.Get(0));
NetDeviceContainer enbLteDevs = lteHelper->InstallEnbDevice(enbNodes);
NetDeviceContainer ueLteDevs = lteHelper->InstallUeDevice(ueNodes);
lteHelper->Attach(ueLteDevs, enbLteDevs.Get(0));
// Assign IP addresses
Ipv4AddressHelper address;
address.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer fiberInterfaces = address.Assign(fiberDevices);
address.SetBase(“10.2.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer wifiInterfaces = address.Assign(wifiDevices);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer ueIpIface;
ueIpIface = epcHelper->AssignUeIpv4Address(NetDeviceContainer(ueLteDevs));
Ptr<Node> ueNode = ueNodes.Get(0);
Ptr<Ipv4StaticRouting>ueStaticRouting = Ipv4RoutingHelper::GetRouting<Ipv4StaticRouting>(ueNode->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetRoutingProtocol());
ueStaticRouting->SetDefaultRoute(epcHelper->GetUeDefaultGatewayAddress(), 1);
// Set up mobility
MobilityHelper mobility;
mobility.SetPositionAllocator(“ns3::GridPositionAllocator”,
“MinX”, DoubleValue(0.0),
“MinY”, DoubleValue(0.0),
“DeltaX”, DoubleValue(5.0),
“DeltaY”, DoubleValue(10.0),
GridWidth”, UintegerValue(3),
“LayoutType”, StringValue(“RowFirst”));
mobility.SetMobilityModel(“ns3::ConstantPositionMobilityModel”);
mobility.Install(bbuNode);
mobility.SetMobilityModel(“ns3::RandomWalk2dMobilityModel”,
“Bounds”, RectangleValue(Rectangle(-50, 50, -50, 50)));
mobility.Install(rrhNodes);
// Install applications
UdpEchoServerHelper echoServer(9);
ApplicationContainer serverApps = echoServer.Install(bbuNode.Get(0));
serverApps.Start(Seconds(1.0));
serverApps.Stop(Seconds(10.0));
UdpEchoClientHelper echoClient(fiberInterfaces.GetAddress(1), 9);
echoClient.SetAttribute(“MaxPackets”, UintegerValue(10));
echoClient.SetAttribute(“Interval”, TimeValue(Seconds(1.0)));
echoClient.SetAttribute(“PacketSize”, UintegerValue(1024));
ApplicationContainer clientApps = echoClient.Install(rrhNodes.Get(0));
clientApps.Start(Seconds(2.0));
clientApps.Stop(Seconds(10.0));
// Enable tracing
pointToPoint.EnablePcapAll(“fronthaul-fusion”);
wifiPhy.EnablePcap(“wifi”, wifiDevices.Get(0));
lteHelper->EnableTraces();
Simulator::Run();
Simulator::Destroy();
return 0;
}
Finally, the above examples and instruction completely explained about the Fusion of Fronthaul and its implementation process in ns3. This Fronthaul networks typically connects remote radio heads (RRHs) to centralized baseband units (BBUs) in a mobile network architecture to optimize overall network performance and reliability.
We offer assistance in setting up the Network Fusion of Fronthaul in ns3, providing guidance from remote radio heads (RRHs) to centralized baseband units (BBUs) for your projects. Share your research details with ns3simulation.com for expert guidance.