Peer-to-Peer Simulators

In this technical report, we present our findings on network simulators, which can be used to help test and design a P2P system. The Portal-based P2P system under development uses portals to provide a user interface and P2P volunteers to provide resources to the network. The aim is to create an infrastructure that can be used by the scientific community, based on existing social networks, to help download and maintain large datasets. Network simulators provide a virtual network environment, which can potentially provide assurance for software developers, when making design decisions. This report outlines the architecture of the Portal-based P2P system and defines a set of criteria for a suitable simulator, to aid the development of the P2P system. A number of network simulators are reviewed and briefly tested for their suitability based on criteria. The experience gained from reviewing network simulators is presented in this report.