Understanding the need for simulation is a big factor in deciding if this book is for you. Have a look at this table of real network versus simulated network comparison.
|
A real network |
A network simulation |
|---|---|
|
The cost of all the hardware, servers, switches and so on has to be borne. |
The cost of a single standalone machine with OMNeT++ installed (which is free). |
|
It takes a lot of time to set up big specialist networks used for business or academia. |
It takes time to learn how to create simulations, though once you know how it's done, it's much easier to create new ones. |
|
Making changes to a pre-existing network takes planning, and if a change is made in error, it may cause the network to fail. |
Making changes to a simulated network of a real pre-existing network doesn't pose any risk. The outcome of the simulation can be analyzed to determine how the real network will be affected. |
|
You get the real thing, so what you observe from the real network is actually happening. |
If there is a bug in the simulation software, it could cause the simulation to act incorrectly. |
As you can see, there are benefits of using both real networks and network simulations when creating and testing your network. The point I want to convey though, is that network simulations can make network design cheaper and less costly.