Generation and analysis of realistic mobility models for mobile ad hoc networks.

Simulation modeling is an integral part of conducting research in communication networks and distributed systems. In systems involving mobile nodes, accurate modeling of mobility has primary importance. Mobility has a fundamental influence on the behavior and performance of the system. However, only few mobility models have been used in nearly all simulations in the past. These models are simple and highly random. As a result, the simulation studies based on these random mobility models have been heavily criticized for their credibility. We feel that availability of a software tool with the following capability, at least in part, would alleviate this crisis. The software must facilitate researchers to: (i) model a wide range of mobility with varying degrees of realism (ii) analyze the modeled mobility visually and statistically and (iii) transport the mobility trace in a format that can be used in most widely used simulators. The development of a software tool with the above mentioned capabilities is the main contribution of this thesis. In this thesis, after presenting a comprehensive survey on realistic mobility models, we present a realistic mobility generator software called RLMobiGen that can be used to specify, generate, analyze, and then export the mobility trace. The mobility trace can then be used in the simulation studies of mobile ad hoc networks. RLMobiGen is a comprehensive, highly interactive, and user friendly software. --P.iii.