Scalable Network Technologies Wins Phase II SBIR Grant from Army Research Office; Project to Build Hardware-in-the-Loop Network Testbed based on QualNet Software

March 21, 2006
Los Angeles, California

Scalable Network Technologies, Inc. (SNT) today announced it was awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the United States Army Research Office - Washington (ARO-W). ARO-W manages the Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Over the course of two years, SNT will develop and test a Parallel, Multi-paradigm Simulation Environment (PAMS) based on the company's QualNet network simulation software. PAMS is a hybrid network testbed, or a combination of real, emulated and simulated networks to advance the understanding of complex mobile ad hoc networks.

Since its inception in 1999, SNT has pioneered the use of real-time simulation and developed a sophisticated capability for Hardware-in-the-loop simulations, where real networks connect seamlessly with simulated networks. Under this SBIR contract, SNT will work under the US Army Communications-Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) to expand these capabilities in new directions of scalability, interoperability and urban analysis.

Key to the success of the PAMS project is the ability to simulate networks in real-time on parallel shared-memory machines and parallel clusters. The networks will be comprised of physical devices, test articles, and simulated components running a mix of physical data, image, and audio applications. Specifically, SNT will examine the following scenarios:

• 1500 software defined radios transmitting real voice and video traffic,
• a 3000-node network of ground, satellite, and air-based forces sending tracking information, and
• wireless ad hoc networks transmitting real-time, streaming video in an urban environment.

"From past experience, we know that we cannot adequately study complex, cross-layer network behavior using only simulation or physical testbeds," said Rajive Bagrodia, SNT's Founder. "We plan to build a hardware/software/system-in the-loop evaluation framework that tests and evaluates networks of 3000 or more nodes. With QualNet's real-time simulation speed and IP Network Emulation Module, you don't need huge hardware expenditures or a large lab to do high quality, detailed, and accurate testing."

"We are very optimistic about the technology that will be developed under this SBIR-funded project" said CERDEC Technical POC Doug McKeon. "With PAMS, we hope to evaluate how effectively next-generation network technologies can handle multimedia traffic and critical issues of interoperability for Current to Future Force Networking."

About Scalable Network Technologies

Founded in 1999 and based in Los Angeles , California , Scalable Network Technologies is a developer of high-speed, high fidelity network simulation software for the predictive management of wired, wireless, and mixed network technologies. SNT's QualNet software brings new levels of detail, productivity and accuracy to network modeling. QualNet accommodates large-scale networks, produces results in real-time, and executes on parallel processors. QualNet is a registered trademark of Scalable Network Technologies, Inc.

For more information or a free two-week trial of Qualnet Developer software, please visit: www.scalable-networks.com.

CONTACT:

Scalable Network Technologies, Inc.
Lucinda Brown, 310/338-3318
info@scalable-networks.com