Multimedia networking involves complex collections of protocols, in particular protocols that support the inherent quality of service (QoS) requirements of multimedia applications. Most often analytical treatment falls short in being able to assess the overall system behaviour or performance. However, also simulation and testbed experiments alone often leave uneasiness with the results they deliver. The combination of simulation and testbed experiments promises to avoid most disadvantages that their isolated usage bears. In this paper, we discuss the KOM Scenario Generator, a tool that supports the integration of simulation and testbed experiments for system-wide assessment of design alternatives in particular in the complex environment of distributed multimedia systems. This paper also systematically analyses the different steps in creating a research scenario. Even if one is not interested in combining simulations and testbed experiments our scenario generator is a helpful tool because it systematically integrates and supports all the different steps in creating a complex network research scenario from topology creation over traffic generation to evaluation.
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