OPNET 14.5 Configuration

Hello,
This is my first blog post. Hope it will be interesting to you. I am going to start with network simulator tool OPNET14.5.
So, What is OPNET14.5 ????
OPNET is a network modeler through which one can design any kind of network model and then can simulate it. 14.5 is the version of OPNET and it is freeware.
Here simulation means OPNET will generate the traffic as defined in attributes set by user and will generate results like utilization, collision, load, etc (these analysis parameters are again set defined by user. We will discuss later on how to define each attribute).

Now, first we will discuss about how to install and major part is how to configure the OPNET on MS VS2008.

INSTALLATION
OPNET 14.5 modeler have three packages. So install them in sequence as:
1. First install OPNET Modeler.
2. Second Install OPNET documentation.
3. Then last install OPNET library.
Also,  note that every package is installed in same directory.

CONFIGURATION
Now, after installing one have to set environment variables. So, I think first question will be why we need to set environment variables?? If we don't do what will happen???

Well, I will answer you at the end of this discussion. :) :)

I am considering that MS VS2008 is installed in default directory i.e.( C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\ ). First right click on 'My Computer' choose 'Advanced" tab and the click on 'Environment Variables'. Then in system variables add following variables:
a) PATH
     C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE;
     C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\BIN;
     C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\Tools;
     C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\Tools\bin;
     C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5;
     C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727;
     C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\VCPackages;
     C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\bin;
b) LIB
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\ATLMFC\LIB;
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\LIB;
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\lib;
c) LIBPATH
    C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5;
    C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727;
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\ATLMFC\LIB;
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\LIB;
d) INCLUDE
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\ATLMFC\INCLUDE;
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\INCLUDE;
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\SDK\v3.5\include;   
e) NetSamplePath
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\SDK\v3.5;
f) DevEnvDir
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE;
g) FrameworkDir
    C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework;
h) FrameworkSDKDir
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\SDK\v3.5;
i) FrameworkVersion
    v2.0.500727;
j) VCBUILD_DEFAULT_CFG
    Debug^|Win32;
k) VCBUILD_DEFAULT_OPTIONS
    /useenv;
l) VCINSTALLDIR
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC;
m) VSINSTALLDIR
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0;

Oops!!!!! lot of variables...:) :)
Now I will answer the question raised at the starting of discussion Why it is required??
So we can design a network in two ways a) Using the Object Pallete and  b) Through coding... Obviously no one wants to do it though coding when everything is graphically done by just setting attributes and code will be generated for same. So whatever you are designing graphically , for same a code  will be generated in C that needed to be compiled before we do simulation so all these variable we defined above will set the path for all header files required for compilation and execution of the network. That's why OPNET requires VS2008 because it uses VS2008 for code compilation and execution. That's why we need to set these environment variables. I think now you got answer of first question that why we did that. Now if we don't do it then we can design the network but cant simulate it.
I think if you go to manual of OPNET you will find the same variable but if it is for VS2005 the directory names will be different for example .Net framework used in VS2005 is v2.0 while in VS2008 it is v3.5 so you need to make changes at all respective places.
Also if you get error during compilation that

gna_email_mgr.pr.tmp.c

c:\opnet\14.5.a\sys\include\vos.h(105) : fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'WinDef.h': No such file or directory.


Then search the Windef.h in my computer. You will get lot of results but you have to select the path as:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\Include;
Copy the address and append it to 'INCLUDE' environment variable value.

I think now we are done with configuration.
uuuhhhhh!!!!!! It seems that we have done a kind of project :) :) but exactly speaking we have just set the environment for our projects :) :).
Hope it gives you enough information to set OPNET 14.5 network modeler. In further discussions of OPNET we will discuss how to design a network and how to simulate and analyse it.
:) :)
Bye!!