help.txt

it is very important

Trace graph 2.02 help
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
==================
 1. File menu
    1.1. Open a trace file
    1.2. Save trace as mat file
    1.3. Save figure to jpeg
    1.4. Save figure to tiff
    1.5. Copy figure to clipboard
 2. Network information menu
    2.1. Simulation information
    2.2. Current node information
    2.3. Simulation End2End delays
    2.4. Delays between current and other node
    2.5. Average numbers of intermediate nodes for the whole network
    2.6. Average numbers of intermediate nodes between current and other node
    2.7. Simulation processing times at intermediate nodes
    2.8. Processing times at current node
    2.9. Simulation Round Trip Times
   2.10. Round Trip Times between current and other node
 3. Options menu
    3.1. Overlay graphs
    3.2. Automatically refresh information
    3.3. Automatically refresh graphs
    3.4. Direct connection
    3.5. Count packets IDs only once
    3.6. Time interval
    3.7. Use specified edges for histograms
    3.8. Save information
    3.9. Save graphs
   3.10. Mark each plotted point
   3.11. Add minor grid to the axes
   3.12. Add major grid to the axes
   3.13. Zoom on
   3.14. Legend on
   3.15. Flow ID
   3.16. Turbo mode
   3.17. Save graphs statistics
   3.18. Log scaling on X, Y, Z axes
   3.19. Load a graph
 4. 2D Graphs menu
 5. 3D Graphs menu
 6. Histograms menu
 7. Other options
 8. Shortcuts
 9. Supported file formats
    9.1. Wired (see http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/doc/node234.html for details)
    9.2. Wireless (see http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/doc/node166.html for details)
    9.3. New trace file format (wireless, see http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/doc/node168.html for details)
    9.4. Wired-wireless
    9.5. Wired-new trace file format
    9.6. Converting your own trace files formats into Trace graph trace file format
10. Trace graph script file format
11. Trace graph configuration file
12. System requirements
13. Author contact

NOTE! There can be more than one Trace graph run at a time.
NOTE! The time used in network information and graphs is given in seconds.

1. FILE MENU
============

1.1. Open a trace file
----------------------
A trace file or a mat-file can be opened from the File->Open menu
or from the command line, for example: 

trgraph c:\out.tr
trgraph c:\out.mat

TIME INTERVAL can be specified (only with .tr file!) in seconds to load data only between 
it's beginning and end, for example:

trgraph c:\out.tr 1.237 3.456

The more 'd' events and lines the longer file loading time because of preliminary calculations.
Loading very big files (for example with 200000 or more lines) can take even a half an hour or more.
When no error appears it means the program is still loading a file.
A trace file is parsed and saved to 'temp' (always) and 'temp1' (only if TIME INTERVAL is specified) 
files before loading. Temporary files are saved in Trace graph format (see 9.6).

1.2. Save trace as mat file
---------------------------
A mat-file can be saved from the File->Save menu. 
Saving a trace file into a mat-file increases speed of file loading.
The more 'd' events and lines the longer file loading time because of preliminary calculations.
Saving a trace file (only once) into a mat-file after loading lets
to load it from mat-file in a few seconds!

IMPORTANT! Some Trace graph versions can save different information into a mat-file, 
           so it's better to create a new mat-file for a trace file! See whatsnew.txt for changes.

1.3. Save figure to jpeg
------------------------
Saves graphs window as a jpeg picture.

1.4. Save figure to tiff
------------------------
Saves graphs window as a tiff picture (lossless compression).

1.5. Copy figure to clipboard
-----------------------------
Copies graphs windows to clipboard as a bitmap.

THIS OPTION DOESN'T WORK UNDER UNIX!


2. NETWORK INFORMATION MENU
===========================

2.1. Simulation information
---------------------------
This is information about the whole simulated network. 
Only Count packets IDs only once, PACKET TYPE, START TIME and END TIME options (see 3.5, 7) 
have influence on the results. Here are some options which need some explanations:
- Number of forwarded packets: number of successful 'f' events, each packet ID is counted once
  when Count packets IDs only once option is ON (see 3.5) or as many times as it's forwarded
  when Count packets IDs only once option is OFF
- Number of forwarded bytes: number of successfully forwarded bytes, each packet is counted
  as many times as it's forwarded
- Number of lost packets: number of sent by the source and never received by the destination packets 
  (packets with -Id field equal -1 are skipped, see 9.6)
- Number of dropped packets: number of drop ('d') events.
     
2.2. Current node information
-----------------------------
This is information about CURRENT NODE.
CURRENT NODE is the source and OTHER NODE is the destination when numbers of generated/sent/forwarded 
packets/bytes are counted.
CURRENT NODE is the destination and OTHER NODE is the source when numbers of received/dropped
packets/bytes are counted.
Here are some options which need some explanations:
- Number of lost packets:
  When DIRECT CONNECTION option is ON (see 3.4):
  = number of forwarded packets by CURRENT NODE - number of received packets by OTHER NODE
  When DIRECT CONNECTION option is OFF:
  = number of sent packets by CURRENT NODE - number of received packets by OTHER NODE.
See 3.5 for another details.

2.3. Simulation End2End delays
------------------------------
This is information about End2End delays. 
End2End delay = time (in seconds) when packet was received by OTHER NODE - time (in seconds) when packet was sent by CURRENT NODE.
SOURCE AND DESTINATION TRACE LEVEL options are used for the calculations (wireless, mixed and Trace graph formats only), i.e.
only packets sent at source trace level and received at destination trace level are considered.
Trace level (AGT, RTR, MAC) at the source and destination nodes can be chosen from the list. 
See SHORTCUTS for CN, ON, PID explanations.

2.4. Delays between current and other node
------------------------------------------
This information is shown if OTHER NODE is checked.
It shows End2End delays (in seconds) between CURRENT NODE (sender) and OTHER NODE (receiver) when
DIRECT CONNECTION option is OFF (see 3.4). When DIRECT CONNECTION option is ON it shows delays
between CURRENT NODE (forwards packets) and OTHER NODE (receives packets).
SOURCE AND DESTINATION TRACE LEVEL options are used for the calculations (wireless, mixed and Trace graph formats only), i.e.
only packets sent at source trace level and received at destination trace level are considered. When DIRECT CONNECTION option is on
only DESTINATION TRACE LEVEL option is used (for Other node) because Current node forwards packets only at RTR trace level.
Trace level (AGT, RTR, MAC) at the source (Current node) and destination node (Other node) can be chosen from the list. 
See 8. SHORTCUTS for PID explanation.

2.5. Average numbers of intermediate nodes for the whole network
----------------------------------------------------------------
Average number of nodes receiving packets = sum of numbers of all the intermediate nodes (nodes between source and destination nodes) 
                                            receiving packets sent by all the source nodes / number of received packets at all the
                                            destination nodes
Average number of nodes forwarding packets = sum of numbers of all the intermediate nodes (nodes between source and destination nodes) 
                                             forwarding packets sent by all the source nodes / number of received packets at all the
                                             destination nodes
Numbers of intermediate nodes are calculated in the same way like in Number of intermediate nodes graphs.
For example, if we take results (Y axis) from 'All packets IDs vs number of intermediate nodes-fwd' graph, sum all of them and divide
by number of packets IDs (X axis) we get the same result as from 'Average number of nodes forwarding packets' information.
DIRECT CONNECTION option is turned OFF.

2.6. Average numbers of intermediate nodes between current and other node
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average number of nodes receiving packets = sum of numbers of all the intermediate nodes (nodes between Current node-source and 
                                            Other node-destination) receiving packets sent by Current node / number of received packets 
                                            at Other node
Average number of nodes forwarding packets = sum of numbers of all the intermediate nodes (nodes between Current node-source and 
                                             Other node-destination) forwarding packets sent by Current node / number of received packets 
                                             at Other node
Numbers of intermediate nodes are calculated in the same way like in Number of intermediate nodes graphs.
For example, if we take results (Y axis) from 'Packets IDs vs number of intermediate nodes-rec' graph, sum all of them and divide
by number of packets IDs (X axis) we get the same result as from 'Average number of nodes receiving packets' information.
DIRECT CONNECTION option is turned OFF.

2.7. Simulation processing times at intermediate nodes
------------------------------------------------------
Processing time at intermediate node for a packet = time when the packet was forwarded - time when the packet was received
For minimal and maximal processing time node number and packet ID is shown.

2.8. Processing times at current node
-------------------------------------
Processing time at current node for a packet = time when the packet was forwarded - time when the packet was received
When OTHER NODE is checked only packets forwarded at Current node to Other node are considered.
For minimal and maximal processing time packet ID is shown.

2.9. Simulation Round Trip Times
--------------------------------
Round Trip Time (RTT) for a packet = time when ACK (acknowlegde) packet sent by the destination was received by the source - 
                                     time when the packet was sent by the source
SOURCE AND DESTINATION TRACE LEVEL options are used for the calculations (wireless, mixed and Trace graph formats only), i.e.
only packets sent at source trace level and received at destination trace level are considered.
Trace level (AGT, RTR, MAC) at the source node can be chosen from the list. 
SENT PACKET and ACK PACKET options are used to select sent packet type at the source and ACK packet type at the destination.