Perspectives on IoT-oriented network simulation systems

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm is assumed to be a major component in the present and future Internet, with forecasts claiming a humongous number of devices connected in the near future, and applications fields spanning from agriculture, to healthcare. Despite this, the standardization efforts have not yet resulted in widely adopted standards, and the market is fragmented into multiple solutions both at physical and communication protocol levels. Moreover, IoT systems exacerbate the usual test bed limitations, e.g., scalability (very large number of devices), hardware compatibility, space, and price. Due to the above problems, simulation tools become an extremely interesting tool for studying IoT systems both for academia (new algorithms), standardization (new protocols), and industry (what-if analysis). In this paper we will discuss what are the most relevant features and models that a simulation tool like ns-3 should prioritize to enable the above-mentioned needs from academia, standardization, and industry, and if they are achievable in the short, medium, or long term.