Cloud Network Emulator

Ever more aspects of modern society depend on software that consists of several pieces that communicate over broadband, such as web browsers/servers. As the capabilities of the software increase, moving into virtual/augmented reality, remote control of robots, remote medicine/surgery etc., and everyday activities become increasingly broadband-based, it becomes ever more important to be able to test that the inherent variability of broadband networks does not adversely impact the performance of the software. Such testing is currently difficult and expensive, particularly for smaller companies looking to deliver innovative applications.

This project aims to deliver a facility for testing the impact of network variability on application performance that is cost-effective and easy to use. It will do this by building on earlier work (partly funded by Innovate UK) that produced a stand-alone network emulator, usable by specialists. This project will turn this into an accessible testing platform suitable for small to medium-sized software development companies by:

1. 'Virtualising' the platform so that it can be run in the 'cloud', making it accessible to companies who cannot afford the investment in a piece of test equipment and easy to integrate with cloud-based applications;
2. Developing an intuitive management model and user-interface for the platform.