Scalable Network Simulation for Smart-Meter Systems

We created a scalable network simulation for electricity and water smart meters to stress-test a smart-meter network management system. The customer’s system manages head-end routers, neighborhood field routers, and smart-meter mesh nodes. To address field deployment concerns, we developed simulators to mimic the network. Using various management protocols, commands, features, and runtime requirements, we built 2 simulators capable of simulating tens of thousands of routers and up to 6 million IPv6 mesh nodes. The system enabled large-scale testing and deployment, reducing costs by minimizing the need for physical devices and allowing complex network automation. Our solution also helped identify deployment issues in power company networks, ensuring reliable and efficient operations.