My client wants to select an SNMP simulation product that goes beyond
network simulation to include servers and other related devices,
allowing import of SNMP MIBs to emulate any device that has a MIB.

He's narrowed the choice down to two products:

* AdventNet Simulation Toolkit
* Simplesoft SimpleAgentPro

Both of these products seem very functional, at least according to
their respective web sites.

I need to know specific differences between the products, based on
the following selection criteria:

* Ability to simulate any device from any vendor
* Ability to set up simulation of thousands of nodes
* Ease of use in setting up and using
* Product price
* Product flexibility
* Ability to simulate all device error conditions and traps
  realistically
* Vendor product support, upgrading and pricing

Also: Are there any products other than those two that should be
considered?

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Clarification of Question by johnxenakis-ga on 01 Mar 2005 10:37 PST

If possible, please add Gambit's MIMIC product to the above.

Hi John , 

I have some experience working with the Simulator from AdventNet in my
previous company. Though I have not experienced working with others
you have mentioned, my points may be useful to you.

The Product provides very cool easy-to-use interfaces for the
configuration of the values. Recording of Real Agents is one feature
which we used most for configuring Agents. You can simulate any device
 provided you have the mibs of the particular device. But these guys
load the mib only if they are SMI compatible. If you have any issues
in loading you can get in touch with their support which will provide
quick response to your queries.

We used only for a simulation of 6 subnets for which the scalability
and performance seems pretty promising. The extensibility provided by
them using the jython scripting language for moulding the behavior of
the agents and the network is very much usable.

One of the limitation they had was the virtual IP Address
configuraiton which has to be done manually and those guys provided us
some workaround for them. I dont know whether those things are now a
part of the product or still work around.

I am not sure about the pricing and other upgrading policies since I
am a techie and had contact only with their tech support team

Best Wishes ,
Snyder