Flent Application API Integration and Validation in ns-3

The Flexible Network Tester (Flent) is an industry-standard tool for evaluating Bufferbloat and network performance. However, benchmarking simulated networks in ns-3 currently requires researchers to rely on external, error-prone parsing scripts to translate simulator events into Flent-compatible data. This project solves this disconnect by natively integrating the Flent Application API into the ns-3 mainline. The proposed solution involves modernizing a legacy C++ wrapper, eliminating artificial queue constraints used in prior proof-of-concepts, and refining the linear interpolation logic to accurately translate discrete ns-3 trace callbacks into strict periodic data points. A critical phase of the project involves scientific validation. comparing the simulated ns-3 outputs against real-world Linux hardware benchmarks (using tc and ss) to guarantee mathematical and statistical accuracy. Deliverables: 1) A robust, memory-safe FlentHelper C++ API that allows users to seamlessly configure tests and directly output visualization-ready .flent JSON files. 2) A scientific validation report proving the parity between the simulated network metrics and physical Linux network namespaces. 3) Expanded support for complex multi-flow Bufferbloat tests (including RRUL, Best Effort, and VoIP). 4) Comprehensive user documentation and automated example scripts merged into the ns-3-dev mainline.