Patent ID: 7047176

Claim:
A hardware simulation system for simulating hardware on which software is to be tested comprising: a hardware interface for intercepting and redirecting communications between the software being tested and the simulated hardware and returning responses to the software; a network simulation system in communication with said hardware interface for providing simulated hardware and generating responses to the software; and a user interface for entering user commands for creating a simulated network, defining topology of said simulated network, and for invoking said simulated network, said user interface being in communication with said network simulation system; wherein said network simulation system includes: a network simulator for simulating functionality of said simulated network, said network simulator being in communication with said hardware interface; a simulator library for providing an application programmers interface for creating said simulated network and for defining functionality of said simulated network; said simulator library being in communication with said network simulator and said user interface; an emulator stub for translating communications between said network simulator and said hardware interface; said emulator stub being in communication with said hardware interface; and an event handler for directing communications received by said emulator stub and returning communications to said emulator stub.