> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cloudsim-ho-project.puneetchandna.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Running a Simulation

> Learn how to setup, build, and run your first Hippopotamus Optimization simulation.

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up the CloudSim-HO-Research-V2 environment, running a simulation, and analyzing the results.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

* **Java Development Kit (JDK) 11** or higher.
* **Maven 3.6+** for building the project.
* **Git** for version control.

## 1. Clone the Repository

Start by cloning the research framework to your local machine.

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/puneet-chandna/cloudsim-ho-research-V2.git
cd cloudsim-ho-research-V2
```

## 2. Build the Project

Use Maven to clean and build the project. This will download all necessary CloudSim Plus dependencies and compile the Hippopotamus Optimization algorithm.

```bash theme={null}
mvn clean install
```

<Tip>
  If you encounter dependency issues, try running `mvn clean install -U` to
  force an update of snapshots.
</Tip>

## 3. Run the Experiment

You can run the full experimental suite using the provided scripts. These scripts automatically handle classpath configuration and execution.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Bash (Linux/macOS) theme={null}
  ./run-experiment.sh
  ```

  ```powershell PowerShell (Windows) theme={null}
  ./run-experiment.ps1
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### What happens when you run this?

1. **Configuration Loading**: The system reads `src/main/resources/Config.properties`.
2. **Scenario Generation**: It creates VM and Host lists based on the defined scenarios (Micro, Small, Medium).
3. **Optimization**: The `HippopotamusOptimization` algorithm iteratively searches for the best VM-to-Host mapping.
4. **Simulation**: CloudSim Plus simulates the execution of Cloudlets on the placed VMs.

## 4. Analyze Results

Once the simulation completes, results are generated in the `results` directory.

| File                | Description                                                |
| :------------------ | :--------------------------------------------------------- |
| `execution_log.csv` | detailed logs of every simulation step.                    |
| `scenarios/*`       | Specific metrics for each scenario (Latency, Power, Cost). |
| `convergence.csv`   | Tracks the fitness score over optimization iterations.     |

### Understanding the Output

The console output provides real-time feedback on the optimization progress:

```text theme={null}
[INFO] Starting HO optimization for 100 VMs and 20 hosts...
[INFO] Iteration 0: Best fitness = 0.8543
...
[INFO] Iteration 100: Best fitness = 0.1234
[INFO] Optimization completed.
```

A lower fitness score indicates a better balance of resource utilization, power consumption, and SLA adherence.