# CORE Documentation

## Introduction

CORE (Common Open Research Emulator) is a tool for building virtual networks. As an emulator, CORE builds a
representation of a real computer network that runs in real time, as opposed to simulation, where abstract models are
used. The live-running emulation can be connected to physical networks and routers.  It provides an environment for
running real applications and protocols, taking advantage of tools provided by the Linux operating system.

CORE is typically used for network and protocol research, demonstrations, application and platform testing, evaluating
networking scenarios, security studies, and increasing the size of physical test networks.

### Key Features
* Efficient and scalable
* Runs applications and protocols without modification
* Drag and drop GUI
* Highly customizable

## Topics

| Topic | Description|
|-------|------------|
|[Architecture](architecture.md)|Overview of the architecture|
|[Installation](install.md)|How to install CORE and its requirements|
|[GUI](gui.md)|How to use the GUI|
|[(BETA) Python GUI](pygui.md)|How to use the BETA python based GUI|
|[Python API](python.md)|Covers how to control core directly using python|
|[gRPC API](grpc.md)|Covers how control core using gRPC|
|[Distributed](distributed.md)|Details for running CORE across multiple servers|
|[Node Types](nodetypes.md)|Overview of node types supported within CORE|
|[CTRLNET](ctrlnet.md)|How to use control networks to communicate with nodes from host|
|[Services](services.md)|Overview of provided services and creating custom ones|
|[EMANE](emane.md)|Overview of EMANE integration and integrating custom EMANE models|
|[Performance](performance.md)|Notes on performance when using CORE|
|[Developers Guide](devguide.md)|Overview on how to contribute to CORE|

## Credits

The CORE project was derived from the open source IMUNES project from the University of Zagreb in 2004. In 2006,
changes for CORE were released back to that project, some items of which were adopted. Marko Zec <zec@fer.hr> is the
primary developer from the University of Zagreb responsible for the IMUNES (GUI) and VirtNet (kernel) projects. Ana
Kukec and Miljenko Mikuc are known contributors.

Jeff Ahrenholz has been the primary Boeing developer of CORE, and has written this manual. Tom Goff designed the
Python framework and has made significant contributions. Claudiu Danilov, Rod Santiago, Kevin Larson, Gary Pei,
Phil Spagnolo, and Ian Chakeres have contributed code to CORE. Dan Mackley helped develop the CORE API, originally to
interface with a simulator. Jae Kim and Tom Henderson have supervised the project and provided direction.

Copyright (c) 2005-2020, the Boeing Company.