diff --git a/p2p/simulations/network.go b/p2p/simulations/network.go
index 1cc481c244..e1254bb97b 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/network.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/network.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ type NetworkController struct {
 }
 
 // ServeStream subscribes to network events and sends them to the client as a
-// stream of Server-Sent-Events, with each event being a JSON encoded CyUpdate
+// stream of Server-Sent-Events, with each event being a JSON encoded SimUpdate
 // object
 func (n *NetworkController) ServeStream(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 	sub := n.events.Subscribe(ConnectivityEvents...)
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ func (n *NetworkController) ServeStream(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request
 	for {
 		select {
 		case event := <-ch:
-			// convert the event to a CyUpdate
-			update, err := NewCyUpdate(event)
+			// convert the event to a SimUpdate
+			update, err := NewSimUpdate(event)
 			if err != nil {
 				write("error", err.Error())
 				return
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func (n *NetworkController) ServeStream(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request
 				write("error", err.Error())
 				return
 			}
-			write("cyupdate", string(data))
+			write("simupdate", string(data))
 		case <-clientGone:
 			return
 		}
@@ -138,17 +138,17 @@ func NewNetworkController(net NetworkControl, nodesController *ResourceControlle
 			Retrieve: &ResourceHandler{
 				Handle: func(msg interface{}, parent *ResourceController) (interface{}, error) {
 					log.Trace(fmt.Sprintf("msg: %v", msg))
-					cyConfig, ok := msg.(*CyConfig)
+					simConfig, ok := msg.(*SimConfig)
 					if ok {
-						return UpdateCy(cyConfig, journal)
+						return UpdateSim(simConfig, journal)
 					}
 					snapshotConfig, ok := msg.(*SnapshotConfig)
 					if ok {
 						return Snapshot(snapshotConfig, journal)
 					}
-					return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid json body: must be CyConfig or SnapshotConfig")
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid json body: must be SimConfig or SnapshotConfig")
 				},
-				Type: reflect.TypeOf(&CyConfig{}),
+				Type: reflect.TypeOf(&SimConfig{}),
 			},
 			// DELETE /<networkId>/
 			Destroy: &ResourceHandler{
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ type NodeConfig struct {
 
 // TODO: ignored for now
 type QueryConfig struct {
-	Format string // "cy.update", "journal",
+	Format string // "sim.update", "journal",
 }
 
 type Know struct {
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/session_controller_test.go b/p2p/simulations/session_controller_test.go
index 92312fe401..c7e3d120f7 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/session_controller_test.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/session_controller_test.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func TestUpdate(t *testing.T) {
   "remove": [],
   "message": []
 }`
-	s, _ := json.Marshal(&CyConfig{})
+	s, _ := json.Marshal(&SimConfig{})
 	resp := testResponse(t, "GET", url(port, "0"), bytes.NewReader(s))
 	if string(resp) != exp {
 		t.Fatalf("incorrect response body. got\n'%v', expected\n'%v'", string(resp), exp)
diff --git a/p2p/simulations/cytoscape.go b/p2p/simulations/sim_events.go
similarity index 72%
rename from p2p/simulations/cytoscape.go
rename to p2p/simulations/sim_events.go
index 37f3fe7956..1a472ddff4 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/cytoscape.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/sim_events.go
@@ -6,19 +6,19 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/event"
 )
 
-// TODO: to implement cytoscape global behav
-type CyConfig struct {
+// TODO: to implement simulation global behav
+type SimConfig struct {
 }
 
-type CyData struct {
+type SimData struct {
 	Id     string `json:"id"`
 	Source string `json:"source,omitempty"`
 	Target string `json:"target,omitempty"`
 	Up     bool   `json:"up"`
 }
 
-type CyElement struct {
-	Data    *CyData `json:"data"`
+type SimElement struct {
+	Data    *SimData `json:"data"`
 	Classes string  `json:"classes,omitempty"`
 	Group   string  `json:"group"`
 	// selected: false, // whether the element is selected (default false)
@@ -27,19 +27,19 @@ type CyElement struct {
 	// grabbable: true, // whether the node can be grabbed and moved by the user
 }
 
-type CyUpdate struct {
-	Add     []*CyElement `json:"add"`
-	Remove  []*CyElement `json:"remove"`
-	Message []*CyElement `json:"message"`
+type SimUpdate struct {
+	Add     []*SimElement `json:"add"`
+	Remove  []*SimElement `json:"remove"`
+	Message []*SimElement `json:"message"`
 }
 
-func NewCyUpdate(e *event.TypeMuxEvent) (*CyUpdate, error) {
-	var update CyUpdate
-	var el *CyElement
+func NewSimUpdate(e *event.TypeMuxEvent) (*SimUpdate, error) {
+	var update SimUpdate
+	var el *SimElement
 	entry := e.Data
 	var action string
 	if ev, ok := entry.(*NodeEvent); ok {
-		el = &CyElement{Group: "nodes", Data: &CyData{Id: ev.node.Id.String()}}
+		el = &SimElement{Group: "nodes", Data: &SimData{Id: ev.node.Id.String()}}
 		action = ev.Action
 	} else if ev, ok := entry.(*MsgEvent); ok {
 		msg := ev.msg
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func NewCyUpdate(e *event.TypeMuxEvent) (*CyUpdate, error) {
 		var source, target string
 		source = msg.One.String()
 		target = msg.Other.String()
-		el = &CyElement{Group: "msgs", Data: &CyData{Id: id, Source: source, Target: target}}
+		el = &SimElement{Group: "msgs", Data: &SimData{Id: id, Source: source, Target: target}}
 		action = ev.Action
 	} else if ev, ok := entry.(*ConnEvent); ok {
 		// mutually exclusive directed edge (caller -> callee)
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func NewCyUpdate(e *event.TypeMuxEvent) (*CyUpdate, error) {
 			source = conn.One.String()
 			target = conn.Other.String()
 		}
-		el = &CyElement{Group: "edges", Data: &CyData{Id: id, Source: source, Target: target}}
+		el = &SimElement{Group: "edges", Data: &SimData{Id: id, Source: source, Target: target}}
 		action = ev.Action
 	} else {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown event type: %T", entry)
@@ -84,10 +84,10 @@ func NewCyUpdate(e *event.TypeMuxEvent) (*CyUpdate, error) {
 	return &update, nil
 }
 
-func UpdateCy(conf *CyConfig, j *Journal) (*CyUpdate, error) {
-	var update CyUpdate
+func UpdateSim(conf *SimConfig, j *Journal) (*SimUpdate, error) {
+	var update SimUpdate
 	j.Read(func(e *event.TypeMuxEvent) bool {
-		u, err := NewCyUpdate(e)
+		u, err := NewSimUpdate(e)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err.Error())
 		}