Overview
| Comment: | Leaner info on architecture, mainly alt node arrangements and refs to bridges. |
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| Timelines: | family | ancestors | descendants | both | trunk |
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86aa53413c543ce2a4907a0abd8f210f |
| User & Date: | ivan on 2012-09-17 11:52:18 |
| Other Links: | manifest | tags |
Context
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2012-09-17
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| 17:58 | Better narrative ordering for intro sections. check-in: 62410c1eeb user: ivan tags: trunk | |
| 11:52 | Leaner info on architecture, mainly alt node arrangements and refs to bridges. check-in: 86aa53413c user: ivan tags: trunk | |
| 10:46 | Added initial full version of script. check-in: 9e70b6e675 user: ivan tags: trunk | |
Changes
Modified script.txt from [f4b6ad912c] to [909c33db7f].
43 43 44 44 * Challenges and requirements 45 45 ** Simple management vs. Distributed node ownership 46 46 - In contrast with esp. indoors testbeds that belong wholly to the same 47 47 entity. 48 48 49 49 ** Features vs. Lightweight, low cost (free & open) 50 -- Devices ranging from PCs to embedded boards located on roofs (or worse). 51 -# Node on roof, frozen tower. 50 +- Devices ranging from PCs to embedded boards. 52 51 - Need light system able to run on a variety of devices. 53 52 54 53 ** Familiarity & flexibility vs. System stability 55 54 - Familiar Linux env with root access to researchers. 56 55 - Keep env isolation (nodes are shared by experiments). 57 56 - Keep node stability (to avoid in-place maintenance, some difficult to reach 58 57 node locations). 58 +# Frozen tower. 59 59 60 60 ** Flexibility vs. Network stability 61 61 - Network experiments running on nodes in a production network. 62 62 - Allow interaction with CN at the lowest level possible but not disrupting or 63 63 overusing it. 64 64 65 65 ** Traffic collection vs. Privacy of CN users ................................................................................ 75 75 76 76 ** Heterogeneity vs. Compatibility 77 77 - Lots of different devices (disparate connectivity and software openness). 78 78 - Lots of different link technologies (wireless, wired, fiber). 79 79 80 80 * Community-Lab testbed architecture 81 81 ** Overall architecture 82 -This architecture applies to all testbeds using the CONFINE software. All 83 -CONFINE software and documentation is released under Free licenses. Anyone 82 +This architecture applies to all testbeds using the CONFINE software. Since 83 +all CONFINE software and documentation is released under Free licenses, anyone 84 84 can setup a CONFINE testbed. 85 85 # Move over overlay diagram less overlay connections plus overlay network. 86 86 - A testbed consists of a set of nodes managed by the same server. 87 87 - Server managed by testbed admins. 88 88 - Network and node managed by node admins (usually node owners). 89 89 - Node admins must adhere to a set of conditions. 90 - - Problematic nodes are not eligible for experimentation. 91 90 - Solves management vs. ownersip problem. 92 91 - All components in testbed reachable via management network (tinc mesh VPN). 93 - - Server and nodes offer APIs on that network. 92 + - Avoids problems with firewalls and private networks. 94 93 - Avoids address scarcity and incompatibility (well structured IPv6 schema). 95 - - Avoids problems with firewalls and private networks. 96 - - Thus avoids most CONFINE-specific network configuration of the node (CD). 97 94 - Public addresses still used for experiments when available. 98 - - Odd hosts can also connect to the management network. 99 95 - Gateways connect disjoint parts of the management network. 100 96 - Allows a testbed spanning different CNs and islands through external means 101 97 (e.g. FEDERICA, the Internet). 102 98 - A gateway reachable from the Internet can expose the management network 103 99 (if using public addresses). 104 100 - A researcher runs the experiments of a slice in slivers each running in a 105 101 different node… ................................................................................ 116 112 Mostly autonomous, no long-running connections to server, asynchronous 117 113 operation: robust under link instability. 118 114 # Node simplified diagram, hover to interesting parts. 119 115 - The community device 120 116 - Completely normal CN network device, possibly already existing. 121 117 - Routes traffic between the CN and devices in the node's local network 122 118 (wired, runs no routing protocol). 123 - - CD/RD separation allows minimum CONFINE-specific configuration for RD, but 124 - adds one hop for experiments to CN. 125 119 - The research device 126 120 - More powerful than CD, it runs OpenWrt (Attitude Adjustment) firmware 127 121 customized by CONFINE. 122 + - Experiments run here. The separation between CD and RD allows: 123 + - Minumum CONFINE-specific tampering with CN hardware. 124 + - Minimum CN-specific configuration for RDs. 125 + - Greater compatibility and stability for the CN. 128 126 - Slivers are implemented as Linux containers. 129 127 - LXC: lightweight virtualization (in Linux mainstream). 130 - - Resource limitation. 131 - - Allows a familiar env with resource isolation and keeping node 132 - stability. 133 - - Root access to slivers always available to researchers via SSH to RD. 128 + - Easier resource limitation, resource isolation and node stability. 129 + - Provides a familiar env for researchers. 134 130 - Control software 135 - - Manages containers and resource isolation using LXC. 131 + - Manages containers and resource isolation through LXC tools. 136 132 - Ensures network isolation and stability through traffic control (QoS) 137 133 and filtering (from L2 upwards). 138 134 - Protects users' privacy through traffic filtering and anonimization. 139 - - Provides various services to slivers through internal bridge. 140 135 - Optional, controlled direct interfaces for experiments to interact 141 - directly with the CN. 142 - - CD/RD separation allows greater compatibility and stability, as well as 143 - minimum CN-specific configuration, avoids managing CN hardware. 136 + directly with the CN (avoiding the CD). 144 137 - The recovery device can force a hardware reboot of the RD from several 145 138 triggers and help with upgrade and recovery. 146 139 147 -** Alternative node arrangements 148 -Compatible with the current architecture. 149 -- RD hosts CD as a community container: low cost (one device), less stable. 150 - Not yet implemented. 151 -- CD hosts RD as a KVM: for a powerful node such as a PC, in the future with 152 - radios linked over Ethernet and DLEP. 153 - 154 140 ** Node and sliver connectivity 155 141 # Node simplified diagram, hover to interesting parts. 156 142 Slivers can be configured with different types of network interfaces depending 157 143 on what connectivity researchers need for experiments: 158 -- Home computer behind a NAT router: a private interface placed into the 159 - internal bridge, where traffic is forwarded using NAT to the CN. Outgoing 160 - traffic is filtered to ensure network stability. 161 -- Publicly open service: a public interface (with a public CN address) placed 162 - into the local bridge, with traffic routed directly to the CN. Outgoing 163 - traffic is filtered to ensure network stability. 164 -- Traffic capture: a passive interface placed on the bridge of the direct 165 - interface used for capture. Incoming traffic is filtered and anonimized by 166 - control software. 144 +- Home computer behind a NAT router: a private interface with traffic 145 + forwarded using NAT to the CN. Outgoing traffic is filtered to ensure 146 + network stability. 147 +- Publicly open service: a public interface (with a public CN address) with 148 + traffic routed directly to the CN. Outgoing traffic is filtered to ensure 149 + network stability. 150 +- Traffic capture: a passive interface using a direct interface for capture. 151 + Incoming traffic is filtered and anonimized by control software. 167 152 - Routing: an isolated interface using a VLAN on top of a direct interface. 168 - Other slivers with isolated interfaces must be within link layer reach. All 169 - traffic is allowed. 153 + It only can reach other slivers of the same slice with isolated interfaces 154 + on the same link. All traffic is allowed. 170 155 - Low-level testing: the sliver is given raw access to the interface. For 171 156 privacy, isolation and stability reasons this should only be allowed in 172 157 exceptional occasions. 173 158 174 159 * How the testbed works 175 160 # Event diagram, hover over components explained. 176 161 An example experiment: two slivers, one of them (source sliver) pings the 177 162 other one (target sliver). 178 163 179 164 1. The researcher first contacts the server and creates a slice description 180 165 which specifies a template for slivers (e.g. Debian Squeeze i386). 181 - Experiment data is attached including a program to setup the experiment 182 - (e.g. a script that runs =apt-get install iputils-ping=) and another one to 183 - run it. 166 + Experiment data is attached including a program to setup the experiment and 167 + another one to run it. 184 168 2. The server updates the registry which holds all definitions of testbed, 185 169 nodes, users, slices, slivers, etc. 186 170 3. The researcher chooses a couple of nodes and creates sliver descriptions 187 171 for them in the previous slice. Both sliver descriptions include a public 188 172 interface to the CN and user-defined properties for telling apart the 189 173 source sliver from the target one. Sliver descriptions go to the registry. 190 174 4. Each of the previous nodes gets a sliver description for it. If enough ................................................................................ 204 188 At all times there can be external services interacting with researchers, 205 189 server, nodes and slivers, e.g. to help choosing nodes, monitor nodes or 206 190 collect results. 207 191 208 192 * Community-Lab integration in existing community networks 209 193 # CN diagram (buildings and cloud). 210 194 A typical CN looks like this, with most nodes linked using WiFi technology 211 -(cheap and ubiquitous), but sometimes others as optical fiber. Remember that 212 -CNs are production networks with distributed ownership. Strategies: 195 +(cheap and ubiquitous), but sometimes others as optical fiber. The CONFINE 196 +project follows three strategies taking into account that CNs are production 197 +networks with distributed ownership: 213 198 214 199 # CN diagram extended with CONFINE devices (hover over interesting part). 215 200 - Take an existing node owned by CN members, CONFINE provides a RD and 216 201 connects it via Ethernet. Experiments are restricted to the application 217 202 layer unless the node owner allows the RD to include a direct interface 218 203 (i.e. antenna). 219 204 - Extend the CN with complete nodes, CONFINE provides both the CD and the RD 220 - and uses a CN member's location. All but low-level experiments are 221 - possible with direct interfaces. 205 + and uses a CN member's location. All but low-level experiments are possible 206 + using direct interfaces. 222 207 - Set up a physically separated cloud of nodes, CONFINE extends the CN with a 223 208 full installation of connected nodes at a site controlled by a partner 224 - (e.g. campus). All kinds of experiments are possible with direct 209 + (e.g. campus). All kinds of experiments are possible using direct 225 210 interfaces. Users are warned about the experimental nature of the network. 226 211 227 212 * Recap 228 213 229 214 - Community networks are an emerging field to provide citizens with 230 215 connectivity in a sustainable and distributed manner in which the owners of 231 216 the networks are the users themselves.