Index: script.txt ================================================================== --- script.txt +++ script.txt @@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ ** Testbeds - Environments built with real hardware for realistic experimental research on network technologies (instead of simulations). - Wireless: Berlin RoofNet, MIT Roofnet (outdoor); IBBT's w-iLab.t, CERTH's NITOS, WINLAB's ORBIT (indoor). Limited local scale, controlled - environment, no resource sharing mechanisms. + environment, no resource sharing between experiments. - Internet: PlanetLab, planet-scale testbed with resource sharing on nodes. Main inspiration for Community-Lab. ** Community-Lab: a testbed for community networks - The testbed developed by CONFINE. @@ -43,16 +43,16 @@ - All its software and documentation is released under Free licenses, anyone can setup a CONFINE testbed like Community-Lab. * Challenges and requirements ** Simple management vs. Distributed node ownership -- In contrast with esp. indoors testbeds that belong wholly to the same +- In contrast with e.g. indoors testbeds that belong wholly to the same entity. ** Features vs. Lightweight, low cost (free & open) - Devices ranging from PCs to embedded boards. -- Need light system able to run on a variety of devices. +- Need light system able to run on very different devices. ** Familiarity & flexibility vs. System stability - Familiar Linux env with root access to researchers. - Keep env isolation (nodes are shared by experiments). - Keep node stability (to avoid in-place maintenance, some difficult to reach @@ -87,13 +87,13 @@ - Server managed by testbed admins. - Network and node managed by node admins (usually node owners). - Node admins must adhere to a set of conditions. - Solves management vs. ownersip problem. - All components in testbed reachable via management network (tinc mesh VPN). - - Avoids problems with firewalls and private networks. + - Avoids problems with firewalls and private networks in nodes. - Avoids address scarcity and incompatibility (well structured IPv6 schema). - - Public addresses still used for experiments when available. + - Public CN addresses still used for experiments when available. - Gateways connect disjoint parts of the management network. - Allows a testbed spanning different CNs and islands through external means (e.g. FEDERICA, the Internet). - A gateway reachable from the Internet can expose the management network (if using public addresses). @@ -100,11 +100,11 @@ - A researcher runs the experiments of a slice in slivers each running in a different node… ** Nodes, slices and slivers - …a model inspired in PlanetLab. -- A slice groups a set of related slivers. +- The slice (a management concept) groups a set of related slivers. - A sliver holds the resources (CPU, memory, disk, bandwidth, interfaces…) allocated for a slice in a given node. # Diagram: Slices and slivers, two or three nodes with a few slivers on them, # each with a color identifying it with a slice.) @@ -115,20 +115,19 @@ - The community device - Completely normal CN network device, possibly already existing. - Routes traffic between the CN and devices in the node's local network (wired, runs no routing protocol). - The research device - - More powerful than CD, it runs OpenWrt (Attitude Adjustment) firmware - customized by CONFINE. + - More powerful than CD, it runs OpenWrt firmware customized by CONFINE. - Experiments run here. The separation between CD and RD allows: - Minumum CONFINE-specific tampering with CN hardware. - Minimum CN-specific configuration for RDs. - Greater compatibility and stability for the CN. - Slivers are implemented as Linux containers. - LXC: lightweight virtualization (in Linux mainstream). - - Easier resource limitation, resource isolation and node stability. - Provides a familiar env for researchers. + - Easier resource limitation, resource isolation and node stability. - Control software - Manages containers and resource isolation through LXC tools. - Ensures network isolation and stability through traffic control (QoS) and filtering (from L2 upwards). - Protects users' privacy through traffic filtering and anonimization. @@ -146,11 +145,11 @@ network stability. - Publicly open service: a public interface (with a public CN address) with traffic routed directly to the CN. Outgoing traffic is filtered to ensure network stability. - Traffic capture: a passive interface using a direct interface for capture. - Incoming traffic is filtered and anonimized by control software. + Incoming traffic is filtered and anonymized by control software. - Routing: an isolated interface using a VLAN on top of a direct interface. It only can reach other slivers of the same slice with isolated interfaces on the same link. All traffic is allowed. - Low-level testing: the sliver is given raw access to the interface. For privacy, isolation and stability reasons this should only be allowed in @@ -166,23 +165,24 @@ Experiment data is attached including a program to setup the experiment and another one to run it. 2. The server updates the registry which holds all definitions of testbed, nodes, users, slices, slivers, etc. 3. The researcher chooses a couple of nodes and creates sliver descriptions - for them in the previous slice. Both sliver descriptions include a public - interface to the CN and user-defined properties for telling apart the - source sliver from the target one. Sliver descriptions go to the registry. + for them belonging to the previous slice. Both sliver descriptions include + a public interface to the CN and user-defined properties for telling apart + the source sliver from the target one. Sliver descriptions go to the + registry. 4. Each of the previous nodes gets a sliver description for it. If enough resources are available, a container is created with the desired configuration. 5. Once the researcher knows that slivers have been instantiated, the server can be commanded to activate the slice. The server updates the registry. 6. When nodes get instructions to activate slivers they start the containers. 7. Containers run the experiment setup program and the run program. The programs query sliver properties to decide their behaviour. -8. Researchers interact with containers if needed (e.g. via SSH) and collect - results straight from them. +8. Researchers interact straight with containers if needed (e.g. via SSH) and + collect results from them. 9. When finished, the researcher tells the server to deactivate and deinstantiate the slice. 10. Nodes get the instructions and they stop and remove containers. At all times there can be external services interacting with researchers, @@ -189,20 +189,20 @@ server, nodes and slivers, e.g. to help choosing nodes, monitor nodes or collect results. * Community-Lab integration in existing community networks # CN diagram (buildings and cloud). -A typical CN looks like this, with most nodes linked using WiFi technology -(cheap and ubiquitous), but sometimes others as optical fiber. The CONFINE -project follows three strategies taking into account that CNs are production -networks with distributed ownership: +A typical CN looks like this, with most nodes linked using cheap and +ubiquitous WiFi technology (and less frequently Ethernet, optical fiber or +others). The CONFINE project follows three strategies taking into account +that CNs are production networks with distributed ownership: # CN diagram extended with CONFINE devices (hover over interesting part). - Take an existing node owned by CN members, CONFINE provides a RD and - connects it via Ethernet. Experiments are restricted to the application - layer unless the node owner allows the RD to include a direct interface - (i.e. antenna). + connects it via Ethernet to the CD. Experiments are restricted to the + application layer unless the node owner allows the RD to include a direct + interface (i.e. antenna). - Extend the CN with complete nodes, CONFINE provides both the CD and the RD and uses a CN member's location. All but low-level experiments are possible using direct interfaces. - Set up a physically separated cloud of nodes, CONFINE extends the CN with a full installation of connected nodes at a site controlled by a partner @@ -212,15 +212,15 @@ * Recap - Community networks are an emerging field to provide citizens with connectivity in a sustainable and distributed manner in which the owners of the networks are the users themselves. -- Research on this field is necessary to support CNs growth while improving +- Research on this field is necessary to support CNs' growth while improving their operation and quality. - Experimental tools are still lacking because of the peculiarities of CNs. - The CONFINE project aims to fill this gap by deploying Community-Lab, a - testbed for community networks inside existing community networks. + testbed for existing community networks. # Commenters: Less attention on architecture, more on global working of # testbed. # Ivan: Describe simple experiment, show diagram (UML-like timing diagram?