wiki:LEARN-1Q10-status

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LEARN Project Status Report

Period: 1Q10

I. Major accomplishments

This project involves collaboration with three other GENI projects: (i) ORCA-BEN for integration with LEARN [LEARN_1] and measurement handler testing/implementation on Infinera Digital Transport Node (DTN) units; (ii) ERM [ERM_1] and (iii) IMF on interface definitions between measurement handler software (MHS) modules and the integrated and unified measurement frameworks. All projects integrate with ORCA in Cluster D with extensibility considerations towards integration with any cluster in the future.

With respect to the ORCA-BEN integration with LEARN: initial planning of Texas sites that have volunteered to host ORCA network elements and corresponding VLAN connections have been achieved. The integration plans were presented during GEC6. We are in collaboration with the GPO system engineer, Harry Mussman, to complete the integration of LEARN into GENI using the ORCA control framework. We have successful installed and deployed an ORCA instance at our lab and we also build an ORCA Node Agent machine configured to run driver actions on behalf of the first ORCA instance.

With respect to the Infinera DTN remote access through ORCA-BEN: VPN mechanisms, access to BEN, and access to the DTNs have been achieved. An NDA with Infinera was established. We collaborated with the ORCA-BEN project, and RENCI provided sample Perl modules/scripts to follow when accessing the Infinera DTN for measurement handler software implementation.

With respect to the ERM and IMF projects, MHS has been created and integrated into IMF, which was showcased during GEC7. MHS is a server program which retrieves measurement from network elements (Polatis, Infinera DTN) and sends them to client over XMLRPC protocol. This is a collaboration with Columbia University as a co-PI of this project and a PI of ERM.

A. Milestones achieved

Milestone LEARN: S2.h Draft measurement data file format (Completed on 11/16/09, GEC6) Collaborate with the ERM project to draft data file format for transfer of measurement data between the Measurement Handler software and the Integrated Measurements Framework; complete specifications for the Measurement Handler software, which will utilize an existing interface (TL1 over SSH) into the Infinera Digital Transport Node (DTN) to make optical measurements.

A draft data file format has been delivered at GEC6 in collaboration with Columbia University. The data file format follows the TL1 command/response format of the Infinera DTN. [LEARN_2]

Specifications for the MHS part of the deliverable was delayed due to lack of equipment access by the LEARN team. When this milestone was first drafted, Dr. Gurkan’s lab was hosting an Infinera DTN through an evaluation agreement between LEARN of Texas and Infinera. However, the evaluation period expired at the same time as start of the project. ORCA-BEN project has graciously given the LEARN team access and a login to their DTN boxes to perform this milestone. An NDA has been issued between the teams and Infinera during the second week of December of 2009.

Milestone S2.h-part2: Specifications for the Measurement Handler Software (Completed on 01/08/10) Extension of the previous milestone. The specifications for Measurement Handler Software part of the deliverable.

The design of the Measurement Handler Software (MHS) is created and all the Perl modules and functions defined.

Milestone LEARN: S2.c Establish ORCA framework (Due on 3/16/10, GEC7) Establish local ORCA control framework, for eventual integration with LEARN network.

We have installed all the pre-requisites for installing ORCA using the instructions on their WIKI page at https://geni-orca.renci.org/trac/wiki/Prerequisites. We have a dedicated machine on our lab and we have installed on it these software packages as instructed by ORCA:

  • Java version 1.5.x,
  • Ant 1.7.0+ ,
  • Maven 2.2.1+ ,
  • Subversion client with https support,
  • ssh …etc

We installed the official release of ORCA and installed a new security certificate for it, as instructed by the ORCA wiki page at https://geni-orca.renci.org/trac/wiki/buildInstructions. As per instructions on another orca wiki page https://geni-orca.renci.org/trac/wiki/instructions, we have deployed an ORCA instance locally after installing Tomcat (java application server) and populated MSQL database with the corresponding schema. We ran and tested this locally using http://localhost:8080/orca and got the web app to work.Finally we come across installing a node agent on another machine that we dedicated for that purpose. So, as per instructions found on this wiki page https://geni-orca.renci.org/trac/wiki/DeployNodeAgent, we installed a Node Agent Host, and then the real Node Agents with their Network drivers. This means that we have now have a NA machine configured to run driver actions on behalf or the first ORCA instance. Now we are working on testing handlers with NA components.

Milestone LEARN: S2.i Implement and integrate Measurement Handler (Completed on 3/16/10, GEC7) Collaborate with the ERM project to complete specification of the data file format for transfer of measurement data between the Measurement Handler software and the Integrated Measurements Framework; implement the Measurement Handler software to make optical measurements using Infinera Digital Transport Nodes (DTNs); integrate the Measurement Handler software with the UMF provided by the ERM project; demonstrate the Measurement Handler software using DTNs that are part of BEN (at RENCI). (Modified after Infinera DTN has been removed from Dr. Gurkan’s lab.)

The Measurement Handler Software has been created and integrated with IMF. It was demonstrated during GEC7 with measurements from the Polatis and Infinera DTNs in Duke.

Milestone LEARN: S2.j Deliver release of Measurement Handler (Due on 5/1/10) Deliver release of Measurement Handler code for Infinera DTN and documentation to GPO.

Milestone LEARN: S2.k List of measurement handlers for GENI (Due on 7/20/10, GEC8) Based upon results of Data Plane Measurements project, collaborate with GPO and other projects in Cluster D, to establish a list of measurement handlers that are needed for commercial transport and measurement equipment that will be used in GENI.

Milestone LEARN: S2.d Initial integration LEARN into ORCA (Due on 7/20/10, GEC8) Complete initial integration of the LEARN network into the ORCA control framework (GENI Cluster D), to enable GENI researchers to utilize the LEARN network for L2 (VLAN) transport between a limited number of sites, e.g., University of Houston and Rice University.

Milestone LEARN: S2.e Move broker to clearinghouse (Due on 9/30/10) Move broker to Cluster D clearinghouse, and make control of L2 (VLAN) connections in LEARN available via the ORCA control framework to other GENI users.

Milestone LEARN: S2.f POC to GENI response team (Due on 9/30/10) Provide POC to GENI Prototype Response and Escalation team.

Milestone LEARN: S2.g POC to GENI security team (Due on 9/30/10) Provide POC to Security team.

Milestone LEARN: S2.l Contribution to GENI outreach (Due on 9/30/10) Specific contribution to GENI outreach plan for Spiral 2.

B. Deliverables made

Milestone LEARN: S2.h Draft measurement data file format (Completed on 11/16/09, GEC6)
Milestone LEARN: S2.h-part2 Specifications for the Measurement Handler Software (Completed on 01/08/10)
Milestone LEARN: S2.i Implement and integrate Measurement Handler (Completed on 3/16/10, GEC7)
Milestone LEARN: S2.c Establish ORCA framework (Completed partially on 4/1/10, GEC7)

II. Description of work performed during last quarter

Format Specifications for the Measurement Handler Software (MHS):
The design for the MHS is documented. Perl modules and functionalities are defined to fetch measurement from the Infinera DTN over TL1 interface.

Measurement Handler Software Module:
Using the data format of TL1 command/response for remote access to Infinera DTNs, the MHS module has been created. The MHS is a server program(in perl), which communicates with Integrated Measurement Framework (IMF) using the XML-RPC protocol. It supports multiple login and simultaneous retrieval of measurements. The following measurement types are currently supported:

  • Infinera: PREFEC-BER, POSTFEC-BER and PORTPOWER (received power),
  • Polatis: PORTPOWER.

ORCA instance creation in the lab:
We installed the official release of ORCA and installed a new security certificate for it. Deployed an ORCA instance locally after installing Tomcat (java application server) and populated mysql database with the corresponding schema. We tested this locally using http://localhost:8080/orca and through the web application. We have been working on installing the Node Agent Host, and then the real Node Agents (NAs) with their network drivers. We now have a NA machine configured to run driver actions on behalf of the first ORCA instance.

Work with LEARN of Texas:
A project plan has been presented to LEARN Chief Technology Officer (Akbar Kara) together with University of Houston’s LEARN liaison, Paul Roberts. Based the on the project plan, LEARN sites at TAMU, UT-Austin, and Rice University have volunteered to host GENI access with ORCA.

A. Activities and findings

GENI Engineering Conference 7 (GEC7) held at Duke University on 16-18 March was attended. We presented our work on Measurement Handler Software and demonstrated its functionality. There were questions about what the measurement names (port power, etc) represented, which made us rethink the naming conventions. We are planning to change them as per the ITU standards. Questions were also asked about the performance of the software and scalability. We are investigating usage of a perfSONAR schema.

We attended a workshop on Future of Resource Representation in GENI (by RENCI) in which the usage of NDL-OWL was demonstrated (path-computation, sub-graph pattern finder, etc). Network Design Language (NDL) is a RDF-based language to store data about network resources. It stores data as triples, which are stored in a relational database called triplestore. A query language SPARQL is used to fetch data from the triplestore. Web Ontology Language (OWL) represents ontologies using classes and relationships. NDL-OWL is a unified schema for representing data models in ORCA. We found out the ontology was used with many modules of visualization aimed to showing scattered network resources. We found it interesting to integrate these OWL data models with our project in order to enhance it later on with the measurements readings to build on some interesting research experiments. Also Jena API in particular sounded like easy to use and integrate for building ontology models to be later exported to OWL files that would be necessary for the visualization frameworks that ORCA uses.

B. Project participants

C. Publications (individual and organizational)

  1. Gurkan, Y. Xin, M. S. Wang, C.P. Lai, K. Bergman, “Specifications for the Measurement Handler Software” (Project Nr. 1733, Milestone S2.h-part2), January 2010
  1. Majumder , M. S. Wang , I. Baldine, D. Gurkan, C. P. Lai, K. Bergman“Implement and Integrate Measurement Handler” (Project Nr. 1733, Milestone S2.i), March 2010

Shade EL-Hadik, D. Gurkan, Ilia Baldine “Establish ORCA Framework” (Project Nr. 1733, Milestone S2.c), April 2010.

D. Outreach activities

None.

E. Collaborations

Cluster D: Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) and Duke University: Ilia Baldine, Yufeng Xin, Jeff Chase, and Varun Marupadi.

We are working with RENCI on finding a common software interface definition between physical remote access to Infinera DTNs on BEN and then delivering the outputs to UMF and IMF. Specifically, Yufeng Xin has provided us with the Perl scripts that RENCI uses to access their specific network elements. Ilia Baldine provides us the tools to become ORCA users on BEN with remote access through VPN. We are working with Varun Marupadi in Jeff Chase’s group on the installation and implementation of the ORCA framework in Dr. Gurkan’s lab and then on LEARN of Texas.

GENI ERM Project: Columbia University: Michael Wang, Caroline Lai, and Keren Bergman

We work closely with Columbia University as Prof. Bergman is a co-PI in this project. Interfacing with ERM deliverables and specifications of the measurement handler software module are the main collaborations. We delivered milestone S2.h of LEARN through our collaborative work.

GPO: Harry Mussman

We closely cooperated with Harry Mussman to create an updated version of the GENI Wikipage and to submit milestone reports and quarterly status reports. Discussions via e-mail on the design and planning of LEARN VLAN delivery to the GENI infrastructure were conducted.

LEARN of Texas: Akbar Kara, CTO of LEARN and G. Paul Roberts, University of Houston

We present developments to integrate LEARN to the GENI infrastructure to the constituents of LEARN community. During Technical Advisory Group meetings and otherwise, LEARN is updated on its developing presence in GENI.

F. Other Contributions

None.

G. Bibliography

  1. [LEARN_1] Programmable Measurements over Texas-based Research Network: LEARN [Online]. Available: http://groups.geni.net/geni/wiki/LEARN
  2. [ERM_1] C. P. Lai, M. S. Wang, K. Bergman, “Unified Measurement Framework: NetFPGA Cube Prototype,” Dec. 2009 [Online]. Available: http://groups.geni.net/geni/attachment/ticket/279/ERM_S2a_Dec09.pdf
  3. [LEARN_3] D. Gurkan and G. Paul Roberts, “Cluster plan for VLANs between testbeds and Plan for VLANs on LEARN,” November 2009 [online]. Available: http://groups.geni.net/geni/attachment/ticket/270/GENI_MS2andb_LEARN_Nov09.pdf
  4. [LEARN_2] M. Wang, D. Gurkan, C. P. Lai, K. Bergman, “Draft Measurement Data File Format,” November 2009 [online]. Available: http://groups.geni.net/geni/attachment/ticket/270/GENI_S2H_LEARN_Nov09.pdf

Converted submitted file by Julia Taylor (jtaylor@bbn.com). Original can be found here