wiki:NewExpermenterQandA

Version 3 (modified by nriga@bbn.com, 13 years ago) (diff)

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GENI New Experimenter Q & A

What is GENI?

The Global Environment for Networking Innovations (GENI) is a virtual laboratory for exploring future internets at scale. While the GENI infrastructure is rapidly taking shape across the US, it is still a work in progress.

Do I want to use GENI for my experiment?

We hope so. Take a look at the "Why GENI?" section of the Experimenter's Portal to help you decide.

What resources are available through GENI?

GENI resources include a variety of computational and network assets, all programmable by experimenters. Resources are made available to experimenters by GENI aggregates. The Experimenter's Portal has more information in its "An Experimenter's View of GENI" and "GENI Aggregates" sections.

There's a lot of stuff in GENI. How do I decide what to use?

You're right, there is a lot of stuff available in GENI. Some aggregates may be familiar if you have experience with other existing testbeds. For example, many of the current GENI resources are contributed by PlanetLab and ProtoGENI (ProtoGENI is based on Emulab) aggregates. Other aggregates are more specialized.

The GENI Project Office is happy to help you figure out what resources may be useful in supporting your planned experiments. Send us mail at: help@geni.net.

Do I need an account to use GENI resources?

Yes. Access comes in two varieties. Depending on the resources you will be using, you may use either or both types of access.

  1. GENI provides a common interface that lets you reserve resources from many aggregates using a common set of credentials, and a common API (the Aggregate Manager or AM API). In addition, GENI experimenter tools may be helpful to you as you use these aggregates.
  1. Aggregates that do not accept GENI credentials have their own specific access policies. Send us mail at help@geni.net for assistance.

Which resources are available using GENI credentials?

Check the aggregate information pages for the aggregates you're interested in using. (There are links from the "GENI Aggregates" section of the Experimenter's Portal.) Aggregates that support the GENI AM API list an Aggregate Manager URL in the "Using This Aggregate" section. Currently, these are chiefly PlanetLab-based and ProtoGENI-based aggregates.

How do I get a GENI credential?

Because GENI supports a federated web of trust, it's possible that you already have a credential. If you are a PlanetLab, ProtoGENI, or Emulab user, you can use your existing credential with GENI. If not, check the "Get GENI Credentials" section of the omni howto.

I have a GENI credential. Now what?

Try setting up a simple experiment. Check the "Tutorials" section of the Experimenter's Portal.

Where do I go for help?

Send mail to the GENI help list: help@geni.net.