Changes between Initial Version and Version 1 of ShadowNet-Report-November-2012

Timestamp:

11/12/12 10:38:14 (11 years ago)

Author:

griff@netlab.uky.edu

Comment:

--

ShadowNet-Report-November-2012

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+[[PageOutline]]
+
+= GENI Shadownet Project Status Report = 
+
+Period: Post GEC 15 Report
+
+== I. Major accomplishments ==
+
+The following highlights our accomplishments
+during the last reporting period.
+
+=== A. Milestones achieved ===
+ * Milestone S4.e) Update the Shadownet web page.  Earlier this year we updated the Shadownet web page to link to a new page that contained information about the Shadownet backbone and topology. During this reporting period we again updated the web pages, this time including more detailed instructions on how to access and use the Shadownet routers. We also included example experiments/topologies that can be used as a starting point for creating one's own experiments.
+
+
+=== B. Deliverables made ===
+
+ * An updated version of our Shadownet web page which now includes example experiments that illustrate how to use Shadownet.
+
+ * We updated and enhanced the INSTOOLS code, merging it with the LAMP/perfSONAR code to create a new combined instrustrumentation and measurement service with support for both active and passive measurements.  The new code is being released as part of GEMINI.
+ * We created a new version of our GENI One-Stop portal (now called the GENI One-Stop Desktop or simply the GENI Desktop) that includes a variety of new features implemented via pluggins.
+
+== II. Description of work performed during last quarter ==
+
+The following provides a description of the progress made during the last reporting period.
+
+
+=== A. Activities and findings ===
+
+During the last reporting period our focus has been on operating and
+improving the Shadownet infrastructure and its associated measurement
+infrastructure, incorporating in support for LAMP/perfSONAR services, and
+developing a user friendly interface.
+
+We continued to operate and support the Shadownet resources.  The Shadownet
+Juniper routers continue to be available to users via both the graphical
+Flack interface as well as command line scripts such as those available in
+OMNI.  The stitching support mentioned in the last reporting period continues
+to be available to Utah aggregate nodes.  Our initial instrumentation and
+measurement system, INSTOOLS, also continues to be available to users and has
+been actively used by several research groups.  We also expanded the number
+of aggregates using our instrumentation and measurement software to include
+aggregates in Brazil.
+
+To make our system more robust and able to adapt to changes/enhancements to
+the RSPEC, we completely rewrote the code we used to extract information from
+RSPECs.  Many components of our system had to parse the RSPEC to obtain the
+specific information needed to perform the component's task.  We consolidated
+all the parsing code from all the components of the system into a single
+service that can be invoked by any of the components.  This enabled us to
+simplify many of the components by removing their parsing code and replacing
+it with a call to our "parsing service".  The parsing service is designed to
+be easily adaptable, so that it can quickly react to changes in the RSPEC
+format, or it can be modified to get information from other data sources
+(e.g., UNIS).
+
+The last phase of the Shadownet project required that we begin moving to a
+future where INSTOOLs combines with the LAMP/perfSONAR/Periscope toolset to
+form a more powerful instrumentation and measurement service including both
+active and passive measurements.  At the moment, we still continue to support
+the INSTOOLS toolset on several aggregates because it is actively being used
+by many users.  Because of our need to support the current version of
+INSTOOLS while at the same time taking INSTOOLS in a new direction, we
+created a new branch of INSTOOLs that could begin integrating with
+LAMP/perfSONAR -- described in our last report.  During this reporting period
+we continued to build on our initial efforts to incorporate support for
+LAMP/perfSONAR, adding support to dynamically install the perfSonar/LAMP
+services on the measurement controller.  We also further integrated the
+INSTOOLs portal with the LAMP web interfaces/graphs so that all measurement
+information can be viewed via a single user interface.  All of this work has
+been slowly migrating into a new, combined, instrumentation and measurement
+infrastructure called GEMINI that began to take shape this past period.  The
+MC has been renamed to be called the Global Node (GN), and the two code bases
+have begun to be merged together.  We have even begun backporting some of the
+code changes to the INSTOOLS code base to avoid having to maintain one code
+base for INSTOOLS and a second code base for GEMINI.  At GEC 15 we gave both
+a tutorial and a demonstration that illustrated the merger of the
+Shadownet/INSTOOLS system with the LAMP/Periscope system, replacing the
+periscope interfaces previously used to view traffic graphs with the new
+GEMINI portal interface.
+
+In addition to the efforts to move toward a combined instrumentation and
+measurement system, we continued our efforts to develop an easy-to-use
+graphical user interface to all of GENI.  The GENI One-Stop Portal that we
+mentioned in our last report has continued to grow and evolve in its
+capabilities and features since the last time.  Because of the growing
+competition for the name "portal", we decided to rename it the GENI One-Stop
+Desktop as it behaves in many ways like the windowing system on a user's
+desktop.  We added support for new pluggins that enable users to upload and
+execute files and scripts using an abstraction we call "file sets".  We also
+implemented pluggins to support remote execution of commands and instant
+access to shells on the experimental nodes.  As part of the GEC 15 tutorial,
+we implemented two demonstration pluggins, one that can be used to generate
+background traffic and another that can control routing tables on the nodes
+to redirect traffic to a different path.  This exercise demonstrated that
+pluggins are relatively easy to write, and can be used to offer features not
+previously thought of.
+
+Together with our colleagues at Internet 2, we continue to manage and operate
+the four Juniper routers located in Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Washington
+DC, and Atlanta. We have been using the routers in our testing and
+evaluations of out instrumentation and measurement tools as well as the GENI
+Desktop.  We continue to support and make available the Shadownet resources
+for use by GENI users.
+
+=== B. Project participants ===
+
+The following individuals are involved with the project in one way or another:
+ * Jim Griffioen - Project PI (Kentucky)
+ * Zongming Fei - Project Co-PI (Kentucky)
+ * Kobus van der Merwe - Project Co-PI (AT\&T)
+ * Eric Boyd - Subcontract Lead (Internet2)
+ * Brian Cashman - Network Planning Manager (Internet2)
+ * Lowell Pike - Network administrator (Kentucky)
+ * Hussamuddin Nasir - Technician/Programmer (Kentucky)
+ * Charles Carpenter - Researcher/Programmer (Kentucky)
+ * Jeremy Reed - Research Assistant (Kentucky)
+ * Emmanouil Mavrogiorgis - Research Staff (AT\&T)
+
+=== C. Publications (individual and organizational) ===
+
+ * None this period
+
+=== D. Outreach activities ===
+
+ * Jim Griffioen and Charles Carpenter (together with colleagues from Indiana University) gave a tutorial at GEC 15 about GEMINI which included the latest version of the merged INSTOOLS/LAMP code.
+
+=== E. Collaborations ===
+
+Most of our collaborations have been with the Shadownet team.  It involves participants from Kentucky, AT<pre>&</pre>T, and Internet2, but we have also collaborated closely with our ProtoGENI, and perfSONAR/LAMP/GEMINI colleagues.
+
+
+=== F. Other Contributions ===
+