= Internet Scale Overlay Hosting Progress Report (12/2010-3/2011) =
== 1. Project Activities this Quarter ==
In this quarter, we added two more SPP nodes completing the 5 node
deployment planned under this project. The additional nodes have been
integrated into the testbed and applications using the full five
node configuration were demonstrated at GEC-10.
We have continued to provide operational support for the deployed SPPs
and have worked with users to facilitate their use of the SPPs.
=== SPP Applications ===
We have worked with Brighten Godfrey of the University of Illinois
to develop a new NPE fastpath for the SPPs. This implements the
Illinois group's ''Slick Packets'' protocol, that allows dynamic
re-routing around failed links, based on alternate path information
encoded in the packet headers. Initial measurements show a substantial
improvement over implementations running on a conventional processor,
but a detailed performance evaluation is yet to be carried out.
The new NPE fastpath was demonstrated at GEC-10.
At GEC-10, we also carried out a larger scale demonstration
of our Forest overlay network. This demonstration used a new end-system
emulator that behaves like a simple avatar moving around within a virtual
world, while transmitting periodic status updates on region-specific
multicast groups. Each emulator dynamically subscribes to multicasts
for regions that are visible to it and maintains state for the
avatars that are within its visibility range. The demonstration also
included a monitor component and a remote graphical display giving
a "birds-eye" view of the avatars moving within the virtual world.
The demonstration showed 100 avatars distributed among three distinct
virtual worlds, each of which used its own comtree.
It made use of the full five node SPP testbed and 25 planetlab nodes.
=== Flow Monitoring ===
The flow monitoring system is now complete, but our final testing on
the deployed SPPs was interrupted when the Control Processor in the
Salt Lake City SPP experienced a hardware failure.
We are in the process of having the CP replaced and expect to
have the Salt Lake City node back in service before the end of April.
At that point, we will complete our testing and deploy the flow
monitoring software on the remaining SPP nodes.
=== Version 2 of Network Processor Datapath Software ===
While the software for the NPE datapath is essentially complete,
we still need to make changes to the control software to allow applications
to configure and use the NPE with the new fastpath. This work is now
in progress and our current objective is to demonstrate NPE v2 at
GEC-11.
=== SPP Tutorial ===
We gave our fourth SPP tutorial at GEC-10.
More than 25 people signed up and 18 actually attended.
All participants reported having a good experience and
almost all of them successfully completed the hands-on exercises.
=== GEC-10 Preparation and Attendance ===
Preparation for and attendance at GEC-10 consumed about one
staff-month of effort. This continues to consume a major part
of our supported activity.
== 2. Milestones achieved ==
Milestone S3.b (Deployment and integration of last two SPP nodes) and Milestone S3.c (Demonstration and outreach at GEC10).
== 3. Deliverables made ==
Deployment and integration of last two SPP nodes
Completion of Flow Monitoring Subsystem
Demonstration and outreach at GEC-10
== 4. Project participants ==
Jon Turner - PI (5% support level) [[br]]
Patrick Crowley - PI (unsupported) [[br]]
John Dehart - technical staff (50% support level) [[br]]
Jyoti Parwatikar - technical staff (10% support level) [[br]]
Mike Wilson - graduate student (unsupported) [[br]]
== 5. Publications (individual and organizational) ==
None yet.
== 6. Outreach activities ==
Demonstration and Tutorial at GEC-10
== 7. Collaborations ==
Completed implementation of NPE fastpath implementing the
Slick Packets protocol developed by Brighten Godfrey of
the University of Illinois.
Have made extensive use of PlanetLab in experimental network
configuration in which SPPs serve as backbone nodes.
Have established connections between SPP nodes and the GPENI and MAX
networks, but have not yet made significant use of these resources.
Have been using Plush/Gush tools for configuring SPP nodes.
Have demonstrated experiments that use combination of SPP and PlanetLab nodes.
Have had initial discussions with Jim Griffoen of the University of Kentucky,
about using SPPs in support of his Post-Modern Internet Architecture.