TeraPaths: Flow-Based End-to-End QoS Paths through Modern Hybrid WANs
     Presented by
       Dimitrios Katramatos, BNL

Outline
Background: the TeraPaths project
Objective
View of the world (network)
System architecture
Establishing flow-based end-to-end QoS paths
Domain interoperation
Experience and encountered issues
Project status and future work

Objective
Provide QoS guarantees at the individual data flow level, all the way to the end hosts, transparently
Data flows have varying priority/importance
Video streams
Critical data
Long duration transfers
Default Òbest effortÓ network behavior treats all data flows as equal
Capacity is not unlimited
Congestion causes bandwidth and latency variations
Performance and service disruption problems, unpredictability
Dynamic flow-based SLAs = schedule network utilization
Regulate and classify (prioritize) traffic
Select routing (if possible)

View of the Network
TeraPaths Web Services Architecture
Establishing E2E QoS Paths
Multiple administrative domains
Cooperation, trust, but each maintains full control
Heterogeneous environment
Domain controller coordination through web services
Coordination models
Star
Requires extensive information for all domains
Daisy chain
Requires common flexible protocol across all domains
Hybrid (end-sites first)
Independent protocols
Direct end site negotiation

Path Setup
Path Setup (ii)
End site subnets are configured by TeraPaths software instances (TeraPaths Domain Controllers or TDCs)
TDCs configure end site LANs to prioritize and regulate authorized flows via the DiffServ framework at the network device level
Source site polices/marks authorized flow packets
Destination site admits/re-polices/re-marks packets
End site LANs tx/rx marked packets to/from the WAN
WAN provides MPLS tunnels or dynamic circuits
Initiating TDC requests MPLS tunnel or dynamic circuit with matching bandwidth and lifetime, orÉ
TDC groups flows with common src/dst into MPLS tunnel or dynamic circuit with aggregate bandwidth and lifetime
WAN preserves packet markings

Path Setup (iii)
WAN domains interoperate
Each end siteÕs TDC has a single point of contact for WAN services
TDCs have no knowledge of WAN internals other than what is exposed by the WAN services
End sites have no direct control over the WAN
Either tunnel or circuit through WAN
Cannot mix and match

Interoperating with WAN Services
TeraPaths ÒproxyÓ servers
Implement interface required by TeraPaths core
Hide WAN service differences
Clients to WAN web services (currently OSCARS / DRAGON)
Close cooperation with ESnet and I2 development teams
Submit reservations for MPLS tunnels or dynamic circuits
Handle security requirements
Handle errors
MPLS tunnels vs. dynamic circuits
Utilization requires different approach

L2 vs. L3 (i)
MPLS tunnel starts and ends within WAN domain
Packets are admitted into the tunnel based on flow ID information (IPsrc, portsrc, IPdst, portdst)
WAN admission performed at the first router of the tunnel (ingress)

L2 vs. L3 (ii)
Dynamic circuit appears as VLAN connecting end site border routers with single hop
Cannot use flow ID data directly
Flow must be directed to the proper VLAN
WAN admission performed within end site LAN
Select VLAN with Policy Based Routing (PBR) at both ends
Route can be selected on a per-flow basis

Site LAN Setup (DiffServ, PBR)
3rd Party Network Segments
Some network segments may not be automatically configurable
Regional providers
Campus segments
Border routers
Static (once only) configuration required
Allow DSCP bits to go through
Only allow specific interfaces
ACLs and aggregate policers
Configure VLANs to be used for dynamic circuits
Trunked VLAN pass-thru
Virtual border router

Alternative Site LAN Setup
(DSCP, VLAN pass-thru)
VLAN Setup for L2
L2-Specific Issues
Limitations with VLANs
Tag range (tentatively selected 50 VLANs – 3550 to 3599)
Each site may have its own range
Tag conflicts
Rely on WAN service
Eliminate by synchronizing site databases
VLAN renaming (if/when possible)
Scalability issues
Flow grouping
Forward flows through same virtual WAN circuit
Create circuit with new parameters / switch current flows / cancel old circuit
Modify WAN reservations (if/when possible)
PBR overhead
Virtual border router
Sensitive/3rd party network segments
VLAN pass-thru

Status
Currently: basic software ready, infrastructure tested
API and web interface, simple negotiation
Multiple service classes per site with statically allocated bandwidth
Utilization of L3 paths (MPLS tunnels) through ESnet (since 2006)
Utilization of L2 paths (dynamic circuits) through ESnet and Internet2 (demonstrated at SCÕ07)
ÒCircle of trustÓ security model, X.509 certificates
Simple user AAA
BNL, UMich, BU, SLAC
Multiple successful pass-thru configurations (BNL, UMich, NoX, Merit, MiLR)

TeraPaths Testbed during SCÕ07
Weather Map
Traffic Regulation (demo)
In Progress / Future
Testbed
Expansion to more US ATLAS Tier 2 sites and beyond
BNL testbed router upgrade to 10Gbps
Support for different hardware
Dynamic bandwidth allocation within service classes
Flow grouping through WAN circuits
CLI, extended API, configurable negotiation
Grid-style AAA (GUMS/VOMS)
Plug-ins: SRM (dCache), others
Expand collaboration/interoperation
http://www.terapaths.org