The Abilene Observatory and Network Research

Rick Summerhill, Director Network Research, Architecture, and Technology, Internet2

Joint Techs

Salt Lake City, UT

Abilene Observatory - Summary

History and Motivation

What is the Observatory?

Collocation Projects

Internet2 and NOC Measurements

Data Collections

Examples of Research Results

Participation in Research Proposals

Future Directions

Issues

http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory/

History and Motivation

Original Abilene racks included measurement devices

Included a single PC

Early OWAMP, surveyor measurements

Optical splitters at some locations

Motivation was primarily operational

Data collections

Collected and maintained by the NOC

How is the network performing?

Available to other network operators to understand network

It became apparent that the data was valuable for research purposes

History and Motivation

An important decision was made during the last upgrade process (Juniper T-640 routers and OC-192c)

Two racks with one dedicated to measurement platform

Potential for research community to collocate equipment

Created two components to the Observatory

Collocation - research groups are able to collocate equipment in the Abilene router nodes

Measurement - data is collected by the NOC, the Ohio ITEC, and Internet2, and made available to the research community

Abilene router node

Dedicated servers at each node

Houston Router Node

NMS machines

PlanetLab machines

Collocation Research Projects

PlanetLab – Nodes installed in all Abilene Router Nodes

PlanetLab is a global overlay network for developing and accessing new network services

Goal is deploy 1000 nodes in a variety of networks

Designed to support both short-term experiments and long-running services

Larry Peterson, Princeton University is Research Lead

http://www.planet-lab.org

Potential new direction using MPLS L2VPNs

Collocation Projects

The AMP Project – Active Measurement Platform, Deployed in all Abilene Router Nodes

More than 150 nodes deployed worldwide

Measurements include path, round-trip-time, packet loss and on demand throughput tests

Project of NLANR/MNA

Tony McGregor NLANR/MNA, Waikato University is Research Lead

http://amp.nlanr.net

Collocation Projects

The PMA Project – Passive Measurement and Analysis, Deployed at Abilene Indianapolis Router Node

Analysis of header traces from over 20 sites, including OC-192 circuits in Abilene

Header traces of all packets in and out of the Indianapolis Abilene router – A router clamp

Joerg Micheel, NLANR/MNA, San Diego Supercomputer Center, UCSD, is research lead

http://pma.nlanr.net

http://pma.nlanr.net/Sites/ipls-2004/

Measurement Capabilities

One way latency, jitter, loss

IPv4 and IPv6

Regular TCP/UDP throughput tests – ~1 Gbps

IPv4 and IPv6; On-demand available (see “pipes”)

SNMP (NOC)

Octets, packets, errors; collected frequently

“Netflow” (ITEC Ohio)

Addresses anonymized by 0-ing the low order 11 bits

Multicast beacon with historical data

Routing data

Both IGP and BGP - Measurement device participates in both

Japanese research techniques on routing research were implemented

Databases – Date Types

Data is collected locally and stored in a distributed databases

Databases

Usage Data

Netflow Data

Routing Data

Latency Data

Throughput Data

Router Data

Syslog Data

Databases - Interface

Variety of Interfaces to data

Simple web based for usage data

Rsync for netflow

Simple web based for routing data

SOAP interface for latency data

SOAP interface for throughput data

SOAP interface for Router data

Syslog data still under development

Examples of Research Projects

Use of Data Collected by Abilene Network Measurement Servers

Data sets: Usage, Netflow, Routing, Throughput, Latency, Syslog, Router

A complete list of projects is available from http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory

Samples of previous and ongoing projects follow

Flow sampling and Anomaly Detection using Abilene flow data

Wail: The Wisconsin Advanced Internet Laboratory

Paul Barford, University of Wisconsin, is research lead

http://wail.cs.wisc.edu

Examples of Research Projects

Spatio-Temporal Network Analysis

Boston University, Department of Computer Science and Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Mark Crovella and Eric Kolaczyk, Boston University are research leads

Assessing the Presence and Incidence of Alpha Flows in Backbone Networks

Network Research Lab at Case Western Reserve

Vincenzo Liberatore, Case Western Reserve University is research lead

http://vorlon.cwru.edu/~vxr11/netlab/

Examples of Research Projects

Modular Strategies for Internetwork Monitoring

University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, Boston University

Mark Hero, University of Michigan, research lead

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~msim/

Algorithms for Network Capacity Planning and Optimal Routing Based on Time-Varying Traffic Matrices

Columbia University

Vishal Misra, Abhinav Kamra, Columbia University, research leads

Examples of Research Projects

Reconfiguration of the logical topology in WDM networks using simulation-based Markov Decision Processes

University of Maryland

Mark Shayman, University of Maryland, research lead

Distributive Collaborative Data Streaming for Monitoring High-Speed Networks

Georgia Tech University

Jun (Jim) Xu, Georgia Tech research lead

http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jx/

Special Projects

Sizing Router Buffers

A project to experiment with the size of buffers on several routers on the Abilene network

The buffers are reduced using configuration commands and the effect on traffic queues is examined

Nick McKeown is research lead

http://yuba.stanford.edu/~appenz/pubs/sigcomm-extended.pdf and http://yuba.stanford.edu/~appenz/pubs/SIGCOMM04.ppt

Support for Research Proposals

The 100x100 project

Understanding the requirements to bring 100 mbps connectivity to 100 million locations

Understand the technical, economic, and sociological aspects of the problem

Project driven by the network research community

Hui Zhang is research lead, with many researchers participating in the project

http://100x100network.org

Internet2 plays a supportive role only, potentially providing a MPLS tunnel across Abilene (or the equivalent on other infrastructure)

Support for Research Proposals

The Network Facilities Project

One year NSF Grant to determine and understand the needs of the network research community

Determine what existing infrastructure can be used by researchers

Determine what additional facilities would support research

Rick Summerhill, Matt Zekauskas, and Jorg Liebeherr are project leads

Recently awarded

Support for Research Proposals

Distributed Security Data Project

Two year grant from DHS

To create a distributed database of network attributes related to network security

Participants from University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, and Internet2

Abilene Observatory data to be included in available datasets

Support for Research Proposals

UltraLight: An Ultrascale Information System for Data Intensive Research

Grant from the NSF to investigate network requirements for the CERN Large Hadron Collider

Goal is to study new and innovative ways to support large data transfers over long distances

Project driven by the high energy nuclear physics community

Will use Abilene and HOPI facilities, along with many others

http://ultralight.caltech.edu/

Future Directions

Abilene Observatory

Research input on large, correlated, distributed databases?

The types of data researchers would like available - for example, a traffic matrix between routers?

Future research collocation projects?

Including other networks

GigaPoPs

Campus

International

Future infrastructures?

Observatory like activities will be a requirement for other projects like MAN LAN and HOPI, and for the next generation network

Issues

Some research projects need more detailed data - for example, netflow data that is not anonymized

Important projects to understand how the network works and to set future directions

How does this affect privacy

Tension between ability to do valid research and maintaining privacy requirements

Should we provide more detailed data via special arrangements with universities?

URLs

http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory

Pointers to all measurements/sites/projects

http://www.abilene.iu.edu/

NOC home page. Weathermap, Proxy, SNMP measurements

http://netflow.internet2.edu/weekly/

Summarized flow data

http://www.itec.oar.net/abilene-netflow/

“Raw” – matricies; (Anon) feeds available on request

Slide 25


	Rick Summerhill, Director Network Research, Architecture, and Technology, Internet2

	Joint Techs
	Salt Lake City, UT


	History and Motivation
	What is the Observatory?
		Collocation Projects
		Internet2 and NOC Measurements
		Data Collections
	Examples of Research Results
	Participation in Research Proposals
	Future Directions
	Issues
	http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory/


	Original Abilene racks included measurement devices
		Included a single PC
		Early OWAMP, surveyor measurements
		Optical splitters at some locations
	Motivation was primarily operational
	Data collections
		Collected and maintained by the NOC
		How is the network performing?
		Available to other network operators to understand network
		It became apparent that the data was valuable for research purposes


	An important decision was made during the last upgrade process (Juniper T-640 routers and OC-192c)
		Two racks with one dedicated to measurement platform
		Potential for research community to collocate equipment
	Created two components to the Observatory
		Collocation - research groups are able to collocate equipment in the Abilene router nodes
		Measurement - data is collected by the NOC, the Ohio ITEC, and Internet2, and made available to the research community


	PlanetLab – Nodes installed in all Abilene Router Nodes
		PlanetLab is a global overlay network for developing and accessing new network services
		Goal is deploy 1000 nodes in a variety of networks
		Designed to support both short-term experiments and long-running services
		Larry Peterson, Princeton University is Research Lead
		http://www.planet-lab.org
		Potential new direction using MPLS L2VPNs


	The AMP Project – Active Measurement Platform, Deployed in all Abilene Router Nodes
		More than 150 nodes deployed worldwide
		Measurements include path, round-trip-time, packet loss and on demand throughput tests
		Project of NLANR/MNA
		Tony McGregor NLANR/MNA, Waikato University is Research Lead
		http://amp.nlanr.net


	The PMA Project – Passive Measurement and Analysis, Deployed at Abilene Indianapolis Router Node
		Analysis of header traces from over 20 sites, including OC-192 circuits in Abilene
		Header traces of all packets in and out of the Indianapolis Abilene router – A router clamp
		Joerg Micheel, NLANR/MNA, San Diego Supercomputer Center, UCSD, is research lead
		http://pma.nlanr.net
		http://pma.nlanr.net/Sites/ipls-2004/


	One way latency, jitter, loss
		IPv4 and IPv6
	Regular TCP/UDP throughput tests – ~1 Gbps
		IPv4 and IPv6; On-demand available (see “pipes”)
	SNMP (NOC)
		Octets, packets, errors; collected frequently
	“Netflow” (ITEC Ohio)
		Addresses anonymized by 0-ing the low order 11 bits
	Multicast beacon with historical data
	Routing data
		Both IGP and BGP - Measurement device participates in both
		Japanese research techniques on routing research were implemented


	Data is collected locally and stored in a distributed databases
	Databases
		Usage Data
		Netflow Data
		Routing Data
		Latency Data
		Throughput Data
		Router Data
		Syslog Data


	Variety of Interfaces to data
		Simple web based for usage data
		Rsync for netflow
		Simple web based for routing data
		SOAP interface for latency data
		SOAP interface for throughput data
		SOAP interface for Router data
		Syslog data still under development


	Use of Data Collected by Abilene Network Measurement Servers
		Data sets: Usage, Netflow, Routing, Throughput, Latency, Syslog, Router
		A complete list of projects is available from http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory
		Samples of previous and ongoing projects follow
	Flow sampling and Anomaly Detection using Abilene flow data
		Wail: The Wisconsin Advanced Internet Laboratory
		Paul Barford, University of Wisconsin, is research lead
		http://wail.cs.wisc.edu


	Spatio-Temporal Network Analysis
		Boston University, Department of Computer Science and Department of Mathematics and Statistics
		Mark Crovella and Eric Kolaczyk, Boston University are research leads
	Assessing the Presence and Incidence of Alpha Flows in Backbone Networks
		Network Research Lab at Case Western Reserve
		Vincenzo Liberatore, Case Western Reserve University is research lead
		http://vorlon.cwru.edu/~vxr11/netlab/


	Modular Strategies for Internetwork Monitoring
		University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, Boston University
		Mark Hero, University of Michigan, research lead
		http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~msim/
	Algorithms for Network Capacity Planning and Optimal Routing Based on Time-Varying Traffic Matrices
		Columbia University
		Vishal Misra, Abhinav Kamra, Columbia University, research leads


	Reconfiguration of the logical topology in WDM networks using simulation-based Markov Decision Processes
		University of Maryland
		Mark Shayman, University of Maryland, research lead
	Distributive Collaborative Data Streaming for Monitoring High-Speed Networks
		Georgia Tech University
		Jun (Jim) Xu, Georgia Tech research lead
		http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jx/


	Sizing Router Buffers
		A project to experiment with the size of buffers on several routers on the Abilene network
		The buffers are reduced using configuration commands and the effect on traffic queues is examined
		Nick McKeown is research lead
		http://yuba.stanford.edu/~appenz/pubs/sigcomm-extended.pdf and http://yuba.stanford.edu/~appenz/pubs/SIGCOMM04.ppt


	The 100x100 project
		Understanding the requirements to bring 100 mbps connectivity to 100 million locations
		Understand the technical, economic, and sociological aspects of the problem
		Project driven by the network research community
		Hui Zhang is research lead, with many researchers participating in the project
		http://100x100network.org
		Internet2 plays a supportive role only, potentially providing a MPLS tunnel across Abilene (or the equivalent on other infrastructure)


	The Network Facilities Project
		One year NSF Grant to determine and understand the needs of the network research community
		Determine what existing infrastructure can be used by researchers
		Determine what additional facilities would support research
		Rick Summerhill, Matt Zekauskas, and Jorg Liebeherr are project leads
		Recently awarded


	Distributed Security Data Project
		Two year grant from DHS
		To create a distributed database of network attributes related to network security
		Participants from University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, and Internet2
		Abilene Observatory data to be included in available datasets


	UltraLight: An Ultrascale Information System for Data Intensive Research
		Grant from the NSF to investigate network requirements for the CERN Large Hadron Collider
		Goal is to study new and innovative ways to support large data transfers over long distances
		Project driven by the high energy nuclear physics community
		Will use Abilene and HOPI facilities, along with many others
		http://ultralight.caltech.edu/


	Abilene Observatory
		Research input on large, correlated, distributed databases?
		The types of data researchers would like available - for example, a traffic matrix between routers?
		Future research collocation projects?
	Including other networks
		GigaPoPs
		Campus
		International
	Future infrastructures?
		Observatory like activities will be a requirement for other projects like MAN LAN and HOPI, and for the next generation network


	Some research projects need more detailed data - for example, netflow data that is not anonymized
		Important projects to understand how the network works and to set future directions
		How does this affect privacy
	Tension between ability to do valid research and maintaining privacy requirements
	Should we provide more detailed data via special arrangements with universities?


	http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory
		Pointers to all measurements/sites/projects
	http://www.abilene.iu.edu/
		NOC home page. Weathermap, Proxy, SNMP measurements
	http://netflow.internet2.edu/weekly/
		Summarized flow data
	http://www.itec.oar.net/abilene-netflow/
		“Raw” – matricies; (Anon) feeds available on request