Behind the Plug

1. Behind the Plug 0111: Geek Politics

2. Real Internet Standards • No matter how hard you push and no matter what the priority, you can't increase the speed of light. • In protocol design, perfection has been reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. • With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead. • Fundamental Truths of Networking, RFC1925

3. Modeling Networks • Network models are just like the models of a house, car, etc. • They help us understand relate to the way things are built • There are two “models” of networks • The Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model • Well known • Designed around a set of pretty much unused networking protocols • The Department of Defense (DoD) model • Not so well known • Designed around IP

4. Network Models OSI Model DoD Model Web Browser Socket/Port HTTP TCP IP Ethernet

5. Real Internet Standards • This document specifies IP-SFS, a method for the encapsulation and transmission of IPv4/IPv6 packets over the Semaphore Flag Signaling System (SFSS). SFSS is an internationally recognized alphabetic communication system based upon the waving of a pair of hand-held flags. Under SFSS, each alphabetic character or control signal is indicated by a particular flag pattern, called a Semaphore Flag Signal (SFS). IP-SFS provides reliable transmission of IP datagrams over a half- duplex channel between two interfaces. At the physical layer, SFSS uses optical transmission, normally through the atmosphere using solar illumination and line-of-sight photonics. A control protocol allows each interface to contend for transmission on the common channel. • IP over SFSS, RFC4824

6. Standards & More Standards • Who makes up all these protocols? • Standards Organizations • Or Standards Bodies • There are a plethora of groups that create and maintain standards for the Internet, and networks in general

7. W3C • World Wide Web Consortium • Standardizes • HTML • The “markup” language used to describe a web page • XML • A newer, more flexible version of HTML • Volunteer/individual member based • Mostly supported by companies working in this space

8. ISO • International Organization for Standards • Standards • IS-IS (originally, now shared with the IETF) • OSI network model • Lots of processes and other “stuff” • Countries (such as the US) are members • Standards are set through a formal voting process • Some standards become international law through treaties

9. IEEE • Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers • Standards • Mostly physical layer • Ethernet • 802.11b/g/n and other wireless networks • Spanning Tree • Companies are members • Standards are set through a formal voting process

10. IETF • Internet Engineering Task Force • Standards • IP, TCP, UDP, and all related protocols • Transport protocols, such as HTTP • Routing protocols, such as OSPF, IS-IS (shared with the ISO), and BGP • Voice over IP protocols, such as SIP • Lots of other stuff • Individual volunteer members • Standards set by “rough consensus and running code” • Mostly supported by service providers, equipment vendors, and universities

11. Real Internet Standards • Avian carriers can provide high delay, low throughput, and low altitude service. The connection topology is limited to a single point-to-point path for each carrier, used with standard carriers, but many carriers can be used without significant interference with each other, outside of early spring. This is because of the 3D ether space available to the carriers, in contrast to the 1D ether used by IEEE802.3. The carriers have an intrinsic collision avoidance system, which increases availability. Unlike some network technologies, such as packet radio, communication is not limited to line-of-sight distance. Connection oriented service is available in some cities, usually based upon a central hub topology. • A Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers, RFC1149

12. Internet Architecture • The Internet is made up of… • Service providers • Provide connectivity to other service providers and customer • Customers • Large enterprises, Governments, Universities • Generally companies and or organizations, not people • Content Providers • Provide services, such as web hosting, search engines, etc. • These aren’t “hard and fast” categories • Some companies play more than one role

13. Service Providers • Each network connected to the Internet is called an “AS” • Autonomous System • Remember this from our discussion about routing protocols? • A network contained entirely within one company or organization • Each AS has a unique number AS65000 AS65001 AS65002

14. Service Providers • Service Provider AS’ are connected at “peering points” • Or “exchanges” • Or “exchange points” • Or “internet exchange points” (IXPs) • Networks are connected using BGP AS65000 IXP BGP AS65001 IXP BGP AS65002

15. Service Providers • An exchange point might be privately owned • Sprint and AT&T, for instance, can decide they need to connect to one another in Atlanta • So they each pay for part of a building or room, and build an exchange point • An exchange point might be run by a company • Generally these companies are formed just to run an exchange point • Service providers “collocate” their equipment in one room • The exchange provider (IXP) provides electricity, space, cabling, and other services

16. Service Providers • Service Providers connect to their customers through a “demarc” • A “demarcation point” • This is an old term from telephone days • It represents the point where the service provider’s responsibility ends, and the customer’s begins • The cable runs from the demarc to a Point of Presence (PoP) or a Central Office (CO)

17. Service Providers AS65000 AS65001 IXP PoP Demarc AS65002 Customers may not have an AS number…

18. Service Providers PoP Demarc

19. Service Providers • In the “old days,” things were simple… • There were “tier 1,” “tier 2,” and “tier 3” providers • Your “tier” was determined by… • How “connected” you were • How much physical land you covered

20. Service Providers

21. Service Providers • This is a “scatter graph” of all the networks connected to the Internet • Those toward the center are “more connected” than those towards the outside • This means they “peer with” more networks • Each network is an AS

22. Service Providers

23. Service Providers

24. Service Providers AboveNet Manhattan

25. Content Providers • Content providers don’t transit traffic • This means they won’t allow packets to pass through their network to reach someone else's network • Examples… • Google • GoDaddy(web hosting) • InMotion (web hosting) • Facebook • Youtube

26. Real Internet Standards • It has been posited that if an infinite number of monkeys sit at an infinite number of typewriters and randomly press keys, they will eventually produce the complete works of Shakespeare [1] [2]. But if such a feat is accomplished, how would anybody be able to know? And what if the monkey has flawlessly translated Shakespeare's works into Esperanto? How could one build a system that obtains these works while addressing the basic needs of monkeys, such as sleep and food? Nobody has addressed the practical implications of these important questions [3]. … The Infinite Monkey Protocol Suite (IMPS) is an experimental set of protocols that specifies how monkey transcripts may be collected, transferred, and reviewed for either historical accuracy (in the case of Shakespearean works) or innovation (in the case of new works). It also provides a basic communications framework for performing normal monkey maintenance. • The Infinite Monkey Protocol Suite (IMPS), RFC2795