Lecture 5: Programmable and Active Networks

1. Distributed Telecommunications Systems Columbia University Lecture 5: Programmable and Active Networks Guest Speaker: JOHNVICENTE Columbia University Visiting Researcher Intel Corporation jvicente@comet.columbia.edu 13, October 1998

2. Traditional Networks • Vertically integrated • Proprietary implementations • Slow standardization process • New network services & protocols • Inflexible • Static communication model • Intolerance to heterogeneity • Closed, non-programmable

3. Evolving Network Systems • Abstract the network infrastructure • Open, programmable interfaces • Separate hardware from software • Enable new paradigms for networking • Open, extensible and highly programmable • Rapid creation, delivery of new network services • Concerns over network safety and security?

4. Industry Initiatives • OPENSIG • Primary technology: Telecommunications • Open programmability • Separation of control and data path • Programmable switches • Active Networks • Primary technology: Internet • Dynamic deployment of of software for new services at runtime • Capsules and node primitives/APIs • IEEE PIN 1520

5. Lead Applications • Network management • Application services • Mobile or wireless environments • Proxies/firewalls • Virtual private networks

6. Characteristics • Networking technology • Degree of programmability • Programmable communications abstractions • Programming methodology • Architectural domain

7. Computation model Communication model Application layer Transport layer Network layer Data link layer Management plane Control plane Transport plane Architectural Viewpoint

8. Network programming interfaces Communication Model Programmable Network Architecture Network Programming Environment Computational Model Node Kernel Node Kernel Node interfaces Node HW Node HW Programmable Network Framework

9. Node Kernels • Distinguishing characteristics • Programmable node abstractions • Networking technology • Architectural domain • Enabling features • Support for multiple network architectures or execution environments • Low-level resource and state abstractions through interfaces • Resource management support • Binding mechanisms • Security support • Example projects: • Active Network Node OS (Active Network Group) • ANN project (U Kansas)

10. Network Programming Environments • Distinguishing characteristics • Degree of programmability • Programmable methodology • Programming communication abstractions • Enabling features • Service composition & control • Resource management • Security • Example approaches: • ANTS (MIT) • Netscript (Columbia University)

11. Programmable Network Architectures • Distinguishing characteristics • Programmable network service abstractions • Networking technology • Architectural domain • Enabling features • Application-level services • Network management • Network control • Data transport • Routing • Example projects: • xbind (Columbia University - COMET) • DARWIN (CMU)

12. Quick Review • Limitations of existing networks • Industry directions • Generalized programmable framework • Emerging insights • Open, programmable interfaces • Virtualization through abstractions • Virtual networking

13. Towards Programmable Virtual Networks The Genesis Project

14. Director’s Meeting Conference Call Simulation Network Field Sales Network President’s Video Address to Sales Team Manufacturing Network Sales & Marketing Network IT Task Force Mgmt Network Company X Physical Network Infrastructure Virtual Networking • Requirements: Group Collaboration • Isolation • Security & privacy • Connectivity - QoS • Challenge: Automation • Deployment • Configuration • Virtualization • Separation • Resource partitioning • Management

15. Network Objects Topology graph Resource requirements Profiling Refinement Object deployment Monitoring Admission control Management Spawning Visualization Resource partitioning Life Cycle Process Profiling Virtual Network Life Cycle Management Spawning

16. Middleware for Virtual Networks • State-of-the-art • TEMPEST (realizing virtual switches - switch-lets) • NETSCRIPT (composing virtual active networks) • X-Bone (tunneling virtual networks through encapsulation) • Technology requirements • “Speed” of deployment • Network services “glue” • The Genesis Middleware • Virtual network operating system • Software methodology for architecting virtual networks • Profiling, spawning, managing

17. virtual network programming interface Containers T: Transport C: Control M: Management CNPE: Child NPE CNK: Child NK VS: VN Scheduler child communication model C T C CNPE CNPE C’ CNPE T T M M child computation model VS VS VS CNK CNK CNK virtual network thread Spawning virtual network architecture node thread switchlet object Parent Network Programming Environment Profiling to/from client Virtual Network Controller Virtual Network Server Node Scheduler Management Spawning Virtual Network Manager Parent Node Kernel Genesis System

18. Genesis Characteristics • Networking technology • Internet • Degree of programmability • Dynamically composing virtual network architectures • Quasi-static, low-level node kernel interfaces. • Programmable communications abstractions • Virtual network containers, network service objects, switchlets, virtual links and threads • Programming methodology • Leverage CORBA technology • Architectural domain • Virtual networks

19. More information? • The Genesis project • http://comet.columbia.edu/genesis • Industry pointers • OPENSIG • http://www.comet.columbia.edu/opensig • DARPA Active Networks • http://www.darpa.mil/ito/ResearchAreas/ActiveNetsList.html • IEEE PIN 1520 • http://www.ieee-pin.org/

20. Questions?