Workplan
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Y1 + 1/2 Y2
(the original plan was for 18 months)
- Comparison of cards and decide which cards to buy
DONE
See Evaluation_of_passive_monitoring_tools and [Ethernet Packet Capture Tools] (requires CESNET CAAS password, contact ubik at cesnet.cz to get a copy of this report)
- Buy two cards for two monitoring stations for development and as part of pilot deployment (DANTE)
DONE
Cards installed in CESNET and ARNES
- Decide how to connect cards to GN2 network - splitters/monitoring ports (DANTE based on advice from other partners)
DONE
See Passive_Monitoring_Installation
- Decide what applications to support and divide tasks to people (CESNET based on advice from other partners)
DONE
- Complete support for multiple filters of one application over COMBO6 and DAG cards (CESNET)
ONGOING
The new COMBO6X mainboard complemented with the COMBO4-SFPRO interface card does not support SCAMPI firmware (which was supported on older COMBO6 mainboard complemented with the COMBO4-SFP or COMBO4-MTX interface cards).
Porting the whole SCAMPI firmware to the new card would require a lot of work. Therefore, we decided to use the NIFIC firmware (Network Interface Card with filtration), which should be soon available for the new card.
We have prepared a software library for compilation of multiple BPF filter expressions into the format needed to configure the NIFIC firmware. We are currently waiting until the NIFIC firmware will be released with all necessary supporting utilities (driver, firmware initialisation, etc.).
JRA1 does not strictly depend on this work because JRA1 passive monitoring stations currently use DAG cards (even though we want JRA1 applications to run over COMBO cards as well). Anyway, MAPI applications can of course run over any COMBO card (old or new) using stdlib library, when all monitoring functionality is implemented inside MAPI and hardware acceleration is not utilized.
- Complete support of payload searching of one application over COMBO6 card (CESNET)
CANCELLED
Payload searching in PCK unit is available only in scampi_ph2 version of firmware, which is not available for our types of COMBO cards (old or new, because it requires additional CAM available on COMBO2-XFP interface card only).
It would be possible to add simple payload searching to the NIFIC design running on the COMBO6X cards using CAM implemented inside FPGA. However, it would require significant effort and we currently do not need hardware payload searching for our applications.
Y2 + ½ Y3
(after 12 months a new plan for upcoming 18 months was requested, that is it overlapped by 6 months with the original plan)
Milestone:: Decide where to install additional cards as part of JRA1 and SA3 infrastructure (M13 - DANTE)
DONE
According to SA3 passive monitoring deployment plan submitted to the GN2 exec, additional passive monitoring stations will be deployed in ACAD, LITNET, PSNC and SWITCH.
Milestone:: Follow development up to MJ1.3.1 when the first version of base services will be implemented, which will interact with two measurement points (MPs) in order to be able to develop new MPs or MAs.
DONE
We have developed tbwMP for tbwtools application, G3 MA for G3 SNMP monitoring application and CMP (Command Measurement Point), see download section
Milestone: a prototype web-based user interface for ABW measurements in CESNET to be accessible for users by 15 June 2006.
DONE
Web-based interface for ABW measurements is available, see here.
Milestone: ABW data (a subset of characteristics) to be accessible through perfSONAR UI by 31 July 2006.
DONE
Our RRD MA (see the list of deployed RRD MAs) can be requested for a list of supported interfaces. Hostnames beginning by "perfmon" and hostname "jra1-2.cesnet.cz" are passive monitoring stations that run ABW application. The total volume of data on each interface is available through RRD MA with the maximum delay of 15 minutes.
Note: we decided to remove this data from our RRD MA. There were problems with continuous data transfer from all RRD files used by the network of passive monitoring stations to our RRD MA. Also ABW user interface provides much better view on measured results. It can show distribution of data into protocols, short-term peaks and multiple graphs at the same time.
Milestone: ABW MP and web-based user interface to be downloadable by 31 August 2006.
DONE
ABW is distributed along with DiMAPI, see here
Milestone: G3 data (a subset of characteristics) to be accessible through perfSONAR UI by 31 July 2006.
DONE
Our RRD MA can be requested for a list of supported interfaces. Hostname g3.cesnet.cz is a monitoring station that runs G3 application. The total volume of data on each logical interface monitored by G3 is available through RRD MA with the maximum delay of 15 minutes.
Y3
Overview
Passive monitoring analyses properties of real user traffic, which cannot be determined from injected test traffic (aka active monitoring). Examples of monitoring questions that can only be answered by passive monitoring are:
- What is available bandwidth on network links including its dynamics, peaks and drops?
- What happens to packets of a slow TCP connection?
- What applications are people using most?
- Is somebody doing some computer network attack?
Unlike active monitoring applications, which were available when GN2 project started, passive monitoring applications needed to be developed. JRA1 installed two passive monitoring nodes in the GN2 network and currently develops and integrates into the perfSONAR framework monitoring applications to address some of the the questions given above. Development of passive monitoring applications is challenging because it requires development of firmware, low-level software (drivers), libraries and utilities that altogether support the applications themselves.
JRA1
Characterization of traffic dynamics with programmable hardware support
See more details in PassiveHardwareTrafficDynamics
Milestone: STU_BURST (Statistical Unit for Bursts) unit designed in VHDL, synthesized and tested on FPGA, by 30.9.2006
DONE
The code is stored in CESNET CVS server. We are preparing a distribution package.
Milestone: integration of the STU_BURST unit into the whole firmware for COMBO6X card, by 31.10.2006
DONE
The STU_BURST unit was integrated into the NIFIC firmware (Network Interface Cards with Filtration) and tested on the COMBO card.
Milestone: access library for configuration and reading measurement results , by 30.11.2006
DONE
Measurement results can be retrieved from the STU_BURST unit by a script that uses the csbus utility to read memory locations on the COMBO card.
Milestone: MP for integration with perfSONAR, by 31.1.2007
ONGOING
A prototype MP was developed. It was tested with software version of STU_BURST functionality. It will be integrated with the STU_BURST unit. Expected to be completed by end of June 2007.
Milestone: running as service in CESNET and available for other partners with COMBO cards, by 31.3.2007.
ONGOING
Expected to be completed by end of July 2007.
TCP performance debugging
This application will enhance and integrate several monitoring tools that provide information for debugging of TCP performance. Particularly, web100, bulk and tcpdump.
- prepare a distribution package with easy installation and documentation 0.75MM (done)
- add support for LS (Lookup Service) to tbwSyn applet (lookup) and tbwMP (register) 0.75MM (done)
- separation of tbwMP from web server 0.25MM (done)
- provide user support for 6 months (resolving problems of users with using the tool, small modifications according to user requests and removal of possible bugs) 1.2MM (done, to be continued)
- take monitoring functionality from bulk source code and provide it as a patch for iperf (not necessary from functionality point of view, but because people are familiar with iperf, trust it and have it in their scripts, it would enhance user acceptance of the tool) 1.5MM (ongoing)
- optionally, update AIMD patch for latest Linux kernels (this task would have to be done by the AIMD patch developer, who is now outside of CESNET, we need to ask him if he can dedicate time for it) 1MM (cancelled, we did not manage to involve the original AIMD patch developer in this work, instead we used the effort to port tbwtools over MAPI, which allows it to run concurrently with other applications)
Total: additional 5.45 MMs
Start of work: August 2006
End of work: June 2007
Workforce: 3 students -
- original tbwTools developer ~2MM
- another student for C programming (who already worked on G3 MP) ~2MM
- original AIMD patch developer 1MM, contacted, not yet commited
- + leading the work by a CESNET employee
Milestone: prototype application developed, by 31.8.2006
Milestone: MP for itegration with perfSONAR, by 31.10.2006
Milestone: available as a package for installation by other users by 31.12.2006
Milestone: running as service in CESNET and with user interface available for other partners, by 30.11.2006
Done (all milestones)
The latest version of Tbwtools is stored in CESNET CVS. The released packages are available, see here.
Several tbwMPs have been installed in CESNET network. They are accessible, see here
Tbwtools include tbwMP (Tbwtools Measurement Point). The distribution includes a sample XML query that can be sent by a perfSONAR client to tbwMP to initiate a test connection. Nevertheless, it is more convenient to use graphical tbwApplet to contact tbwMPs.
Accurate characterization for programs using dynamic ports, possibly with programmable hardware support
This functionality is included in the ABW passive bandwidth monitoring application. We gradually added detection of more application protocols. See here how to access measurement results. ABW is distributed as part of DiMAPI. For more detailed description, see technical report.
Integration with additional perfSONAR features
Beyond integration of applications by wrapping them in MP. There are some more parts of common interest to perfSONAR and LOBSTER, such as authentication, resource management and scheduling. It needs to be investigated if it would be useful to integrate LOBSTER more closely with perfSONAR for mutual benefit in these additional areas.
Milestone: integration of passive monitoring applications with perfSONAR LS (Lookup Service), by 31.3.2007
ONGOING
Done for Tbwtools: tbwMP can register to LS and tbwApplet can query LS to find the list of available tbwMPs.
We investigate possibilities of integration of ABW with LS. It is not a classical client-MP application, but passive monitoring stations probably can register to LS and user interface can use LS to provide a menu of available monitoring stations.
Milestone: integration of passive monitoring applications with perfSONAR AA (Authentication and Authorisation), by 30.6.2007
ONGOING
We investigate possibilities of using of GN2 AA infrastructure for passive monitoring applications.
SA3
- Deployment on more monitoring stations
We suggest buying more monitoring cards (new types are emerging, such as Napatech and Force10) and deploy passive monitoring to more NREN - GN2 links
Milestone: we suggest the decision to be taken by 30 September 2006.
Milestone: the additional cards and PCs should be ordered afterwards, we suggest by 31 October 2006.
Milestone: the cards should be delivered and installed by 31 December 2006.
ONGOING
The SA3 passive monitoring deployment proposal have been submitted to the GN2 exec. Details of the proposal are being negotiated.
- Legal study
What are legislation requirements for traffic monitoring in countries where GN2 is present? We should be prepared in time for such requirements. For instance, some countries already require that phone companies must be able to monitor talks when requested by law enforcement. We suggest that SA3 performs this legislation study in different countries in order to be prepared for possible monitoring requirements from authorities.
Y4 + 6M
Tbwtools feature enhancements
- Running over NAT (Network Address Translation)
- User support
Users will be able to use Tbwtools to test and debug performance from or to network that is behind NAT. This is often the case of many institutions.
We also plan to do small modifications of the application according to feedback from users and their feature requirements.
Estimated effort: 4.25 PMs
Map-based presentation of RRD data
- Pan and zoom of RRD graphs
Data obtained from RRD (Round Robin Database), particularly results of ABW application will be presented in an innovative useful manner, where the user will be able to seemlessly move to preceeding or following time period and into more detail (zoom in) or broader overview (zoom out). Observing measurement results should resemble working with Google maps and similar map-based servers.
Estimated effort: 4 PMs
Geographical characteristics
- Statistics about geographical locations of data sources and destinations
This is a new application that will provide information about geographical locations of network traffic. For instance, we will be able to show what are the top 10 countries where most traffic in our network goes to or from, what was average throughput of flows to different countries (does it inversely correspond to geographical distance as expected from TCP behaviour?), etc.
Estimated effort: 3 PMs
Monitoring of subsecond traffic dynamics
- Quantification of traffic burstiness
This is a new application that will provide 3-dimensional graphs showing time evolution of traffic burstiness. One dimension will be time axis and the other two dimensions will be a histogram of bursts of different length. Inter-burst space will be configurable. This application will use already developed burst monitoring function, which is available in software and hardware version (for COMBO cards).
Estimated effort: 4 PMs
Functional testing
Independent testing, some ones test you tools whilst you test someone else tools.
(SA3 WI-15)
Estimated effort: 1.5 PMs
Releasing ABW and Tbwtools as part of the perfsonar release
(SA3 WI-15)
Estimated effort: 3.75 PMs
Resources
Total effort for JRA1 and SA3-WI15 for Y4+6M is 20.5 PMs.
As of end of May 2007, we have 10 MMs remaining in our budget, which we will use:
2 PMs until end of Y3
8 PMs for Y4
That is we will need additional effort of 12.5 PMs for Y4+6M.
Skills required
Programming in C, C++, Javascript, Python and knowledge of web-based technologies, graphing utilities (gnuplot, rrdgraph, image manipulation), Netflow tools and network protocols.
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