A Large-Scale, Highly Configurable Network Emulation Facility

大规模、高度可配置的网络仿真工具

• 批准号: 0082493
• 负责人: Jay Lepreau
• 金额: $ 199.81万
• 依托单位: University of Utah
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-10-01 至 2004-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0082493&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Large; Scale; Highly; Configurable; Network

Today there exist three environments in which to perform network research: live networks, networksimulators, and static small-scale testbeds. Although each environment has benefits, each also has manylimitations. This project proposes to build a new type of experimental environment, an "Internet in a room," which will not only complement the strengths and weaknesses of existing experimental environments, but work synergistically with some of them, such as simulation. The proposed instrument, a large-scale network emulation facility, will be a unique resource for networkexperimenters. The researchers are currently building a prototype, based on donated equipment and University of Utah funds. Under this proposalthe researchers will continue this early work, make the testbed "real" through developing significant software and deploying additional hardware, work closely with others to integrate it with network simulators, and provide professional staffing so that the facility is of maximum use to external researchers. A crucial goal is to make the facility universally available to any external researcher, without administrative or technical obstacles to simple and straightforward use. Single-node systems research and development has flourished as the barriers to entry have plummeted.Inexpensive, commodity, open, hardware (x86 PC) and software (Linux, *BSD), have made such R&Dpossible for all researchers, without large budgets. We propose to develop the software for an instrumentthat will bring similar benefits to network researchers, and apply it to a first instance of hardware. A significant aspect of this proposal is joint work with other researchers domain experts, especially net-work simulation experts at Georgia Tech to exploit the facility's unique capabilities for network emulation, to learn how best to use it, and to guide its evolution. The emulation facility's unique characteristics include: (1) significant scale: 250 nodes, each of degree at least four. (2) user-configurable lowest-level control over the testbed's "physical" characteristics, such as error models, latency, bandwidth, packet ordering, processing power, and buffer space. (3) accurate emulation of wide-area networks via internal traffic-shaping nodes; (4) capture of low-level device/OS costs such as interrupt load and memory bandwidth; (5) experimentation on the router software itself, as well as ease of maintainence and robust security, isprovided by fully user-replaceable router OS/software; (6) "ns" compatible specification language and integration with the Georgia Tech "software backplanefor emulation," allowing experiments easily to move between simulation and emulation; (7) remote configurability and availability to researchers world-wide, both time and space-shared; (8) isolated control, monitoring, and data acquisition network; remote power control and serial line console /debugging for all nodes; (9) incorporation as an integral part of the national Active Network Backbone (ABONE).

如今，有三个可以在其中进行网络研究的环境：实时网络，网络模拟器和静态小型测试台。尽管每个环境都有好处，但每个环境也都有许多限制。该项目建议建立一种新型的实验环境，即“房间中的互联网”，它不仅可以补充现有实验环境的优点和缺点，而且还可以与其中一些（例如仿真）协同工作。 拟议的仪器是一种大型网络仿真设施，将成为Networkexperimenters的独特资源。研究人员目前正在基于捐赠的设备和犹他大学基金建造一个原型。根据该提案，研究人员将继续这项早期工作，通过开发重要的软件并部署其他硬件，与其他人合作以与网络模拟器相结合，并提供专业人员配备，以使该设施对外部研究人员最大程度地使用，从而使测试床“真实”。 一个关键的目标是使任何外部研究人员普遍使用该设施，而没有简单而直接使用的行政或技术障碍。 随着进入壁垒的影响，单节点系统的研发蓬勃发展。我们建议为仪器开发软件，这将为网络研究人员带来类似的好处，并将其应用于硬件的第一实例。 该提案的一个重要方面是与其他研究人员领域专家的联合合作，尤其是佐治亚理工学院的净工作模拟专家，以利用该设施的网络仿真功能，学习如何最好地使用它并指导其发展。 仿真设施的独特特征包括：（1）显着量表：250个节点，每个节点至少四个。 （2）对测试床的“物理”特征的最低级别控制，例如错误模型，延迟，带宽，数据包订购，处理能力和缓冲区空间。 （3）通过内部交通形成节点准确仿真广阔的网络； （4）捕获低级设备/OS成本，例如中断负载和内存带宽； （5）在路由器软件本身上进行实验，以及易于维护和稳健的安全性，可以完全由用户更换的路由器OS/软件提供； （6）“ NS”兼容的规范语言和与佐治亚理工学院的“软件背板”的集成，允许实验在模拟和仿真之间轻松移动； （7）全球研究人员的远程配置和可用性，包括时间和空间共享； （8）隔离控制，监视和数据采集网络；所有节点的远程电源控制和串行线控制台 /调试； （9）作为国家活动网络骨干（Abone）的组成部分。