Bounding the router table size in an ISP network using RINA

Abstract-One of the biggest problems of todays Internet is the explosion of the size of the routing tables of Internet core routers, especially due to the growth of multi-homed hosts and networks. This paper explains the benefits that the Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA) brings to network service providers in terms of routing scalability: with an appropriate design the size of the router tables can be bounded. The recursive layer approach, the independence of the address space at each layer in conjunction with the use of hierarchical addressing prove to be effective tools that greatly reduce the storage requirements of routers as well as speed up the calculation of routes, resulting in more efficient and scalable routing

ARCFIRE : experimentation with the recursive InterNetwork Architecture

European funded research into the Recursive Inter-Network Architecture (RINA) started with IRATI, which developed an initial prototype implementation for OS/Linux. IRATI was quickly succeeded by the PRISTINE project, which developed different policies, each tailored to specific use cases. Both projects were development-driven, where most experimentation was limited to unit testing and smaller scale integration testing. In order to assess the viability of RINA as an alternative to current network technologies, larger scale experimental deployments are needed. The opportunity arose for a project that shifted focus from development towards experimentation, leveraging Europe's investment in Future Internet Research and Experimentation (FIRE+) infrastructures. The ARCFIRE project took this next step, developing a user-friendly framework for automating RINA experiments. This paper reports and discusses the implications of the experimental results achieved by the ARCFIRE project, using open source RINA implementations deployed on FIRE+ Testbeds. Experiments analyze the properties of RINA relevant to fast network recovery, network renumbering, Quality of Service, distributed mobility management, and network management. Results highlight RINA properties that can greatly simplify the deployment and management of real-world networks; hence, the next steps should be focused on addressing very specific use cases with complete network RINA-based networking solutions that can be transferred to the market

Recursive internetwork architecture, investigating RINA as an alternative to TCP/IP (IRATI)

Driven by the requirements of the emerging applications and networks, the Internet has become an architectural patchwork of growing complexity which strains to cope with the changes. Moore’s law prevented us from recognising that the problem does not hide in the high demands of today’s applications but lies in the flaws of the Internet’s original design. The Internet needs to move beyond TCP/IP to prosper in the long term, TCP/IP has outlived its usefulness. The Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA) is a new Internetwork architecture whose fundamental principle is that networking is only interprocess communication (IPC). RINA reconstructs the overall structure of the Internet, forming a model that comprises a single repeating layer, the DIF (Distributed IPC Facility), which is the minimal set of components required to allow distributed IPC between application processes. RINA supports inherently and without the need of extra mechanisms mobility, multi-homing and Quality of Service, provides a secure and configurable environment, motivates for a more competitive marketplace and allows for a seamless adoption. RINA is the best choice for the next generation networks due to its sound theory, simplicity and the features it enables. IRATI’s goal is to achieve further exploration of this new architecture. IRATI will advance the state of the art of RINA towards an architecture reference model and specifcations that are closer to enable implementations deployable in production scenarios. The design and implemention of a RINA prototype on top of Ethernet will permit the experimentation and evaluation of RINA in comparison to TCP/IP. IRATI will use the OFELIA testbed to carry on its experimental activities. Both projects will benefit from the collaboration. IRATI will gain access to a large-scale testbed with a controlled network while OFELIA will get a unique use-case to validate the facility: experimentation of a non-IP based Internet

Prototyping the recursive internet architecture: the IRATI project approach

In recent years, many new Internet architectures are being proposed to solve shortcomings in the current Internet. A lot of these new architectures merely extend the current TCP/IP architecture and hence do not solve the fundamental cause of these problems. The Recursive Internet Architecture (RINA) is a true new network architecture, developed from scratch, building on lessons learned in the past. RINA prototyping efforts have been ongoing since 2010, but a prototype on which a commercial RINA implementation can be built has not been developed yet. The goal of the IRATI research project is to develop and evaluate such a prototype in Linux/OS. This article focuses on the software design required to implement a network stack in Linux/OS. We motivate the placement of, and communication between, the different software components in either the kernel or user space. The first open source prototype of the IRATI implementation of RINA will be available in June 2014 for researchers, developers, and early adopters

Contributions to routing scalability and QoS assurance in cloud data transport networks based on the recursive internetwork architecture

With an increasing number of devices and heterogeneous distributed applications, it is becoming evident that service delivered by the current Internet fall short to supply the actual Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of applications. In addition, the global scope of the IP layer causes large scalability problems on the network. Multiple solutions aim to overcome the limitations of the model (BGP, NAT, etc.), but all end being constrained by the same networking model that they try to improve, ending simply breaking and patching the stack itself of TCP/IP. In contrast, RINA proposes a new clean-slate Internet architecture based on a recursive networking stack with focus on inter process communication, where each layer, or DIF, performs the same set of tasks. DIFs are fully configurable by mean of programmable policies, and provide complete support for QoS services. RINA is capable to provide a standardized way to express the capabilities of each layer, the QoS Cubes. With those, RINA allows for applications and upper processes to express their requirements in terms of latency, losses, etc. The contributions in this thesis take profit from the recursive stack of RINA and the use of policies to propose and analyse old and new solutions which would not be compatible with the current TCP/IP Internet. Improving the QoS services, this work takes profit from the information on requirements provided by the applications themselves to improve the assurance of QoS. With the use of Q-based scheduling policies, improved QoS assurances are provided, aiming to provide “good enough” service for all flows in the network, resulting in a more appropriate sharing of resources. These policies have been tested in backbone-like networks, showing interesting improvements with respect to commonly used solutions like MPLS-based VPNs. In addition the provisioning of QoS services to end-users is also considered. In order to allow that, it is required to impose some limits on what end-users can send to the network, limiting the amount of priority traffic that potentially greedy users can send. In that regard, while enforcing strict rate-limits per QoS would be trivial in RINA, a new △Q-based rate-limiting policy that aims to limit the amount of priority traffic in a more user-friendly way is also explored. In terms of scalability, this work also considers different measures to improve forwarding and routing within large-scale networks. As for the use of policies that could profit from specific network topologies, a new forwarding policy, that mix both topological rules and exceptions, is proposed. With this policy, forwarding table lookups in large tables are replaced with fast and simple forwarding rules based on the location of nodes and their neighbourhood. Given the common topologies used in large data centres, the proposed policy is found to be a perfect match for those scenarios. Test for different data centre topology showed clear improvements, requiring only a small fraction of all forwarding information despite the large size of such networks, depending that in the number of concurrent failures in the network rather than on the size of it. In addition, this work also considers the use of topological routing policies to populate exceptions upon failures. The use of topological routing solutions resulted in reduced complexity for computing paths and less routing messages. In addition to topological solutions, the use other routing solution, not well suited for the IP environment are also investigated. Specifically, it is shown how a Landmark routing solution could be implemented within RINA. Finally, efforts are also devoted to analyse the importance of path selection for ensuring QoS requirements and how it is not required to reach extremes solutions, like the use of connections, to provide the required services.Con un número cada vez mayor de dispositivos y aplicaciones distribuidas, se está volviendo evidente que el servicio best-effort ofrecido por la actual Internet TCP/IP no satisface los requisitos de calidad de servicio (QoS) de las aplicaciones. No solo eso, sino que el alcance global de la capa de IP se convierte en la causa de grandes problemas de escalabilidad, requiriendo costes cada vez más altos para ser resueltos. Desde la implantación de TCP/IP, han aparecido múltiples soluciones que tienen como objetivo superar las limitaciones del modelo (BGP, NAT, LISP, etc.). Aun así, todas estas soluciones terminan restringidas por el mismo modelo de red que intentan mejorar. Dado esto, la mayoría de las soluciones terminan simplemente rompiendo y parcheando la pila misma de TCP/IP. Con el objetivo de resolver esos problemas, la Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA) propone una nueva arquitectura de Internet que vuelve a las raíces de la comunicación en red. En lugar de parchear la pila actual de TCP/IP, RINA propone una pila de red recursiva con enfoque en la comunicación entre procesos, donde cada capa, llamada Distributed IPC Facility (DIF), realiza el mismo conjunto de tareas. Mientras realizan las mismas tareas, las DIF de RINA son completamente configurables por medio de políticas programables, definiciones de cómo realizar tales tareas. Además, RINA brinda soporte completo para servicios de QoS por medio de los Cubos QoS, o clases de QoS que definen las capacidades de cada DIF. Con el uso de los Cubos QoS, RINA es capaz de proporcionar una forma estandarizada de expresar las capacidades de cada capa. Además, dada esa información, RINA también permite que las aplicaciones y los procesos de capas superiores expresen sus requisitos de QoS en términos de latencia aceptada, pérdidas, uso promedio, etc. Las contribuciones en esta tesis sacan provecho de la pila recursiva de RINA y el uso de políticas para proponer y analizar soluciones, antiguas y nuevas, para QoS y escalabilidad, que no serán compatibles con la Internet TCP/IP actual. En términos de mejoras de los servicios de QoS, el trabajo en esta tesis aprovecha la información sobre los requisitos de flujo, proporcionados por las propias aplicaciones, para mejorar las garantías de QoS proporcionadas por la red. Propone el uso de políticas basadas en △Q, proporcionando garantías de QoS mejoradas, que coinciden mejor con los requisitos de los flujos. A diferencia de las soluciones de diferenciación de QoS más simples, donde los servicios de QoS se proporcionan en orden de prioridad, △Q pretende proporcionar un servicio “suficientemente bueno" para todos los flujos en la red, lo que resulta en una repartición de recursos más apropiada. En este trabajo, estas políticas se han probado en redes tipo backbone, que muestran mejoras interesantes con respecto a las soluciones comunes de diferenciación de QoS, como las VPN basadas en MPLS. Además del uso de las políticas de △Q en el núcleo de la red, esta tesis también considera el suministro de servicios de QoS a los usuarios finales, siendo ese el objetivo final de las redes. Para permitir eso, se requiere imponer algunos límites a lo que los usuarios finales pueden enviar a la red, con el fin de limitar la cantidad de tráfico prioritario que usuarios codiciosos puedan enviar. En ese sentido, aunque imponer límites de velocidad estrictos por QoS sería trivial en RINA, también se explora una nueva política de limitación de tasas basada en △Q que pretende limitar la cantidad de tráfico prioritario de una manera más beneficiosa para los usuarios. En términos de escalabilidad, esta tesis también considera diferentes medidas para mejorar el reenvío y el enrutamiento dentro de redes de gran escala. Primero, en cuanto al uso de políticas que podrán beneficiarse de topologías de red específicas, se propone una nueva política de forwarding que combina reglas topológicas, es decir decisiones basadas en la ubicación de nodos, y excepciones, es decir entradas que sobrescriben reglas en caso de error. Con esta política, las costosas búsquedas en tablas grandes se reemplazan con reglas de rápidas y simples basadas en la ubicación de los nodos y su vecindad. Dadas las topologías específicas más comúnmente utilizadas en los grandes centros de datos hoy en día, se encuentra que el uso de la política propuesta es la combinación perfecta para esos escenarios. Pruebas en varias topologías comunes para centros de datos mostraron mejoras claras, que requieren solo una pequeña fracción de toda la información sobre la red, a pesar del gran tamaño de dichas redes, dependiendo esta de la cantidad de fallas concurrentes en la red y no del tamaño de la misma. Además, esta tesis también considera el uso de políticas de enrutamiento topológico para poblar tales excepciones en caso de fallas. El uso de soluciones de enrutamiento topológico dio como resultado la reducción de la complejidad en el cálculo de rutas, junto con un menor número de mensajes de enrutamiento. Además de las soluciones topológicas, también se investiga el uso de otra solución de enrutamiento, no adecuada para el entorno de IP. Específicamente, se muestra como una solución de enrutamiento Landmark, una solución de enrutamiento de la familia de enrutamiento compacto, podría implementarse dentro de RINA. Finalmente, también se dedican esfuerzos a analizar la importancia de la selección de rutas para garantizar los requisitos de QoS y como no se requiere llegar a soluciones extremas, como el uso de conexiones, para proporcionar los servicios requeridos.Postprint (published version

Building the Future Internet through FIRE

The Internet as we know it today is the result of a continuous activity for improving network communications, end user services, computational processes and also information technology infrastructures. The Internet has become a critical infrastructure for the human-being by offering complex networking services and end-user applications that all together have transformed all aspects, mainly economical, of our lives. Recently, with the advent of new paradigms and the progress in wireless technology, sensor networks and information systems and also the inexorable shift towards everything connected paradigm, first as known as the Internet of Things and lately envisioning into the Internet of Everything, a data-driven society has been created. In a data-driven society, productivity, knowledge, and experience are dependent on increasingly open, dynamic, interdependent and complex Internet services. The challenge for the Internet of the Future design is to build robust enabling technologies, implement and deploy adaptive systems, to create business opportunities considering increasing uncertainties and emergent systemic behaviors where humans and machines seamlessly cooperate

Building the Future Internet through FIRE

The Internet as we know it today is the result of a continuous activity for improving network communications, end user services, computational processes and also information technology infrastructures. The Internet has become a critical infrastructure for the human-being by offering complex networking services and end-user applications that all together have transformed all aspects, mainly economical, of our lives. Recently, with the advent of new paradigms and the progress in wireless technology, sensor networks and information systems and also the inexorable shift towards everything connected paradigm, first as known as the Internet of Things and lately envisioning into the Internet of Everything, a data-driven society has been created. In a data-driven society, productivity, knowledge, and experience are dependent on increasingly open, dynamic, interdependent and complex Internet services. The challenge for the Internet of the Future design is to build robust enabling technologies, implement and deploy adaptive systems, to create business opportunities considering increasing uncertainties and emergent systemic behaviors where humans and machines seamlessly cooperate

Application of service composition mechanisms to Future Networks architectures and Smart Grids

Aquesta tesi gira entorn de la hipòtesi de la metodologia i mecanismes de composició de serveis i com es poden aplicar a diferents camps d'aplicació per a orquestrar de manera eficient comunicacions i processos flexibles i sensibles al context. Més concretament, se centra en dos camps d'aplicació: la distribució eficient i sensible al context de contingut multimèdia i els serveis d'una xarxa elèctrica intel·ligent. En aquest últim camp es centra en la gestió de la infraestructura, cap a la definició d'una Software Defined Utility (SDU), que proposa una nova manera de gestionar la Smart Grid amb un enfocament basat en programari, que permeti un funcionament molt més flexible de la infraestructura de xarxa elèctrica. Per tant, revisa el context, els requisits i els reptes, així com els enfocaments de la composició de serveis per a aquests camps. Fa especial èmfasi en la combinació de la composició de serveis amb arquitectures Future Network (FN), presentant una proposta de FN orientada a serveis per crear comunicacions adaptades i sota demanda. També es presenten metodologies i mecanismes de composició de serveis per operar sobre aquesta arquitectura, i posteriorment, es proposa el seu ús (en conjunció o no amb l'arquitectura FN) en els dos camps d'estudi. Finalment, es presenta la investigació i desenvolupament realitzat en l'àmbit de les xarxes intel·ligents, proposant diverses parts de la infraestructura SDU amb exemples d'aplicació de composició de serveis per dissenyar seguretat dinàmica i flexible o l'orquestració i gestió de serveis i recursos dins la infraestructura de l'empresa elèctrica.Esta tesis gira en torno a la hipótesis de la metodología y mecanismos de composición de servicios y cómo se pueden aplicar a diferentes campos de aplicación para orquestar de manera eficiente comunicaciones y procesos flexibles y sensibles al contexto. Más concretamente, se centra en dos campos de aplicación: la distribución eficiente y sensible al contexto de contenido multimedia y los servicios de una red eléctrica inteligente. En este último campo se centra en la gestión de la infraestructura, hacia la definición de una Software Defined Utility (SDU), que propone una nueva forma de gestionar la Smart Grid con un enfoque basado en software, que permita un funcionamiento mucho más flexible de la infraestructura de red eléctrica. Por lo tanto, revisa el contexto, los requisitos y los retos, así como los enfoques de la composición de servicios para estos campos. Hace especial hincapié en la combinación de la composición de servicios con arquitecturas Future Network (FN), presentando una propuesta de FN orientada a servicios para crear comunicaciones adaptadas y bajo demanda. También se presentan metodologías y mecanismos de composición de servicios para operar sobre esta arquitectura, y posteriormente, se propone su uso (en conjunción o no con la arquitectura FN) en los dos campos de estudio. Por último, se presenta la investigación y desarrollo realizado en el ámbito de las redes inteligentes, proponiendo varias partes de la infraestructura SDU con ejemplos de aplicación de composición de servicios para diseñar seguridad dinámica y flexible o la orquestación y gestión de servicios y recursos dentro de la infraestructura de la empresa eléctrica.This thesis revolves around the hypothesis the service composition methodology and mechanisms and how they can be applied to different fields of application in order to efficiently orchestrate flexible and context-aware communications and processes. More concretely, it focuses on two fields of application that are the context-aware media distribution and smart grid services and infrastructure management, towards a definition of a Software-Defined Utility (SDU), which proposes a new way of managing the Smart Grid following a software-based approach that enable a much more flexible operation of the power infrastructure. Hence, it reviews the context, requirements and challenges of these fields, as well as the service composition approaches. It makes special emphasis on the combination of service composition with Future Network (FN) architectures, presenting a service-oriented FN proposal for creating context-aware on-demand communication services. Service composition methodology and mechanisms are also presented in order to operate over this architecture, and afterwards, proposed for their usage (in conjunction or not with the FN architecture) in the deployment of context-aware media distribution and Smart Grids. Finally, the research and development done in the field of Smart Grids is depicted, proposing several parts of the SDU infrastructure, with examples of service composition application for designing dynamic and flexible security for smart metering or the orchestration and management of services and data resources within the utility infrastructure