End-host Driven Troubleshooting Architecture for Software-Defined Networking

The high variability in traffic demands, the advanced networking services at various layers (e.g., load- balancers), and the steady penetration of SDN technology and virtualization make the crucial network troubleshooting tasks ever more challenging over multi-tenant environments. Service degradation is first realized by the users and, as being the only one having visibility to many relevant information (e.g., connection details) required for accurate and timely problem resolution, the infrastructure layer is often forced upon continuous monitoring resulting in wasteful resource management, not to mention the long time frames. In this paper, we propose an End-host-Driven Troubleshooting architecture (EDT), where users are able to share the application-specific connection details with the infrastructure to accelerate the identification of root causes of performance degradation, and to avoid the need for always-on, resource-intensive, and network- wide monitoring. Utilizing EDT, we provide some essential tools for real end-to-end trace routing (PTR), identifying packet losses, and carry out hop-by-hop latency measurements (HEL). In contrast to existing proposals, PTR traces the practical production traffic without the need of crafted probe packets by means of careful tagging mechanisms and additional ephemeral capturing flow rules. Besides involving negligible data plane deterioration, in certain cases PTR can drastically reduce the time needed to find a traversed path compared to existing solutions. Finally, by means of individual network functions, HEL measures the latency of each link along the found path without involving the controller into the calculation, hence resulting in significant reduction of control plane overhead

Container network functions: bringing NFV to the network edge

In order to cope with the increasing network utilization driven by new mobile clients, and to satisfy demand for new network services and performance guarantees, telecommunication service providers are exploiting virtualization over their network by implementing network services in virtual machines, decoupled from legacy hardware accelerated appliances. This effort, known as NFV, reduces OPEX and provides new business opportunities. At the same time, next generation mobile, enterprise, and IoT networks are introducing the concept of computing capabilities being pushed at the network edge, in close proximity of the users. However, the heavy footprint of today's NFV platforms prevents them from operating at the network edge. In this article, we identify the opportunities of virtualization at the network edge and present Glasgow Network Functions (GNF), a container-based NFV platform that runs and orchestrates lightweight container VNFs, saving core network utilization and providing lower latency. Finally, we demonstrate three useful examples of the platform: IoT DDoS remediation, on-demand troubleshooting for telco networks, and supporting roaming of network functions

Hyper Converged Infrastructures: Beyond virtualization

Hyper Convergence has brought virtualization and IT strategies to a new level. Datacenters are undergoing a deep paradigm shift from a hardware-centric to an application-centric approach which leverages on software defined architectures, while IT is more and more being delivered as services rather than assets or products. Throughout different evolving phases since the initial attempts to convergence, the concept has been refined down to a level where,ultimately, a whole datacenter could be fully managed from a centralized single point, abstracting the whole hardware layer and exposing it to the administrators as a transparent pool of resources. This paper analyzes the evolution of infrastructures and tries to dig into the reality and convenience of Hyper Convergence

Web Service Testing and Usability for Mobile Learning

Based on the summary of recent renowned publications, Mobile Learning (ML) has become an emerging technology, as well as a new technique that can enhance the quality of learning. Due to the increasing importance of ML, the investigation of such impacts on the e-Science community is amongst the hot topics, which also relate to part of these research areas: Grid Infrastructure, Wireless Communication, Virtual Research Organization and Semantic Web. The above examples contribute to the demonstrations of how Mobile Learning can be applied into e-Science applications, including usability. However, there are few papers addressing testing and quality engineering issues – the core component for software engineering. Therefore, the major purpose of this paper is to present how Web Service Testing for Mobile Learning can be carried out, in addition to re-investigating the influences of the usability issue with both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Out of many mobile technologies available, the Pocket PC and Tablet PC have been chosen as the equipment; and the OMII Web Service, the 64-bit .NET e-portal and the GPS-PDA are the software tools to be used for Web Service testing

Developing a Methodology for Creating Flexible Instructional Information Technology Laboratories

Many schools - particularly the more dynamic segments of high schools and community colleges - have begun to undertake instruction in the areas of PC repair, networking (vendor-neutral and specific alike), operating systems, wireless technologies, and so forth. For some schools, however, this leap forward has come only with a later realization that there are tremendous startup costs and ongoing expenses associated with such endeavors, especially considering that many of these instructional elements have historically called for independent instructional facilities. From this perspective, institutions may find they have to cut their programmatic vision short in the face of harsher budgetary realities of supporting so many laboratories, or abandon their efforts altogether. In this paper, it is suggested that this scenario does not have to become a reality. Instead, it is proposed that affordable, functional, and practical multipurpose Information Technology (IT) classrooms can be developed when a combination of good initial design and planning, affordable technologies, and mature business models are practiced. With the application of certain methodologies, a system can be created for any institution wishing to develop facilities and the means to support and mature them over time. Often faced with budgetary constraints, space limitations, or uncertain financial support mechanisms, it is becoming important that higher education institutions engaging in the instruction of advanced computing and networking develop a process and methodology for establishing and maintaining computing laboratories that can service a variety of diverse and complex instructional needs