Network Virtualization and Emulation using Docker, OpenvSwitch and Mininet-based Link Emulation

With the advent of virtualization and artificial intelligence, research on networked systems has progressed substantially. As the technology progresses, we expect a boom in not only the systems research but also in the network of systems domain. It is paramount that we understand and develop methodologies to connect and communicate among the plethora of devices and systems that exist today. One such area is mobile ad-hoc and space communication, which further complicates the task of networking due to myriad of environmental and physical conditions. Developing and testing such systems is an important step considering the large investment required to build such gigantic communication arrangements. We address two important aspects of network emulation in this work. We propose a network emulation framework, which emulates the functioning of a hierarchical software defined network. One such use-case is described using a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) topology within a single system by leveraging contemporary network virtualization technologies. We present various aspects of the network, such as the dynamic communication in the software domain and provide a novel approach to build upon existing emulation techniques. The second part of the thesis presents a dynamic network link emulator. This emulator enables suitable link property re-configurations such as bandwidth, delay and packet loss for networked systems using simulation software. We characterize the results of tests for the link emulation using a hardware and software testbed. Through this thesis, we aim to make a small yet crucial contribution to the niche area of software defined networks

Faithful reproduction of network experiments

The proliferation of cloud computing has compelled the research community to rethink fundamental aspects of network systems and architectures. However, the tools commonly used to evaluate new ideas have not kept abreast of the latest developments. Common simulation and emulation frameworks fail to provide scalability, fidelity, reproducibility and execute unmodified code, all at the same time. We present SELENA, a Xen-based network emulation framework that offers fully reproducible experiments via its automation interface and supports the use of unmodified guest operating systems. This allows out-of-the-box compatibility with common applications and OS components, such as network stacks and filesystems. In order to faithfully emulate faster and larger networks, SELENA adopts the technique of time-dilation and transparently slows down the passage of time for guest operating systems. This technique effectively virtualizes the availability of host’s hardware resources and allows the replication of scenarios with increased I/O and computational demands. Users can directly control the tradeoff between fidelity and running-times via intuitive tuning knobs. We evaluate the ability of SELENA to faithfully replicate the behaviour of real systems and compare it against existing popular experimentation platforms. Our results suggest that SELENA can accurately model networks with aggregate link speeds of 44 Gbps or more, while improving by four times the execution time in comparison to ns3 and exhibits near-linear scaling properties.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from ACM via http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2658260.265827

DMEF:Dynamic Malware Evaluation Framework

Botnets are the top concern responsible for SPAM, Cryptomining, DDoS attacks and offer a variety of attacks-as-a-service to disrupt IT infrastructure and services. Current approaches to detect and analyze Botnet characteristics rely on disassembly and reverse engineering, and single instance deployments in an isolated environment. However, Botnets consist of distributed and interconnected instances and thus current approaches only observe a fraction of a Botnet and its characteristics. In this paper, we introduce the framework DMEF to deploy and analyze malware in a scalable, distributed and secure environment. DMEF provides a training environment for network administrators and researchers in the fight against malware and contributes to optimize intrusion response.</p

Hybrid IP/SDN networking: open implementation and experiment management tools

The introduction of SDN in large-scale IP provider networks is still an open issue and different solutions have been suggested so far. In this paper we propose a hybrid approach that allows the coexistence of traditional IP routing with SDN based forwarding within the same provider domain. The solution is called OSHI - Open Source Hybrid IP/SDN networking as we have fully implemented it combining and extending Open Source software. We discuss the OSHI system architecture and the design and implementation of advanced services like Pseudo Wires and Virtual Switches. In addition, we describe a set of Open Source management tools for the emulation of the proposed solution using either the Mininet emulator or distributed physical testbeds. We refer to this suite of tools as Mantoo (Management tools). Mantoo includes an extensible web-based graphical topology designer, which provides different layered network "views" (e.g. from physical links to service relationships among nodes). The suite can validate an input topology, automatically deploy it over a Mininet emulator or a distributed SDN testbed and allows access to emulated nodes by opening consoles in the web GUI. Mantoo provides also tools to evaluate the performance of the deployed nodes.Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE Transaction of Network and Service Management - December 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TNSM.2015.250762

The Glasgow raspberry pi cloud: a scale model for cloud computing infrastructures

Data Centers (DC) used to support Cloud services often consist of tens of thousands of networked machines under a single roof. The significant capital outlay required to replicate such infrastructures constitutes a major obstacle to practical implementation and evaluation of research in this domain. Currently, most research into Cloud computing relies on either limited software simulation, or the use of a testbed environments with a handful of machines. The recent introduction of the Raspberry Pi, a low-cost, low-power single-board computer, has made the construction of a miniature Cloud DCs more affordable. In this paper, we present the Glasgow Raspberry Pi Cloud (PiCloud), a scale model of a DC composed of clusters of Raspberry Pi devices. The PiCloud emulates every layer of a Cloud stack, ranging from resource virtualisation to network behaviour, providing a full-featured Cloud Computing research and educational environment