An Experimental Nexos Laboratory Using Virtual Xinu

The Nexos Project is a joint effort between Marquette University, the University of Buffalo, and the University of Mississippi to build curriculum materials and a supporting experimental laboratory for hands-on projects in computer systems courses. The approach focuses on inexpensive, flexible, commodity embedded hardware, freely available development and debugging tools, and a fresh implementation of a classic operating system, Embedded Xinu, that is ideal for student exploration. This paper describes an extension to the Nexos laboratory that includes a new target platform composed of Qemu virtual machines. Virtual Xinu addresses two challenges that limit the effectiveness of Nexos. First, potential faculty adopters have clearly indicated that even with the current minimal monetary cost of installation, the hardware modifications, and time investment remain troublesome factors that scare off interested educators. Second, overcoming the inherent complications that arise due to the shared subnet that result in students\u27 projects interfering with each other in ways that are difficult to recreate, debug, and understand. Specifically, this paper discusses porting the Xinu operating systems to Qemu virtual hardware, developing the virtual networking platform, and results showing success using Virtual Xinu in the classroom during one semester of Operating Systems at the University of Mississippi

Integration of CompTIA Cloud+ into Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Computer Engineering Special Topics Syllabus

Cloud computing is one of the frontier technologies in computer engineering. Therefore, it is important to prepare the students with the knowledge and skills required in this field. This paper describes the integration of the renowned CompTIA Cloud+ professional training course into the ECE648: Special Topics in Computer Networking subject. The subject is a final year elective for the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia undergraduate computer engineering students. We first begin by assessing the current teaching syllabus of a variety of international universities to establish fundamental topics that should be covered in a cloud computing course. We then proceed to describe our implementation, which is done in accordance with the CompTIA Cloud+ certification syllabus. Among the items described are how the Cloud+ course contents are adjusted to be more suitable for the course, as well as additional practical elements (not originally available in the Cloud+ course) added to the course syllabus. Implementation results are described

To enhance collaborative learning and practice network knowledge with a virtualization laboratory and online synchronous discussion

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internatinal License.Recently, various computer networking courses have included additional laboratory classes in order to enhance students' learning achievement. However, these classes need to establish a suitable laboratory where each student can connect network devices to configure and test functions within different network topologies. In this case, the Linux operating system can be used to operate network devices and the virtualization technique can include multiple OSs for supporting a significant number of students. In previous research, the virtualization application was successfully applied in a laboratory, but focused only on individual assignments. The present study extends previous research by designing the Networking Virtualization-Based Laboratory (NVBLab), which requires collaborative learning among the experimental students. The students were divided into an experimental group and a control group for the experiment. The experimental group performed their laboratory assignments using NVBLab, whereas the control group completed them on virtual machines (VMs) that were installed on their personal computers. Moreover, students using NVBLab were provided with an online synchronous discussion (OSD) feature that enabled them to communicate with others. The laboratory assignments were divided into two parts: Basic Labs and Advanced Labs. The results show that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in two Advanced Labs and the post-test after Advanced Labs. Furthermore, the experimental group's activities were better than those of the control group based on the total average of the command count per laboratory. Finally, the findings of the interviews and questionnaires with the experimental group reveal that NVBLab was helpful during and after laboratory class

Xen Worlds: Creating a virtual laboratory environment for use in education

The Xen Worlds project uses the Xen hypervisor to create a virtual lab environment, providing students with personal networks of fully functional virtual machines (VMs) called a Xen World. The Xen Worlds environment can be provided using minimal hardware, and uses open source software, making it a low-cost option for education. The current hardware, consisting of five modest servers is capable of providing 470 VMs. Since each Xen World can be isolated from each other, and from the Internet, students can be provided root access to their VMs without the security and privacy issues that would be present in a normal shared lab. In addition, to support off-campus students, Xen Worlds has several features that ensure the system is equally accessible and easy to use, even if the student has limited access to computing or network resources. To rate the usability and effectiveness of the Xen Worlds environment, student feedback was collected through the use of surveys. The results indicate students feel the environment is an enjoyable and effective teaching method, with comments indicating a desire for a greater number of assignments to be provided

FABRIC: A National-Scale Programmable Experimental Network Infrastructure

FABRIC is a unique national research infrastructure to enable cutting-edge and exploratory research at-scale in networking, cybersecurity, distributed computing and storage systems, machine learning, and science applications. It is an everywhere-programmable nationwide instrument comprised of novel extensible network elements equipped with large amounts of compute and storage, interconnected by high speed, dedicated optical links. It will connect a number of specialized testbeds for cloud research (NSF Cloud testbeds CloudLab and Chameleon), for research beyond 5G technologies (Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research or PAWR), as well as production high-performance computing facilities and science instruments to create a rich fabric for a wide variety of experimental activities

Virtual Lab for Online Cyber Security Education

In this paper, the authors describe their experience of designing a virtual lab architecture capable of potentially providing thousands of students with a hands-on learning experience in support of an online educational offering. The authors discuss alternative approaches of designing a virtual lab and address the criteria in selecting the optimal deployment method. The authors suggest that virtualization offers a significant instructional advantage in delivering a cost effective and flexible hands-on learning experience

Design and evaluation of a learning environment to effectively provide network security skills

Information system security and network security are topics of increasing importance in the information society. They are also topics where the adequate education of professionals requires the use of specific laboratory environments where the practical aspects of the discipline may be addressed. However, most approaches currently used are excessively static and lack the flexibility that the education requirements of security professionals demand. In this paper we present NEMESIS, a scenario generation framework for education on system and network security, which is based on virtualization technologies and has been designed to be open, distributed, modular, scalable and flexible. Finally, an example scenario is described and some results validating the benefits of its use in undergraduate computer security courses are shown.La seguridad de redes y sistemas de información es un área de importancia creciente en el ámbito de la sociedad de información. Además, constituye un tema en el que la adecuada formación de profesionales exige el uso de entornos de laboratorio específicos en los que abordar los aspectos prácticas de la disciplina. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las aproximación usadas en la actualidad son excesivamente estáticas y carecen de la flexibilidad que las exigencias de la formación de profesionales de seguridad imponente. En este artículo, presentamos NEMESIS, un entorno para la generación de escenarios para la formación en seguridad de redes y sistemas, basado en tecnologías de virtualización que ha sido diseñado para ser abierto, distribuido, modular, escalable y flexible. Finalmente, se describe un escenario de ejemplo y se muestran resultados que validan los beneficios de su uso en cursos de seguridad informática de grad

Design and evaluation of a learning environment to effectively provide network security skills

Information system security and network security are topics of increasing importance in the information society. They are also topics where the adequate education of professionals requires the use of specific laboratory environments where the practical aspects of the discipline may be addressed. However, most approaches currently used are excessively static and lack the flexibility that the education requirements of security professionals demand. In this paper we present NEMESIS, a scenario generation framework for education on system and network security, which is based on virtualization technologies and has been designed to be open, distributed, modular, scalable and flexible. Finally, an example scenario is described and some results validating the benefits of its use in undergraduate computer security courses are shown.La seguridad de redes y sistemas de información es un área de importancia creciente en el ámbito de la sociedad de información. Además, constituye un tema en el que la adecuada formación de profesionales exige el uso de entornos de laboratorio específicos en los que abordar los aspectos prácticas de la disciplina. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las aproximación usadas en la actualidad son excesivamente estáticas y carecen de la flexibilidad que las exigencias de la formación de profesionales de seguridad imponente. En este artículo, presentamos NEMESIS, un entorno para la generación de escenarios para la formación en seguridad de redes y sistemas, basado en tecnologías de virtualización que ha sido diseñado para ser abierto, distribuido, modular, escalable y flexible. Finalmente, se describe un escenario de ejemplo y se muestran resultados que validan los beneficios de su uso en cursos de seguridad informática de grad

Virtual machines In Education

Abstract To provide education and particularly providing practical educational experiences to the students in the field of computing and information technology related courses including practical experience in the field of Networking, System Administration, and Operating Systems needs a lot of resources for the institution. Because this level of technical education can’t be provided only theoretically, students also need hands-on practical experience, and providing practical experience faces a lot of problems such as lack of funding and physical space, risks and threats to the network environment when we attempt to provide real, physical laboratory for experiments. This problem can be solved by developing a virtual environment for delivering students practical education. In this report we will look into different technologies used for virtualization today and do a comparative study. We will also explore some of the institutions, which are using virtual machines based environment to provide students practical experience in the field of computing and information Technology. And see how peoples are getting benefits from using virtual machines. We present how networks of virtual machines can be beneficiary for computing and information technology student and institutions by providing necessary environment in virtual network