Passive Infrastructure: Opportunities and Challenges

J örg Micheel NLANR/MNA San Diego Supercomputer Center / UCSD PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 1

define: infrastructure

• “The term refers to the often unseen network of services provided for the community. Infrastructure that territorial councils provide includes roads, water, wastewater and stormwater pipes, treatment facilities and parks.” • “The framework of interdependent networks and systems comprising identifiable industries, institutions (including people and procedures), and distribution capabilities that provide a reliable flow of products and services essential to the defense and economic security of the United States, the smooth functioning of governments at all levels, and society as a whole.” • “Goods and services which, while in themselves not normally directly productive, are regarded as essential to the functioning of a developing economy. Infrastructure includes such things as power, transport, roads, housing, education, health and other social services.” PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 2

So infrastructure is …

• Network of systems, policies, structures • In itself non-productive • Serving the community • Providing a reliable flow of products • Essential to a developing economy and the society as a whole • A cheap way of getting a lot done!

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But infrastructure is also …

• A large scale investment, often under budget pressure • Which requires an organization and specialized, experienced staff for development and maintenance • Inertia due to size: dynamics often in conflict with a rapidly changing environment • Common denominator – serve the nine tenth of the iceberg that is under water • Won’t necessarily be an exact fit to your particular needs - inconvenience factor for the individual is unavoidable • Corollary: don’t judge the impact of an infrastructure by the tip of the iceberg that is sticking out PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 4

This workshop is an opportunity

• To define the infrastructures that you think will best address the needs of the network and research communities • To search for

common denominators

: types, scale, support, interaction, goals, targets, timelines • To ensure the resources will be there if and when you need them for your future research PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 5

PMA infrastructure

• Serve the network research community with readily available data for analysis of the evolving nature of the Internet • Support research networks with needed performance data on HPC network links • Provide for a historical track record that can be studied retrospectively PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 6

PMA strategic planning (2001)

• View IP header trace files as “movie clips” or snapshots from real world of packet level communications • Preserve base line 8x90 seconds historic sampling • Diversify locations: access, aggregate, backbone, wireless, research vs. commodity Internet • Diversify visible window: hours, days, weeks, 24x7 • Provide timing details at single point (router instrumentations) and multiple points (GPS/CDMA) • Push real time analysis to provide instantaneous richer views of packet network behaviour PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 7

PMA strategic planning (2005)

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PMA strategic planning (2005)

• Aligned with the research agenda of the community • Coarse grained, hitting major targets on the way • Things that cannot be achieved by individual research groups • Things that take time to accomplish, things that have lasting time span PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 9

Opportunities in conducting Passive Measurement & Analysis

• Most precise way of reflecting the inner workings of packet level communications • Non-interference or second-guessing • Direct attachment of CPU to network data link allows for new models of network comm’s to be computed in real time • Potential to launch new kind of network management framework and services PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 10

Challenges in conducting Passive Measurement & Analysis

• Costly to begin with (at present) • Technologically demanding (OCxMON) • Networks and links under constant change • Difficult to provide dense coverage • Research questions are moving target • Security of infrastructure is ongoing concern • Data sensitivity gets in the way of certain analysis works PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 11

Public versus Private

General purpose infrastructure Multiple smaller facilities Serves the need of the community at large (all that’s under water) Serves a specific purpose only (tip of the iceberg) Sacrifices the needs of individuals and small groups Addresses the needs of small groups Cost efficient for the bulk of all problems Very little flexibility, difficult to adapt apart from strategic goals Data easy to find for others Your favourite soap box … Expense targeted to selected problems only Very flexible for particular needs, useless for others No data to correlate … here.

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Infrastructure drives Technology

Technology OC192MON Infrastructure Research and Operations Router instrumentation, backbone instrumentation End-to-end facilities available to all users 13 March 30th, 2005 PAM2005, Boston, MA

Questions to be answered

• Purpose of measurements and infrastructure – who is the audience and what are the goals • Public and/or (multiple) private infrastructure(s) • Level of engagement (size) • Data collection and analysis schedule • Feedback and interaction between infrastructure and community PAM2005, Boston, MA March 30th, 2005 14