Active Virtual Private Network Services

1
Active Virtual Private Network Services

• Alex Galis
• Visiting Professor
• University College London
• a.galis_at_ee.ucl.ac.uk

Interworking2000 3-6 October 2000
2
Structure Scope of Presentation

• Introduction to Active Networks

• Flexibility and Usage of Mobile Agents in the
  development of Management Systems
• Novel Active Service AVP
• MIAMI Project

Alex Galis - UCL Stefan Covaci - PopNet
Agentscape

• FAIN Project and Motivation
• FAIN Node Architecture
• Conclusions

2
3
Introduction to Active Networks
Presently in IP networks,

• routers (nodes) examine destination addresses,
  then determines which neighbour to forward the
  packet
• smart hosts on network edges, connected by
  routers
• network APIs define virtual machine that
  interprets a specific language for the Internet
  Protocol (IP)
• limited values can be placed in that field in the
  IP header of a packet
• limited user control over networks behaviour

3
4
Introduction to Active Networks (contd)
Active Networks,

• routers (nodes) extensively programmed by the
  packets passing through them, under the users
  control
• intermediate routers perform computations up to
  the application layer
• seen as providing programmable network
• if IP header seen as input data to virtual
  machine, packets in active networks contain
  programs as well as input data

4
5
Present IP Packet Routing

• Model Store and Forward

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6
Active Node Packet Routing

• Model Store, COMPUTE and Forward!

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7
Performance Vs. Flexibility
P4
155 Mb/s
SNAP
PAN
100 Mb/s
80 Mb/s
PLAN
60 Mb/s
ALIEN
16 Mb/s
ANTS
Flexibility of System as demonstrated
8
Management of ATM Networks

• MIAMI Mobile Intelligent Agents for Managing
  the Information Infrastructure
• Main goals
• To provide a unified mobile intelligent agent
  framework
• To develop mobile agent solutions for the
  management of telecom networks

9
Business Model
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Active Virtual Pipe
Communication when you need it and as you need it
Active VPN
- dynamic topology
- dynamically customised features (bw,
QoS, PM, FM capabilities)
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Configuration Management
Client Agent
Factory Agent
Configuration Manager Agent
Element Manager Agent
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Results

• User control and programmability through
  high-level, dynamic interfaces
• Increase on the efficiency and flexibility of the
  provisioning and execution of network management
  procedures
• Lightweight service and network management
  components
• Agent management systems for ATM Nets
• Active Virtual Pipe- an active service

13
FAIN Project and Motivation

• network architecture based on novel active node
  concepts
• flexible vs. usability vs. security vs.
  performance
• foundation for building active network-based
  solutions
• novel node architecture to establish demarcation
  between various actors and roles in the
  enterprise model for telecommunications

7
14
Main Project Objective

• To develop and validate an open, programmable and
  dependable active network architecture via
• active network, node and management architectures
• pan-European international active network
  infrastructure
• active services policy-based network management
  dynamic provisioning of protocols

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15
FAIN Active Node Architecture
Application
Application
Active Applications

• Execution Environments
• Implementing different Network APIs
• Each network API contains a composition mechanism
  for service creation
• Network APIs go beyond static APIs taking the
  form of a programming language.
• Within EEs different programming methodologies
  and network technologies are realised

EE 1 (Capsule)
EE 2 (IPv4)
EE 3 (other)
NodeOS

• Node OS
• Resource Management Control
• Security Enforcement Engine

Hardware (Physical resources)
B6
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FAIN Active Node Architecture
FAIN Active Network Node (ANN) Infrastructure
Service Execution Layer
Mobile Agent EE
DPE-based EE
High Performance EE
Node API
Node Operating System (NodeOS)
Security mgmt
Service Provision
Network mgmt
Node Kernel
API
Open Router Interface/
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Virtual Active Customer Network Management
Generic Management service (Virtual Active
Consumer Network Management)
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AN Network Management Architecture
Provider Network Management Node
AN Management Station/Node
AN Node
AN Manag. Facilities
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Network Management Topology
Manag. Node
AN Node
Manag. Node
Manag. Node
AN Node
AN Node
Physical Link
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FAIN Project (review)

• The Active Network Node forms the backbone of the
  active network
• A three-tier novel node architecture is envisaged
• A generic framework for developing elements in an
  active network
• Dynamic customisation of multiple EEs will also
  be realised
• Virtual Active Consumer Network Management

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Conclusions

• Active networks an evolution in IP networks
• A novel active node architecture in FAIN
  www.ist-fain.org
• To be tested and validated via a large-scale
  implementation
• Benefits in the creation and management of many
  new services

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Conclusions - Benefits ( cont.)

• Active Networks will speed-up network evolution
• New business models for network control and
  management
• End-user programmability
• Active Management Management of Active Networks
  will be a crucial objective to achieve

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FAIN IST- 10561 Project Partners

• University College London UK
• Jozef Stefan Institute Slovenia
• National Technical University of Athens Greece
• Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya Spain
• Deutsche Telekom/ T-Nona Germany
• France Telecom/CNET France
• KPN Netherlands
• Hitachi Europe Ltd. UK
• Hitachi Ltd. Japan
• Siemens AG Germany
• ETH Zurich Switzerland
• GMD Fokus GmbH Germany
• IKV GmbH Germany
• INTERGAsys Spain
• University of Pennsylvania USA

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Back-up Slides
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Enterprise Model
FAIN Scope
Consumer Domain
AN Solutions Provider Domain
(Active NW) Application Provider
Protocol Provider
Mgmt. Service Provider
RP5
RP4
RP6
RP3
AN Provider Domain
Active Network Operator
Customer / User
RP7
RP8
RP2
Active Middleware Provider
RP1
Active Node Vendor
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Network Architecture
FAIN AN Architecture Scope
AN Solutions Provider Domain
Consumer Domain
...
RP5 Interface
...
Policy Mgmt.
Service Creation Environment (Appl. Provider)
Dynamic Protocol Provisioning
NW Resource Mgmt.
RP4 Interface
RP3 Interface
AN enabledApplication (Appl. Provider Controlled)
RP6 Interface
AN Operator Domain
FAIN AN Infrastructure
AN enabledApplication (Customer Controlled)
RP7 Interface
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Service Management Model
Service
Service Management
Consumers Directory
Consumer
Consumer
Consumer
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Summary Issues

• Setting up Management of a generic service
  (Virtual Active Consumer Network Management -
  VACNM per Consumer)
• VACNM Isolation between customers
• Negotiates CNM resources
• CNM resource reservation management

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Active Network Programmability Models

• an execution environment (EE) can be created by,
  or on behalf of the end-user to meet
  application-specific requirements
• out-of-band integrated programmable switch
  approach
• in-band discrete capsule approach
• nonetheless, present research (ALIEN)
  demonstrated a design which would prove
  compatibility between these approaches

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Shift in Networking Paradigm
Programmable Networks
Operating Systems
Object Oriented
Programming Languages
Computational Model
Routing Control
Packet Forwarding
QoS
Communication Model
B1
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Motivation behind the Shift

• Increased functionality introduced in the network
  (e.g Diffserv, firewalls, multicasting etc.)
• Interoperability among the diversity of
  architectures and platforms is rapidly becoming a
  major problem
• Current mode of vertical integration impedes
  rapid service creation and deployment.
• Standardisation for introducing new services is a
  time consuming effort with uncertain results.
• Opening-up market and redefining business roles

B2
32
Objectives of Programmable Networks

• To define an architectural framework within which
  interoperability may be realised while preserving
  backward compatibility.
• Rapid service creation, composition and
  deployment by developing component-based toolkits
  and defining open programmable network
  interfaces.
• Not to compromise on security and performance
  while increasing, where possible, the levels
  thereof.

B4
33
A New Network Programming Model Two Schools of
Thoughts
Active Networks
OpenSig IEEE P1520
Different architectural approaches
Variety of technologies solutions
Targeting certain objectives
B5
34
Active Node Alternative Perspective

• Execution Environments
• Implementing different Network APIs
• Each network API contains a composition mechanism
  for service creation
• Network APIs go beyond static APIs taking the
  form of a programming language.
• Within EEs different programming methodologies
  and network technologies are realised

EE 1 (Capsule)
EE 2 (IPv4)
EE 3 (other)

• Node OS
• Resource Management Control
• Security Enforcement Engine

NodeOS
Hardware (Physical resources)
B6
35
The Active Network Programming Model

• Program encoding to implement the programming
  environment in nodes.
• Mobility
• Safety
• Efficiency
• Node resources their allocation
• Resource representation
• Policy enforcement mechanisms
• Common Primitives i.e.built-in facilities
  available.

B8
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IEEE P1520 Programmable Interfaces for Networks

• To standardise a set of open programmable network
  interfaces by modelling communication hardware
  and established services.
• Impact Opens up node resources
• Interfaces are organised in a layered
  architecture of interfaces characterised by their
  scope and type of services they provide.
• Three sub-working groups
• ATM
• IP Routers
• Media Gateways
• Clear separation of transport control / mgmt
  planes

B9
37
Overall Breakdown of Costs
B10
38
Active Router Control (ARC)

• IP Router/Forwarders co-located with Active
  Elements

IP
IP
Active Element
IP
IP
B11
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IST Cluster
B3