Passive Infrastructure: Opportunities and Challenges

1
Passive Infrastructure Opportunities and
Challenges

• Jörg Micheel
• NLANR/MNA
• San Diego Supercomputer Center / UCSD
• ltjoerg_at_nlanr.netgt

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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.

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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
• Wont necessarily be an exact fit to your
  particular needs - inconvenience factor for the
  individual is unavoidable
• Corollary dont judge the impact of an
  infrastructure by the tip of the iceberg that is
  sticking out

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 comms to be
  computed in real time
• Potential to launch new kind of network
  management framework and services

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Challenges in conductingPassive 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

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Public versus Private
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Infrastructure drives Technology
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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