Management for IP-based Applications

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Management for IP-based Applications

• Mike Fisher
• BTexaCT
• Research
• mike.fisher_at_bt.com

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Introduction

• Future networks and applications
• Active Networks
• Management Problems
• Active Management

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Evolution of the Internet

• Demand for new applications/ customisation
• Infrastructure cant keep pace with application
  explosion
• Multimedia
• need for QoS, correlated flows, multipoint
• Control of end-to-end application performance
• Flexible infrastructure and adaptable management

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Multi-owner Network
Public Network
Administrator 3
Administrator 2
Administrator 1
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Programmable Networks

• computation in the network, not just routing
• users can introduce programs
• delegate control and responsibility
• improved resilience to change
• increased risks from sharing control

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Active Network Technology

• Dynamically update software on network element to
  change node behaviour
• Users/Operators/Value-Added Service Providers
  create new services to run on active nodes
• Active nodes include routers, proxies, firewalls
  etc
• Two categories
• capsule-based approach - packets may contain both
  data and active code to be executed at node
• discrete approach - active code downloaded
  out-of-band from code libraries/caches

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Locating Active Programmability
Core network devices
Edge devices
Border devices
Host
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P1520 reference model
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Architectural Requirements

• Divide programmability
• Active Router
• OSI layer-3 functions
• embedded scripts or programs, from trusted
  sources
• low memory and computational power
• Active Server
• application layer active networking
• many specialised nodes
• transcoding node requires efficient maths
  operations
• node supporting active caching require
  high-performance I/O

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Active Architecture
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Active Router Architecture
ACP
L Interface
Route
Other
IIOP
Controller
Node Agent
XML/HTTP
EE
L- Interface
Event
Routing
Extended
Proxylet
Other
Proxylet
Table
Service
EE
Standard Router
Packet Flow
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Active Server
Monitor Interface
Proxylet Server (push cache)
Policy Server (push cache)
Server
Client
Control Interface
Control Interface
Control Interface
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Active Virtual Networkvirtual space
normal link
active server
router
active router
virtual network link
client
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Management problems

• High percentage of IP VPN costs
• New features (e.g. multicast, QoS) do not get
  added
• Changing MIBs is extremely difficult
• Centralised control model limits scaling
• Inefficient information flows
• Manual intervention
• Made worse by demands of new applications

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A solution?

• Minimise operator intervention
• Enable flexible addition of features
• Support diverse information models
• Use high-level policy-based interfaces
• Distribute and delegate
• Give responsibility to customers
• Active Management System

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Active Management

• No central point of control
• Autonomous decision making based on policies and
  local knowledge
• Dynamically introduce
• new active server types
• new policy sets
• new mechanisms for policy storage and retrieval
• new algorithms for policy decisions and
  enforcement

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Active Management

• Hierarchical
• Autonomous

Admins
Management agent
Autonomous controller
Users
EEP
Proxylets
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Management agent
Execution Policy
EEP
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Summary

• Flexibility in services demands an active
  approach
• Two levels of programmability
• active server
• active router
• Approach to management
• programmable infrastructure
• delegate application management
• Policy-based active management required