CS 283Computer Networks Spring 2013 Instructor: Yuan Xue

Deterlab Tutorial Material from:

What is Deterlab?  Deterlab is a security-enhanced experimental infrastructure (based on Emulab) that supports repeatable medium-scale networking (security ) experiments.  You can have control of a pool of real PC experimental nodes that are assigned, interconnected with high-speed links in a nearly-arbitrary topologies, loaded with software and monitored remotely.  Doesn’t it sound cool?! More details:

How does Deterlab work?  The software running Deterlab will load operating system images onto free nodes (rebooting the machine), reconfigure programmable switches to create VLANs according to the specified topology, then execute specified scripts, and/or install rpm files, etc.  Every experiment node has at least two interfaces, connected to  “Control network” route control info  Experiment network” route your experiment traffic More details: users.isi.deterlab.net

Start an experiment  Login to Deterlab using your account (  Deterlab system should have ed to you about your account information  Go to “Experimentation” menu at the top of the page  Click “Begin an experiment”  More details: [username-experimentname] Syntax check before submit Immediately Or swap in later Use default values

Start an experiment  Load a NS file specifying the network topology or use GUI to generate it.  On the side bar “Swap Experiment in”  Waiting… set ns [new Simulator] source tb_compat.tcl set nodeA [$ns node] set router [$ns node] set nodeB [$ns node] set nodeC [$ns node] set link0 [$ns duplex-link $router $nodeA 30Mb 50ms DropTail] set lan0 [$ns make-lan "$nodeB $nodeC $router " 100Mb 0ms] $ns rtproto Static $ns run

Start an experiment  View experiment configuration information. An invisible node added between two nodes to simulate link delay, loss, etc. Qualified Name: the “control interface” of experimental nodes. It will not change with different “swap in” Physical: actual allocation for your experiment. It will change every time you swap in your experiment. IP/Mask: IP addresses for your specified experiment network. In your experiment, using IP addresses of the nodes. Don’t use Qualified Name or Physical. Otherwise, the traffic goes thru “Control network”, not “Experiment Network”.

Start an experiment  More on NS file   Add link loss set ns [new Simulator] source tb_compat.tcl set nodeA [$ns node] set router [$ns node] set nodeB [$ns node] set nodeC [$ns node] set link0 [$ns duplex-link $router $nodeA 30Mb 50ms DropTail] tb-set-link-loss $link set lan0 [$ns make-lan "$nodeB $nodeC $router " 100Mb 0ms] $ns rtproto Static $ns run

Access an experiment  ssh (Secure Shell) to users.isi.deterlab.net using your account, which is the “Control Server” for your experiment.  Once you log into users.isi.deterlab.net, you can ssh to the experiment nodes using either their control network interface names  physical NodeIDs (such as bpcXXX or pcXXX)  “Qualified Name” (in format yournodename.experimentname.projectname.isi.deterlab.net, e.g., nodeA.test.VandyCS283.isi.deterlab.net.)  All your files/data can be uploaded and stored at your HOME directory at: users.isi.deterlab.net. They are all automatically visible to all experimental nodes via NFS. More details:

Perform Assignment  Perform your assignment via accessing experimental nodes.  Save your work at HOME directory at experimental nodes, also visible to your control node. They all map to one identify place. Make sure you save your work and there is no confliction among your saved work.  Access the online grading system while the experiment is swapped-in. (Detailed instruction of using online grading system will be given in each Lab assignment. )  After you are done with experiment and get it graded. Please swap out the experiment to relinquish physical resources. Don’t “terminate” the experiment unless you don’t want to repeat it again.  Note: every time you swap in, the machine will change, which may affect your software configuration and require you reinstall/recompile those software.