GENI and Software Defined Networking/OpenFlow for Universities: Motivation, Strategy, and Uses Jim Bottum Vice Provost and CIO Kuang-Ching KC Wang Holcombe Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Bottum, Wang Clemson University 1July

Outline GENI and OpenFlow/SDN: What are they? Why bring OpenFlow/SDN to campus? –For research and education –For IT operation OpenFlow at Clemson –OpenFlow deployment –Academic and IT use cases Bottum, Wang Clemson University July

Cyberinfrastructure (CI) as University Backbone: Connecting People, Connecting Technologies Cyberinfrastructure is the primary backbone that ties together innovation in research, instruction, and service to elevate Clemson to the Top 20 Doris Helms Provost A university is an institution of higher education and research Wikipedia Bottum, Wang Clemson University 6July

Research Areas Leveraging GENI/OpenFlow To Date CIO office facilitated creation of cross-department faculty groups in different areas to explore CI use –Health care, GIS, transportation, energy, bioscience, arts & humanities, parks & recreation, architecture. 10+ faculty working on funded research using GENI –Wired/wireless networking, network security, P2P computing, reconfigurable computing, cloud computing, automotive & transportation, smart energy grid IT + faculty + student team on applied IT research –Undergraduate creative inquiry teams –Campus internship program + 4-year IT curriculum –Porting OpenFlow for IT service, e.g., security data analysis network, datacenter data transfer, identity management Bottum, Wang Clemson University 9July

Why University Needs More than Fast Networks Bottum, Wang Clemson University 8 Increasing education service complexity –Complex education software (e.g., Blackboard) –Distributed, remote education Increasing research demand of IT resources –With the same or less budget –CI needs across disciplines –Demand for cost effective IT infrastructure Increasing production service liability –In a harsh world –Campus safety and disaster preparedness –Critical applications (internal/external enterprise services) –Security exploits July

… And THE CLOUD is coming! Bottum, Wang Clemson University 12 [Cloud Computing implies that networks are dynamic things that automatically take you to where your data may be] [your network engineers are hiding under their desks] July

External Drivers Internet2 Innovation Platform Condo of condos SC Cloud Dell CoE HPC in cloud Social Media Listening Center CU-ICAR automotive research testbed E-Health Medicaid service delivery Bottum, Wang Clemson University 13July

University has Increasing IT Services Needing More Sustainable/Reliable Process Bottum, Wang Clemson University 10 Wide area network service distributed campuses, partner institutes Data center hosting services disaster recovery preparedness Unified campus network monitoring/management infrastructure Cyberinfrastructure across disciplines July

Configuring Network and Compute Hosts Needs Intensive Labor and Experience Bottum, Wang Clemson University 11 There are at least two problems with that… The control plane is configurable, but not arbitrarily changeable Each device has its own isolated control plane [Networks never evolve…] […they just get more complex.] July

OpenFlow/SDN on Campus: Naïve? Brilliant? Bottum, Wang Clemson University 14 Well, its not quite that simple. But, consider this… What is a nightmare to a network engineer… SDN lets you leverage this and creates real engagement between IT and Academics! July

Internet Today is Problematic for R&E, Operation Bottum, Wang Clemson University 15 Wireless Access Networks Servers (Data Centers) Core: Ethernet, IP, MPLS, TE, BGP, OSPF Vehicle Networks Enterprise Networks Sensor/actuator Networks Transports: TCP/UDP/RTP + others Applications: Numerous Network: IP Link/Physical: Numerous Protocol Stack View IP is the narrow waist Protocols used today are Very complex! Not taught in classes! Research challenge? No idea! Complex to configure! OK, GENI will change this. But how, and where to start? Why OpenFlow/SDN is the start? July

First, Identify the Key Strengths of OpenFlow/SDN Software Defined Networking (SDN) –OpenFlow as one first commercial SDN solution –Network controlled by software controllers – automated operation –Centralized network view – simplified validation and management –Virtualized infrastructure – seamless, secured/isolated sharing Bottum, Wang Clemson University 16 SDN/OpenFlow Controllers Internet Wireless Access Networks Mobile Networks Sensor/actuator Networks Servers (Data Centers) Enterprise Networks July

Creation SDN/OpenFlow From Birth to Maturity Bottum, Wang Clemson University 17 Trials Commercialization Application July

Campus OpenFlow Deployment Strategy Be cautious –Theres a learning curve –Youll feel worried for a while –You will need help Bottum, Wang Clemson University 18 OpenFlow Controllers Internet Wireless Access Networks Vehicle Networks Sensor/actuator Networks Servers (Data Centers) Enterprise Networks –Be positive Its our mission We can do this –We can take risks –We never run out of brains July

SDN Deployment at Clemson – Our Strategy Make it useful –Discover potential users –Build a community Do it incrementally –Implement real use cases –Collaborate with vendors Make it sustainable –IT-academic collaborative operation –Innovative funding model Bottum, Wang Clemson University 19July

Make It Useful – Discover New Users They may not know its good for them yet! Bottum, Wang Clemson University 20 OpenFlow Campus Trial Security w/ Brooks Clemson Pervasive P2P w/ Shen Clemson Network Coding w/ Ramanathan, UW-Madison EAGER experiments Accelerated Cloud w/ Smith Clemson SDR w/ Noneaker Clemson NetFPGA lab Campus operation & expansion GENI Racks InstaGENI, ExoGENI GENI WiMAX w/UW-Madison Spiral 4 OpenFlow Mesh and Mobility Management OpenFlow wireless On-demand VM Cloud w/ Goasguen (CS) IT Engagement; CI Team Data Analysis Network w/ CCIT + CI Team Faculty: 1Student G: 2 UG: 1Engineers: 2Student G: 3 UG: 7Engineers: 3Faculty: 5Student G: 9 UG: 8Student G: 11 UG: 8Student G: 13 UG: 8Faculty: 7Faculty: 8Faculty: 10Engineers: 5 July

Make It Useful – Data Analysis Networks Bottum, Wang Clemson University 21 Security group has been asking for distributed analysis solution Server group has been asking for application tracking solution July

Make It Useful – Large Data Transport Enhancement Bottum, Wang Clemson University 22 Steroid OpenFlow Service (SOS) by Aaron Rosen and KC Wang Seamless TCP throughput upgrade, e.g., 2.5 Mbps à 120 Mbps Multipath support Automatic site agent detection Upcoming demos of SOS: NSF 12 th GENI conference, Kansas City, MO. Supercomputing 2011, Seattle, WA. July

Example: SOS Experiment on GENI Bottum, Wang Clemson University 23July

Make It Useful – Data Center Disaster Recovery Bottum, Wang Clemson University 24 Net CNet D Net A Net B Application server Client M Provider A OF controller Provider B OF controller (or non-OF) Provider A or partners OF controller Provider A or partners OF controller Client Ms Personalization server From reactive to proactive networking –Mobile IP: Distributed, reactive (long latency), requires compatible agents everywhere, provider-dictated –OpenFlow: Centralized, proactive, solutions for diverse network scenarios, opportunities for both provider and client customization OpenFlow tunnel July

Campus Incremental Deployment Bottum, Wang Clemson University 25July

Regional OpenFlow Connectivity Bottum, Wang Clemson University 26July

Make It Sustainable – Deep IT Integration To facilitate sustained growth and leverage the power of all parties in University to stay creative, we need a new model. –Students Graduate research assistants Undergraduate Creative Inquiry program Undergraduate IT internship program + curriculum –Network engineers Support researchers deploy and operate GENI Operate GENI in production use Innovative institute use cases –Faculty Research Teaching Bottum, Wang Clemson University 27 IT ResearchTeaching July

Make it Sustainable – Funding Model Research grants + IT support –NSF GENI OpenFlow Campus Trial project –CCIT cost share (engineers, space, server, travel) –Other research grants leveraging OpenFlow network Cybersecurity testbed Automotive and transportation testbed University IT internship program –Sustained university investment in IT evolution Partnerships –Corporate partnership –Regional/city partnership (e.g., US-IGNITE) Bottum, Wang Clemson University 28July

FURTHER QUESTIONS Bottum, Wang Clemson University 29July