Monitoring a virtual network infrastructure - An IaaS perspective

Monitoring a virtual network infrastructuresummary of the paper in Computer Communication Review

Nov. 2010DOI:10.1145/1880153.1880161

Augusto Ciuffoletti

24 gennaio 2012

Provisioning networking for an IaaS infrastructure

• The IaaS approach has been initially aimed mainly atstorage/computing resources

• Technology is ready to support the provision of networkresources as well

• There is demand for composite networking infrastructures(like Grids)

• However IaaS providers still offer flat LANs• We claim that the problem is in the interface between user

and provider

Provisioning networking for an IaaS infrastructure

• The IaaS approach has been initially aimed mainly atstorage/computing resources

• Technology is ready to support the provision of networkresources as well

• There is demand for composite networking infrastructures(like Grids)

• However IaaS providers still offer flat LANs• We claim that the problem is in the interface between user

and provider

Provisioning networking for an IaaS infrastructure

• The IaaS approach has been initially aimed mainly atstorage/computing resources

• Technology is ready to support the provision of networkresources as well

• There is demand for composite networking infrastructures(like Grids)

• However IaaS providers still offer flat LANs• We claim that the problem is in the interface between user

and provider

Provisioning networking for an IaaS infrastructure

• The IaaS approach has been initially aimed mainly atstorage/computing resources

• Technology is ready to support the provision of networkresources as well

• There is demand for composite networking infrastructures(like Grids)

• However IaaS providers still offer flat LANs

• We claim that the problem is in the interface between userand provider

Provisioning networking for an IaaS infrastructure

• The IaaS approach has been initially aimed mainly atstorage/computing resources

• Technology is ready to support the provision of networkresources as well

• There is demand for composite networking infrastructures(like Grids)

• However IaaS providers still offer flat LANs• We claim that the problem is in the interface between user

and provider

Why IaaS networking is difficult

• It is more difficult to describe a network than a host

• Quite evident: (topology, technology, throughput) versussingle option (small, medium, large)

• Monitoring and controlling the network is more complex• Less evident: explaining why and how to cope with is the

topic of the paper

Why IaaS networking is difficult

• It is more difficult to describe a network than a host• Quite evident: (topology, technology, throughput) versus

single option (small, medium, large)

• Monitoring and controlling the network is more complex• Less evident: explaining why and how to cope with is the

topic of the paper

Why IaaS networking is difficult

• It is more difficult to describe a network than a host• Quite evident: (topology, technology, throughput) versus

single option (small, medium, large)• Monitoring and controlling the network is more complex

• Less evident: explaining why and how to cope with is thetopic of the paper

Why IaaS networking is difficult

• It is more difficult to describe a network than a host• Quite evident: (topology, technology, throughput) versus

single option (small, medium, large)• Monitoring and controlling the network is more complex• Less evident: explaining why and how to cope with is the

topic of the paper

How to implement a network in the cloud

• The key technology is the virtual bridge (IEEE802.1Q)

• This technology is mature and available OTS• Implements an ethernet LAN over an arbitrary (bridged)

topology• Frames (layer 2) labeled with a virtual network identifier (VNI)• Bridges route labeled frames across ports based on a VNI• The same port can be associated with multiple VNI

How to implement a network in the cloud

• The key technology is the virtual bridge (IEEE802.1Q)• This technology is mature and available OTS

• Implements an ethernet LAN over an arbitrary (bridged)topology

• Frames (layer 2) labeled with a virtual network identifier (VNI)• Bridges route labeled frames across ports based on a VNI• The same port can be associated with multiple VNI

How to implement a network in the cloud

• The key technology is the virtual bridge (IEEE802.1Q)• This technology is mature and available OTS• Implements an ethernet LAN over an arbitrary (bridged)

topology

• Frames (layer 2) labeled with a virtual network identifier (VNI)• Bridges route labeled frames across ports based on a VNI• The same port can be associated with multiple VNI

How to implement a network in the cloud

• The key technology is the virtual bridge (IEEE802.1Q)• This technology is mature and available OTS• Implements an ethernet LAN over an arbitrary (bridged)

topology• Frames (layer 2) labeled with a virtual network identifier (VNI)

• Bridges route labeled frames across ports based on a VNI• The same port can be associated with multiple VNI

How to implement a network in the cloud

• The key technology is the virtual bridge (IEEE802.1Q)• This technology is mature and available OTS• Implements an ethernet LAN over an arbitrary (bridged)

topology• Frames (layer 2) labeled with a virtual network identifier (VNI)• Bridges route labeled frames across ports based on a VNI

• The same port can be associated with multiple VNI

How to implement a network in the cloud

• The key technology is the virtual bridge (IEEE802.1Q)• This technology is mature and available OTS• Implements an ethernet LAN over an arbitrary (bridged)

topology• Frames (layer 2) labeled with a virtual network identifier (VNI)• Bridges route labeled frames across ports based on a VNI• The same port can be associated with multiple VNI

Example

• An enterprise in a 3 floor building

• Logistics motivate a per floor cabling (left)

Example

• An enterprise in a 3 floor building• Logistics motivate a per floor cabling (left)

Example

• Usual bridges force network topology to follow logistics

• Instead enterprise organization might prefer a differentarrangement...

Example

• Usual bridges force network topology to follow logistics• Instead enterprise organization might prefer a different

arrangement...

Example

• Enterprise might prefer separate networks for desktops(VLAN1), printers (VLAN2) and archive (VLAN3)

• Each having an interface on each floor

Example

• Enterprise might prefer separate networks for desktops(VLAN1), printers (VLAN2) and archive (VLAN3)

• Each having an interface on each floor

Example

• The introduction of IEEE802.1Q bridges solves theproblem (right)

• Virtual LANs span across floors• Frames do not leak outside each VLAN (security)

Example

• The introduction of IEEE802.1Q bridges solves theproblem (right)

• Virtual LANs span across floors

• Frames do not leak outside each VLAN (security)

Example

• The introduction of IEEE802.1Q bridges solves theproblem (right)

• Virtual LANs span across floors• Frames do not leak outside each VLAN (security)

Bridging virtual hosts

• Inside a IaaS cloud, a real host in a data-centre implementsseveral virtual hosts

• An internal software bridge splits communication acrossvirtual TAP interfaces

• Virtual hosts appear as sharing a LAN• Routing through the provider infrastructure is transparent to

the user• Frames are confined within user’s virtual infrastructure• Frame routing is efficiently managed at layer 2• Virtual networks can be dynamically configured using a

spanning tree protocol

Bridging virtual hosts

• Inside a IaaS cloud, a real host in a data-centre implementsseveral virtual hosts

• An internal software bridge splits communication acrossvirtual TAP interfaces

• Virtual hosts appear as sharing a LAN• Routing through the provider infrastructure is transparent to

the user• Frames are confined within user’s virtual infrastructure• Frame routing is efficiently managed at layer 2• Virtual networks can be dynamically configured using a

spanning tree protocol

Bridging virtual hosts

• Inside a IaaS cloud, a real host in a data-centre implementsseveral virtual hosts

• An internal software bridge splits communication acrossvirtual TAP interfaces

• Virtual hosts appear as sharing a LAN

• Routing through the provider infrastructure is transparent tothe user

• Frames are confined within user’s virtual infrastructure• Frame routing is efficiently managed at layer 2• Virtual networks can be dynamically configured using a

spanning tree protocol

Bridging virtual hosts

• Inside a IaaS cloud, a real host in a data-centre implementsseveral virtual hosts

• An internal software bridge splits communication acrossvirtual TAP interfaces

• Virtual hosts appear as sharing a LAN• Routing through the provider infrastructure is transparent to

the user

• Frames are confined within user’s virtual infrastructure• Frame routing is efficiently managed at layer 2• Virtual networks can be dynamically configured using a

spanning tree protocol

Bridging virtual hosts

• Inside a IaaS cloud, a real host in a data-centre implementsseveral virtual hosts

• An internal software bridge splits communication acrossvirtual TAP interfaces

• Virtual hosts appear as sharing a LAN• Routing through the provider infrastructure is transparent to

the user• Frames are confined within user’s virtual infrastructure

• Frame routing is efficiently managed at layer 2• Virtual networks can be dynamically configured using a

spanning tree protocol

Bridging virtual hosts

• Inside a IaaS cloud, a real host in a data-centre implementsseveral virtual hosts

• An internal software bridge splits communication acrossvirtual TAP interfaces

• Virtual hosts appear as sharing a LAN• Routing through the provider infrastructure is transparent to

the user• Frames are confined within user’s virtual infrastructure• Frame routing is efficiently managed at layer 2

• Virtual networks can be dynamically configured using aspanning tree protocol

Bridging virtual hosts

• Inside a IaaS cloud, a real host in a data-centre implementsseveral virtual hosts

• An internal software bridge splits communication acrossvirtual TAP interfaces

• Virtual hosts appear as sharing a LAN• Routing through the provider infrastructure is transparent to

the user• Frames are confined within user’s virtual infrastructure• Frame routing is efficiently managed at layer 2• Virtual networks can be dynamically configured using a

spanning tree protocol

Network monitoring (in the age of the cloud)

• The user needs to monitor the performance of the network

• One basic need is load balancing• Network load is not covered by ordinary load balancing

services• In a composite network (not a 2-tiers WS), the provider

cannot anticipate what part of the network is under stress at acertain time

Network monitoring (in the age of the cloud)

• The user needs to monitor the performance of the network• One basic need is load balancing

• Network load is not covered by ordinary load balancingservices

• In a composite network (not a 2-tiers WS), the providercannot anticipate what part of the network is under stress at acertain time

Network monitoring (in the age of the cloud)

• The user needs to monitor the performance of the network• One basic need is load balancing• Network load is not covered by ordinary load balancing

services

• In a composite network (not a 2-tiers WS), the providercannot anticipate what part of the network is under stress at acertain time

Network monitoring (in the age of the cloud)

• The user needs to monitor the performance of the network• One basic need is load balancing• Network load is not covered by ordinary load balancing

services• In a composite network (not a 2-tiers WS), the provider

cannot anticipate what part of the network is under stress at acertain time

Example: Grid in the Cloud

• Depending on processing phase, different links areunder stress

Example: Grid in the Cloud

• Collection of experimental data: Data acquisition toStorage

Example: Grid in the Cloud

• Data retrieval: Storage to Web Server

Example: Grid in the Cloud

• Data processing: Storage to Computing resources

User configurable monitoring

• Under such circumstances, network monitoring requestscannot be anticipated by the provider

• The network monitoring activity should be dynamicallyconfigured by the user

• Configuration requires access to real and virtual networkinterfaces and to switching devices

• The provider wants to maintain control over these devices

User configurable monitoring

• Under such circumstances, network monitoring requestscannot be anticipated by the provider

• The network monitoring activity should be dynamicallyconfigured by the user

• Configuration requires access to real and virtual networkinterfaces and to switching devices

• The provider wants to maintain control over these devices

User configurable monitoring

• Under such circumstances, network monitoring requestscannot be anticipated by the provider

• The network monitoring activity should be dynamicallyconfigured by the user

• Configuration requires access to real and virtual networkinterfaces and to switching devices

• The provider wants to maintain control over these devices

User configurable monitoring

• Under such circumstances, network monitoring requestscannot be anticipated by the provider

• The network monitoring activity should be dynamicallyconfigured by the user

• Configuration requires access to real and virtual networkinterfaces and to switching devices

• The provider wants to maintain control over these devices

The network monitoring proxy

• A proxy interacts with the user willing to implement networkmonitoring

• A network of proxies covers the complex networkinginfrastructure of the provider

• The proxy configures network probes so that they are ready torespond to user requests in the expected way

• A proxy has an authority that may be limited to a part of theprovider infrastructure

The network monitoring proxy

• A proxy interacts with the user willing to implement networkmonitoring

• A network of proxies covers the complex networkinginfrastructure of the provider

• The proxy configures network probes so that they are ready torespond to user requests in the expected way

• A proxy has an authority that may be limited to a part of theprovider infrastructure

The network monitoring proxy

• A proxy interacts with the user willing to implement networkmonitoring

• A network of proxies covers the complex networkinginfrastructure of the provider

• The proxy configures network probes so that they are ready torespond to user requests in the expected way

• A proxy has an authority that may be limited to a part of theprovider infrastructure

The network monitoring proxy

• A proxy interacts with the user willing to implement networkmonitoring

• A network of proxies covers the complex networkinginfrastructure of the provider

• The proxy configures network probes so that they are ready torespond to user requests in the expected way

• A proxy has an authority that may be limited to a part of theprovider infrastructure

The network monitoring interface

• An interface must be provided between the user applicationand the proxy

• The interface should inform the user about relevant changesin the virtual topology

• The interface has the effect of restricting the authority of auser controlled sensor to owned traffic trunks

• The interface may be implemted using tools like SOAP,possibly embedded in a Enterprise System Bus

• For performance reasons the same interface is not used totransfer streams of sensor results

The network monitoring interface

• An interface must be provided between the user applicationand the proxy

• The interface should inform the user about relevant changesin the virtual topology

• The interface has the effect of restricting the authority of auser controlled sensor to owned traffic trunks

• The interface may be implemted using tools like SOAP,possibly embedded in a Enterprise System Bus

• For performance reasons the same interface is not used totransfer streams of sensor results

The network monitoring interface

• An interface must be provided between the user applicationand the proxy

• The interface should inform the user about relevant changesin the virtual topology

• The interface has the effect of restricting the authority of auser controlled sensor to owned traffic trunks

• The interface may be implemted using tools like SOAP,possibly embedded in a Enterprise System Bus

• For performance reasons the same interface is not used totransfer streams of sensor results

The network monitoring interface

• An interface must be provided between the user applicationand the proxy

• The interface should inform the user about relevant changesin the virtual topology

• The interface has the effect of restricting the authority of auser controlled sensor to owned traffic trunks

• The interface may be implemted using tools like SOAP,possibly embedded in a Enterprise System Bus

• For performance reasons the same interface is not used totransfer streams of sensor results

The network monitoring interface

• An interface must be provided between the user applicationand the proxy

• The interface should inform the user about relevant changesin the virtual topology

• The interface has the effect of restricting the authority of auser controlled sensor to owned traffic trunks

• The interface may be implemted using tools like SOAP,possibly embedded in a Enterprise System Bus

• For performance reasons the same interface is not used totransfer streams of sensor results

Data streaming

• Data are treated as a stream flowing from the sensor to theuser

• The stream may be encoded for security purposes• The stream may travel using owned traffic trunks

Data streaming

• Data are treated as a stream flowing from the sensor to theuser

• The stream may be encoded for security purposes

• The stream may travel using owned traffic trunks

Data streaming

• Data are treated as a stream flowing from the sensor to theuser

• The stream may be encoded for security purposes• The stream may travel using owned traffic trunks

Grid legacy: Monalisa

• Distributed infrastructure management

• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Dynamic control of sensors• Fully deployed• BUT• Monitoring controlled by Grid Admin• Data stored in SQL repositories and retrieved to users

Grid legacy: Monalisa

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools

• Dynamic control of sensors• Fully deployed• BUT• Monitoring controlled by Grid Admin• Data stored in SQL repositories and retrieved to users

Grid legacy: Monalisa

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Dynamic control of sensors

• Fully deployed• BUT• Monitoring controlled by Grid Admin• Data stored in SQL repositories and retrieved to users

Grid legacy: Monalisa

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Dynamic control of sensors• Fully deployed

• BUT• Monitoring controlled by Grid Admin• Data stored in SQL repositories and retrieved to users

Grid legacy: Monalisa

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Dynamic control of sensors• Fully deployed• BUT

• Monitoring controlled by Grid Admin• Data stored in SQL repositories and retrieved to users

Grid legacy: Monalisa

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Dynamic control of sensors• Fully deployed• BUT• Monitoring controlled by Grid Admin

• Data stored in SQL repositories and retrieved to users

Grid legacy: Monalisa

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Dynamic control of sensors• Fully deployed• BUT• Monitoring controlled by Grid Admin• Data stored in SQL repositories and retrieved to users

Grid legacy: Monalisa

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Dynamic control of sensors• Fully deployed• BUT• Monitoring controlled by Grid Admin• Data stored in SQL repositories and retrieved to users

Rigid, hardly scalable

Grid legacy: GD2

• Distributed infrastructure management

• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Sensors are controlled by user application• Monitoring sessions activated on demand• Data returned to the user with an UDP stream• BUT• only a proof of concept implementation

Grid legacy: GD2

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools

• Sensors are controlled by user application• Monitoring sessions activated on demand• Data returned to the user with an UDP stream• BUT• only a proof of concept implementation

Grid legacy: GD2

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Sensors are controlled by user application

• Monitoring sessions activated on demand• Data returned to the user with an UDP stream• BUT• only a proof of concept implementation

Grid legacy: GD2

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Sensors are controlled by user application• Monitoring sessions activated on demand

• Data returned to the user with an UDP stream• BUT• only a proof of concept implementation

Grid legacy: GD2

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Sensors are controlled by user application• Monitoring sessions activated on demand• Data returned to the user with an UDP stream

• BUT• only a proof of concept implementation

Grid legacy: GD2

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Sensors are controlled by user application• Monitoring sessions activated on demand• Data returned to the user with an UDP stream• BUT

• only a proof of concept implementation

Grid legacy: GD2

• Distributed infrastructure management• Glues together diverse monitoring tools• Sensors are controlled by user application• Monitoring sessions activated on demand• Data returned to the user with an UDP stream• BUT• only a proof of concept implementation

Grid legacy: GD2

• Host A issues a network monitoring request (e.g.,bandwidth from X to Y)...

• that is taken in charge by the proxy in A’s domain...

Grid legacy: GD2

• Host A issues a network monitoring request (e.g.,bandwidth from X to Y)...

• that is taken in charge by the proxy in A’s domain...

Grid legacy: GD2

• that has authority to control a relevant sensor (agent ingd2 terms)...

• and data are returned to the originating host as astream.

Grid legacy: GD2

• that has authority to control a relevant sensor (agent ingd2 terms)...

• and data are returned to the originating host as astream.

Grid legacy: GD2

In principle this might be implemented in a virtualinfrastructure, using virtual components

Conclusions

• the techniques for complex networks in the cloud are availableOTS

• the hard issue is the control of the virtual network• network monitoring must be translated from virtual to real

(and back)• an effective infrastructure takes into accout multi-domain use

cases for scalability

Conclusions

• the techniques for complex networks in the cloud are availableOTS

• the hard issue is the control of the virtual network

• network monitoring must be translated from virtual to real(and back)

• an effective infrastructure takes into accout multi-domain usecases for scalability

Conclusions

• the techniques for complex networks in the cloud are availableOTS

• the hard issue is the control of the virtual network• network monitoring must be translated from virtual to real

(and back)

• an effective infrastructure takes into accout multi-domain usecases for scalability

Conclusions

• the techniques for complex networks in the cloud are availableOTS

• the hard issue is the control of the virtual network• network monitoring must be translated from virtual to real

(and back)• an effective infrastructure takes into accout multi-domain use

cases for scalability

Thank you!

Full reference:Augusto Ciuffoletti. Monitoring a virtual network infrastructure: an IaaSperspective. SIGCOMM Comput. Commun. Rev. 40, 5 47-52.DOI=10.1145/1880153.1880161http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1880153.1880161

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