EmuStack: An OpenStack-Based DTN Network Emulation Platform (Extended Version)

Abstract

With the advancement of computing and network virtualization technology, the networking research community shows great interest in network emulation. Compared with network simulation, network emulation can provide more relevant and comprehensive details. In this paper, EmuStack, a large-scale real-time emulation platform for Delay Tolerant Network (DTN), is proposed. EmuStack aims at empowering network emulation to become as simple as network simulation. Based on OpenStack, distributed synchronous emulation modules are developed to enable EmuStack to implement synchronous and dynamic, precise, and real-time network emulation. Meanwhile, the lightweight approach of using Docker container technology and network namespaces allows EmuStack to support a (up to hundreds of nodes) large-scale topology with only several physical nodes. In addition, EmuStack integrates the Linux Traffic Control (TC) tools with OpenStack for managing and emulating the virtual link characteristics which include variable bandwidth, delay, loss, jitter, reordering, and duplication. Finally, experiences with our initial implementation suggest the ability to run and debug experimental network protocol in real time. EmuStack environment would bring qualitative change in network research works.

Cloud-Based Experimental Platform for the Space-Ground Integrated Network

“…As cloud platforms and virtualization technologies have evolved to be capable of supporting scalable and highfidelity virtual networks, network emulation based on cloud platforms and virtualization has become an emerging research trend [15,16]. For example, based on a commodity cloud platform, a network protocol emulation platform called CloudNet was implemented in [17]; by means of a lightweight virtualization technique called LXC containers, CloudNet is scalable to thousand-node emulated networks.…”

“…For example, based on a commodity cloud platform, a network protocol emulation platform called CloudNet was implemented in [17]; by means of a lightweight virtualization technique called LXC containers, CloudNet is scalable to thousand-node emulated networks. At present, the OpenStack cloud platform [18], which incorporates state-of-the-art technologies, such as softwaredefined networking (SDN) [19], full virtualization (kernel virtual machine, KVM), and lightweight virtualization (Docker), has become the foremost mainstream cloud platform in the industry, with features such as high efficiency and stability; consequently, it is considered a good choice for developing emulation platforms [15,20].…”

“…An SGIN is a typical large-scale and time-varying network with variable delay and bit error ratio (BER), unstable end-to-end paths between satellites, and satellite maneuvering capabilities [4,15,21]. Consequently, traditional cloud platforms cannot meet the emulation requirements for an SGIN [15].…”

“…An SGIN is a typical large-scale and time-varying network with variable delay and bit error ratio (BER), unstable end-to-end paths between satellites, and satellite maneuvering capabilities [4,15,21]. Consequently, traditional cloud platforms cannot meet the emulation requirements for an SGIN [15]. Although an OpenStack-based network emulation platform named EmuStack was proposed in [15] for the real-time network emulation of delay-tolerant networks (DTN), including the time-varying emulation of satellite network characteristics (e.g., bandwidth, delay, and BER), Emu-Stack ignores the maneuverability of satellites, which necessitates the real-time emulation of dynamical changes in the emulated SGIN (e.g., dynamic satellite management strategies [21]).…”

“…Consequently, traditional cloud platforms cannot meet the emulation requirements for an SGIN [15]. Although an OpenStack-based network emulation platform named EmuStack was proposed in [15] for the real-time network emulation of delay-tolerant networks (DTN), including the time-varying emulation of satellite network characteristics (e.g., bandwidth, delay, and BER), Emu-Stack ignores the maneuverability of satellites, which necessitates the real-time emulation of dynamical changes in the emulated SGIN (e.g., dynamic satellite management strategies [21]). To address this problem, an emulation platform for SGINs named SGIN-Stack is proposed in this paper.…”