1. GENI Exploring and Teaching Networks of the Future Vicraj “Vic” Thomas
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2. Outline
What is GENI?
How is GENI being used
An experimenter’s view of GENI + Demo
Hands-on exercise

3. Why GENI? Science Issues
We cannot currently understand or predict the behavior of complex, large-scale networks
Innovation Issues
Substantial barriers to at-scale experimentation with new architectures, services, and technologies
Credit: MONET Group at UIUC
Society Issues
We increasingly rely on the Internet but are unsure we can trust its security, privacy or resilience
increasingly rely on our evolving technological and social networks, intertwined and worldwide in scale
Paradigm Shifts and Global Communications are transforming societies and economies.
These issues are becoming increasingly important with
ubiquitous connectivity, IoT, cybercrime. 3

4. GENI: A Laboratory for Novel Networking Research
GENI provides compute resources that can be connected in experimenter specified Layer 2 topologies.

5. Compute Resources
Network Resources Layer 2 VLANS and Access to Programmable Switches
GENI Racks: small clouds Virtual Machines Bare metal Machines
Android Phones
Rack switches
Internet2: US Research Backbone
Wireless nodes
Emulab
WiMAX/LTE base stations, 4G/3G Network
Planetlab
ORBIT
Existing Testbeds
Regionals 5

6. GENI’s footprint IG CG Campus Network WiMAX/LTE
PNWGP
CENIC
ESNet
UCD
OSF
Washington
Stanford
UCLA
NPS
UEN
Utah
UtahDDC
Houston
LEARN
TAMU
GPN
KanREN
Missouri
Kansas
UMKC
Colorado
WRN
FRGP
StarLight
Northwestern
Illinois
Kettering
CIC
ICCN
Chicago
Wisconsin
OARNet
OHMDC
OneCommunity
CASE
WVNET
MERIT
WSU
CAAREN
GWU
WVN
MOXI
BEN
NCSU
RENCI
MAX
MAGPI
Rutgers
Princeton
NYSERNet
NoX
GPO
Cornell
NYU
SOX
PeachNet
CenturyLink
EPB
UTC
Clemson
GATech
FLR
FIU
UFL
STANFORD
COLORADO
MICHIGAN
UMASS
KyRON
Kentucky
UKYPKS2
InstaGENI Rack
ExoGENI Rack
OpenGENI Rack
CiscoGENI Rack IG
Regional Network EG OG CG
Campus Network
WiMAX/LTE
Advanced Layer2 Service POP

7. GENI: Infrastructure for Experimentation
GENI provides compute resources that can be connected in experimenter specified Layer 2 topologies.
GENI is a nationwide suite of infrastructure for “at scale” experiments in networking, distributed systems, security, and novel applications.
GENI opens up huge new opportunities
Leading-edge research in next-generation internets
Rapid innovation in novel, large-scale applications
Key GENI concept: slices & deep programmability
Internet: open innovation in application programs
GENI: open innovation deep into the network

8. Multiple GENI Experiments run Concurrently
Resources may be virtualized and used by multiple experiments
Experiments live in isolated “slices”

9. GENI is “Deeply Programmable”
I install software I want throughout my network slice (into routers, switches, …) or control switches using OpenFlow
Everything is programmable: Experimenters create and program custom topologies, protocols and flows
Experimenters set up custom:
topologies
protocols
forwarding

10. GENI is Precision Cyberinfrastructure
All applications and services rely on cyberinfrastructure
High performance applications and services need precision cyberinfrastructure
The right resources
In the right places
Connected by the right network
Running the right software

11. GENI is a Nationwide Edge Computing Platform
Edge computing: A method of optimizing cloud computing systems by performing data processing at the edge of the network, near the source of the data.
Graphic from NTT Network Innovation Laboratories
Every rack is a “cloudlet” in the GENI Edge Cloud

12. The GENI Edge Cloud connects to ClouldLab, Chameleon and AWS
The GENI Edge Cloud connects to CloudLab, Chameleon and Amazon AWS
Enables experiments that use GENI and ClouldLab/AWS resources

13. Outline
What is GENI?
How is GENI being used
An experimenter’s view of GENI + Demo
Hands-on exercise

14. GENI for Research and Education
Future Internet Architectures
Software defined networking
Large scale evaluation of protocols
Cloud networking
Domain sciences
Education
Classes in:
Computer Networking
Distributed systems
Cloud computing
Wireless Communications
Undergraduate, graduate
GENI has over 12,000 users!

15. STEM Initiatives using GENI
K-12
Grad/Undergrad
Community
GENI based Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for the masses
PlanIT: SimCIty like game set
in students’ own city
GENI as a remote, virtual lab for
networking, distributed systems
and cloud computing classes
Bringing scientific instruments
into the classroom virtually
Immersive 3D environments
for problem solving

16. Mars Rover Game
Students at a high school in Colorado learn math and programming using the Mars Rover game
The Mars Rover has crash landed and the student must help the rover repair itself, build shelter, and prepare for colonists before they arrive. The game is designed to engage high school students, effectively teach and assess their critical thinking, math, and programming skills. -

17. Bringing Science to Life
GENI network
High school student in Chattanooga, TN
Digital cinema microscope
at the U. of Southern California

18. Last semester 638 students in 24 classes did labs on GENI
GENI as a Remote Lab
Over 4500 students
have used GENI in
classes taught by 73
instructors
Last semester 638 students in 24 classes did labs on GENI
Jennie Albrecht teaches a distributed systems class at Williams College, MA
Students using GENI in a
wireless networking class in Greece

19. Why use GENI for Education?
No need to acquire and maintain expensive lab facilities
24x7 access from almost anywhere
Enables new lab exercises
Exercises based on expensive and uncommon resources
4G wireless base stations, long haul network links, programmable switches
Promotes exploratory learning
If student messes up a resource configuration, delete and start over
No instructor or administrator intervention needed
Shared community resource
Community developed course modules
Community supported mailing lists
Wide area experiment on GENI
One of many wireless resources available for GENI labs

20. GENI-based Courseware
Mike Zink
UMass Amherst
Labs on GENI for networking textbook
Example Demo Module
Example Assignment
GENI Modules to teach
networking concepts
Kevin Jaffay, Jay Aikat
UNC-Chapel Hill
Shivendra Panwar, Thanasis Korakis
NYU Poly
Massive Online Open Courses on GENI
Use GENI to educate the Internet users, not the Internet creators.

21. GENI Course Modules on www.geni.net

22. Join the community mailing list for educators for announcements:
Train-the-TA Webinar
Offered start of every semester
Attended by instructors and TAs
Two 3-hour sessions on two afternoons
Session 1: Introduction to GENI
Simple hands-on exercise
(you can skip this)
Session 2: Tips for running a class on GENI
Timeline
Setup needed (GENI Project, accounts, etc)
Tips for debugging student experiments
Join the community mailing list for educators for announcements:

23. Join the geni-announce mailing list
Stay Connected
Join the geni-announce mailing list
Low volume list: ~1 message / month
Announcements of GENI related workshops, camps, funding opportunities

24. Outline
What is GENI?
Building and deploying GENI
How is GENI being used
An experimenter’s view of GENI + Demo
Hands-on exercise

25. GENI: Terms and Definitions
Slice
Abstraction for a collection of resources capable of running experiments
An experiment uses resources in a slice
Slices isolate experiments
Experimenters are responsible for their slices

26. GENI Projects Projects organize work on GENI
All slices are created in the context of a Project
Only Project Leads can create Projects
Project Leads must be faculty
Leads invite/add project members

27. Clearinghouse and Aggregates
users
slices
clearinghouse
projects
Create & Register Slice
Slice credentials
Aggregate Manager API
- listResources
- createSliver …
Researcher
Tool
Aggregate
Manager
Aggregate Resources
Clearinghouse: Manages users, projects and slices
Standard credentials shared via custom API or new Common CH API
GENI supported accounts: GENI Portal/CH, PlanetLab CH, ProtoGENI CH
Aggregate: Provides resources to GENI experimenters
Typically owned and managed by an organization
Speaks the GENI AM API
Examples: PlanetLab, Emulab, GENI Racks on various campuses

28. GENI: Terms and Definitions
Sliver: One or more resources provided by an aggregate
E.g. Bare machines, virtual machines, VLANs
Campus #3
Commercial
Clouds
My slice contains slivers from many aggregates.
Backbone #1
Campus
My GENI Slice
Corporate
GENI suites
Access #1
Backbone #2
Research
Testbed
Other-Nation
Projects
Campus #2
Update fig from earlier

29. RSpecs RSpecs: Lingua franca for describing and requesting resources
“Machine language” for negotiating resources between experiment and aggregate
Experimenter tools eliminate the need for most experimenters to write or read RSpec
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rspec xmlns="
xmlns:xsi="
xsi:schemaLocation="
type="request" >
<node client_id="my-node"
exclusive="true">
<sliver_type name="raw-pc" />
</node>
</rspec>
RSpec for requesting a single node

30. Reserving Resources using RSpecs and the AM API
Experimenter tools and aggregates talk to each other using resource specifications (RSpecs) and the GENI Aggregate Manager API (GENI AM API)
Advertisement RSpec: What does an aggregate have?
Request RSpec: What does the experimenter want?
Manifest RSpec: What does the experimenter have?
What do you have?
I have …
ListResources(…)
I would like …
Advertisement RSpec
You have …
CreateSliver(Request RSpec, …)
Aggregate
Manager
Experimenter
Tool
What do I have?
Manifest RSpec
You have …
ListResources(SliceName, …)
Manifest RSpec

31. Demo: Putting it all Together
Login to the GENI Portal
Create a slice
Create resources at one aggregate
Two computers (VMs), connected by a LAN
Generate traffic View results
Delete resources

32. Hands on Exercise
Based on the popular IP Routing exercise developed by Mike Zink of UMass, Amherst

33. Objectives For this workshop As a student lab
Gain hands-on experience with GENI
As a student lab
Learn to set up static IP routes using the Linux route command
(you will be given the solution)
Lab0 on the GENI Course Modules page is a better first lab for your students as it includes account setup instructions.

34. Ready? Do you have an ssh client?
Windows 10 users: Use Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt
Others: PuTTY is recommended
Mac/Linux: Built-in ssh command from terminal
Have you logged into the GENI Portal?
Check if your institution is listed on the Portal
If so, log in using your university/college username/password
If your institituion is not listed
Request an account from the NCSA
Have you joined the GENI project for the workshop?
PuTTY download:

35. Set? Create your ssh keys Download your ssh private key
Look for SSH Keys under your name
Download your ssh private key
Mac/Linux/Windows 10:
Move key to .ssh folder
Change permission so only you can read it
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_geni_ssh_rsa
Windows:
If using PuTTY: Download your PuTTY key

36. Follow instructions in your handout!
Go!
Follow instructions in your handout!
You will not draw your topology; you will load one created for you.
Use any ExoGENI rack
FIU ExoGENI
Texas A&M ExoGENI
WVNet ExoGENI
StarLight ExoGENI