From Active Networks to Cognitive Networks

LANC ASTERU N I V E R S I T YCom puting Departm entFaculty of A pplied Sciences

From Active From Active Networks to Networks to Cognitive NetworksCognitive Networks

Manolis [email protected]

University of Lancaster

Dahstuhl Seminar 04411 2Oct 2004


OverviewOverview

• The Vision: Cognitive Networks (a long term aim) Motivation: Case scenario(s) Structure Fundamental requirements The role of Active Networks

• A Service Deployment Toolkit (a short term objective) Key principals Toolkit functionality The benefits Example deployment



Part A – The Vision: Part A – The Vision: Cognitive NetworksCognitive Networks

• A new generation of service networks Properties:

• Cognitive actions based on Reasoning• Autonomic operation• Adaptive functionality• Self Manageability

Aims:• Resilient servicing• Service Dependability … (even when hardware fails)



Case Scenario: Case Scenario: Weekend DoS AttackWeekend DoS Attack

• Problem Description Scientists run lengthy experiments using network resources

throughout the weekend Administrators not working in weekends DoS attack launched on Fri night No support & service disruption for 3 (at least) days

• Observation The vast majority of attacks today are recipe style and follow

specific patterns

• Cognitive Solution “Train” a classification system to detect the attack patterns Find a suitable software to respond to the attack detection Use active networks to dynamically deploy/upgrade the

“defence system” whenever/wherever needed



Case Scenario: Case Scenario: Roaming Multimedia UserRoaming Multimedia User

• Problem Description Mobile user attends a confidential videoconference At every visited network needs sustainable media quality and

security services Some or all of these services, cannot be available in every

network and on a per user basis

• Cognitive solution Provide a set of basic active service components for proxy,

encryption, anonymizing, MPLS, and transcoding Develop an “intelligent” personalised agent

• to “sense”/investigate the visited environment and • combine and deploy the modules in correct order and correct

locations Use active networks to deploy them dynamically

wherever/whenever required



Case Scenario: Case Scenario: Sensor Network DeploymentSensor Network Deployment

• Problem Description Randomly laid semi-mobile devices Collection of environmental data in a natural catastrophes sensitive

environment Need for auto-configuration, integration in the mesh, reliable, secure &

safe exchange of data Varying environmental conditions impact the network performance Different network setups perform better in different environments =>

need for adaptive solutions

• Cognitive solution Use some AI-based context aware elements to detect & assess the

environment changes & select suitable protocol suites and network configurations

Design a p2p system for the synchronisation and coupling of the network devices at the service level

Use active networks for the on-line and dynamic configuration and update of the coupling elements and control service modules



The Key TechnologiesThe Key Technologies

• A combination of A.I. strategies Policy enforcement systems (Mobile) agent technologies Active & Programmable networks P2P systems Semantic based services/languages/tools Context aware services … etc



How ? … A Layered How ? … A Layered StructureStructure

• Cognition is twofold: User Servicing Network Management

• Active Networks: Collection of

information Action implementation



Fundamental RequirementFundamental Requirement

• Key Requirement: Decoupling of service management from infrastructure

management More persistent service provisioning even when the

underlying infrastructure fails

• Active Networks seem to be the definite enabling technology to satisfy the requirement On-line adaptability Programmability Dynamic service (de/re-)composition



Problems in Problems in Active Network ResearchActive Network Research

• Multiple diverse platforms – Non interoperable!

• Many specialised architectures – Almost none generic enough! (maybe FAIN in the future ?)

• Several implementations – Most still in the lab!

• Several applications – Few that necessitate the use of active/programmable technologies

• Lack of frameworks for large scale and multi-platform deployment

• Security issues and complexity in management and administration

• Funding seems to be gradually finishing…!!!



Part B – A Toolkit for Part B – A Toolkit for Generic Service Deployment Generic Service Deployment

• A collection of low-level & lightweight tools (active services).

• Main Objectives: Assist the large-scale deployment and interoperability of active

resources (services, platforms, EEs, etc). Enable decoupling and abstraction of active service

deployment from infrastructure management

• Key Functionalities: Determine the interfacing between active resources

(platforms, protocols, service components) Discover and recruit active nodes Deploy active service components Assist the organisation and management of composite services

provisioning



1.1. Active Node Discovery Active Node Discovery & Recruitment& Recruitment

• Organisation of global active resources in 2-level overlay topology for control path comm. (discovery, allocation, coordination) Intradomain (intra-AS) Interdomain (Inter-AS)

• Full functionality at each level independently• Designated Active Nodes are the connecting links between the 2-levels• Interdomain level interconnectivity follows the AS connectivity pattern• Distributed network pool model: Active nodes that cannot serve more

requests, leave the overlay• Issues

Dynamic, automatic & optimal formation of the intradomain overlay

Automatic (s)election of the designated node

Interdomain connectivity when non active network enabled AS is interjected

Handling of overlay partitioning



2.2. An Active Proxy … well, An Active Proxy … well, why not many of themwhy not many of them

• An active service per se

• Role: abstract the service rollout

process, decouple the service

“acquisition” from the service deployment

Available to users through intradomain multicast/anycast

• Benefits: Single point of trust and control Offload the end node from the

service rollout instrumentation



3.3. Unified Unified Active Service Active Service DeploymentDeployment

• Need for a generic and abstract service deployment interface Allocate resources (Un-)Install Services (Re-)Configure service provisioning (De-)Activate servicing

• Must abstract any platform-specific service loading mechanism

• ASDP protocol. Ongoing work on a newer version.



4.4. Organisation & Organisation & Management of Service Management of Service CompositesComposites

• Cooperating service components organise in p2p overlays for signalling and control path management

• P2P systems use application level (i.e. e2e) performance inefficient solutions

• A dynamic kernel level tunnelling mechanism Performance efficient, dynamic, low level p2p overlay

construction Application (service) specific routing at kernel level Unified API shared by all active applications



5.5. Active Service Mobility Active Service Mobility FrameworkFramework

• Mobilisation/migration of running active service components between active nodes

• Benefits: Resists infrastructure failures, Enhances user mobility Adapts to network weather changes

• Based on the programmable switch approach

• Combines strengths and overcomes limitations of active capsule and mobile agent technologies: Low level forwarding path programmability Out-of-band deployment and management

• Also considered in FAIN but not implemented(?)



How they all fit togetherHow they all fit together… in one EE… in one EE



An Example: DoS An Example: DoS Detection/Interception Detection/Interception ServiceService

• Toolkit functionality: Distributed, (semi-)mobile agent service

• Migrating sensor elements (Sx) use the service mobility framework• Agent modules (C, Sx, F) form a p2p group (control path coordination) using the

dynamic kernel tunnelling service Active resource availability checked thru the global network overlay of active

resources Requests for service deployment, serviced by active proxies Installation and activation of service components uses the unified active service

deployment interface

• Cognitive logic Resource mgmt level

(Active Proxies: what/where to deploy w.r.t. service specification)

Service level (recognition and classification of traffic patterns and counteraction)



Related WorkRelated Work

• Mainly from ETH ... But elsewhere as well Chameleon Netkit FAIN Alpine Etc …

• They focus mainly at the interfacing and deploying servicing elements (within a platform)

• We try to address problems at a lower level: Interfacing and cooperation between platforms

• Both complementary as well as necessary



ConclusionsConclusions• The road to CognitiveNet-Shire passes from the ActiveNet-Land

• It’s a long way and there is still lots of space for research Large scale deployment of active nodes (coordination &

organisation) Platform interoperability Security Dynamic (on-line) service composition … etc

• Lots of applications: User mobility, Ad-hoc & sensor networks, Network/service self-management, auto-configuration, survivability …etc

• Need more …imagination, vision & funding !!!

From Active Networks to Cognitive Networks

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