|
|
|
|
Autumn Networking Summit Recap
By Brian Warkoczeski
On November 2, Merit Network hosted its first Autumn Summit for Network Mavens at Eagle Crest Resort in Ypsilanti.
The event hosted over 100 network professionals for a day of presentations and lively discussion. The following are some highlights
of presentations from the event.
- "Conceptualizing Virtual Networks"
David Farmer, University of Minnesota
David Farmer, network design engineer at the University of Minnesota, discussed virtual networks during the morning's
keynote presentation. Virtual networks allow the abstraction of physical and logical topologies of a network and create a logical
separation of multiple networks.
"Virtual is a popular buzzword these days," Farmer said. "It's 'V-this' and 'Virtual-that', but to be worth the money, it needs to
be more than a buzzword."
Virtual networks include V-LANs, Internet virtual private networks (VPNs), VRFs (Virtual Routing and Forwarding), virtual routers,
MPLS (multi-protocol label switching), wireless overlay networks, vSwitches, and software-defined networks. Farmer provided examples for the different types of virtual networks.
At the University of Minnesota several years ago, they used VPNs to provide Internet service. They provided virtual dial-up
to users, enabling them to get a broadband connection with a VPN connection. "It was dial-up, but at faster feeds," Farmer said.
MPLS allows for the scaling of virtual routing and forwarding on a network. It creates an abstraction layer for switching and routing.
"Wireless overlay networks allow for roaming on the network," he said. "The abstraction layers are important for delivering
the new classes of network service."
One of the more innovative virtual networks is the software-defined network, often using OpenFlow. The network architecture can be segmented to support the needs of various users while using the same physical infrastructure.
"OpenFlow is something that's big in our community," according to Farmer. "There's some very good reasons for us to look at
software-defined networks. It allows very smart people to do more things with the network."
He noted that it is important for networkers to have an experimental environment where they can test new ideas, outside of the production environment.
"Departments on the campus are now dependent on the network. It's a critical service. We have to be careful experimenting on the
network. That's why the lab is such an important thing. We used to be able to play on the network. We don't get to do that any more since
users are so dependent on the network for services."
The network now delivers multiple information technology (IT) services on a common platform. It can provide access to the Internet,
private networks, enhanced security networks, and public-access networks.
"We are part of this thing called IT. It's not the computer lab or the computer guy. We now need to focus on the services and
managing of services. The network is now a platform that delivers many services, including the basics, like the Internet. We've
come to expect the Internet on the network."
Farmer answered a few questions from the audience at the end of his presentation, including one on MPLS.
"MPLS is really easy, so you don't need to be afraid of it," Farmer said. "I will save you six months of work. An MPLS network
only needs PE routers [Provider Edge routers]. To scale it for a large network, like MCI, you need a P router [Provider router]
for large networks. On a campus network, though, you just need PE routers for MPLS."
- "Wireless LAN: This Year's Big Issues"
Dan Eklund, Wayne State University (WSU); James Helzerman, University of Michigan (U-M); Mark Strandskov, Central Michigan University; Jim Moran, Merit, Moderator
Network engineers who manage three of the largest campus networks in Michigan participated in a panel discussion on several issues
related to maintaining wireless networks.
Mark Strandskov from CMU said that the university has between 1,400 and 1,500 wireless network access points on the main campus and many more
on remote campuses. They usually have 7,800 concurrent users on a typical day. The key issues that his organization deals with
related to wireless networks are density and signal interference. They've redesigned their residence hall networks to deal with density issues
and signal penetration into the dorm rooms. They've also had to deal with periodic disturbances, such as a microwave oven at a
nearby restaurant interfering with the wireless signal at a location.
James Helzerman from U-M described the university's decentralized IT structure and provided a general overview of the wireless network, which
includes 30 network controllers. They have a secure wireless network and are planning to have a guest network that will be completely separate.
They manage a large layer 2 infrastructure for the wireless network to provide the same IP address across the network. A major issue that they have been dealing with is related to wireless devices taking IP addresses when they are not actually using the network.
Dan Eklund from WSU said that the university has 1,470 wireless network access points, with 5,000 concurrent users at peak times.
They've experienced a significant increase in demand for wireless access in recent years. They typically have 1,500 devices connected to
the network daily, whether or not the devices are using the network. They've been adjusting to the IP address demand on the fly, but
would like to get more IP address space. Interference from microwaves and too many connected laptops have caused issues at times.
Audience members asked the panel for their thoughts on several wireless topics, such as IPv6 wireless adoption, switching to
802.1X for access control, and using spectrum analysis to improve wireless connectivity.
- "IPv6 Implementation: Realistic Steps to Take Today"
Dale Finkelson, Internet2
The available pool of IPv4 addresses is expected to be exhausted in the next few years, Dale Finkelson stated.
He provided estimates for when addresses would no longer be available in various regions:
AFRINIC: July 12, 2014
APNIC: April 19, 2011
ARIN: June 18, 2013
LACNIC: March 4, 2014
RIPE NCC: June 30, 2012
Finkelson said that the options that organizations have for acquiring IPv4 addresses are: get addresses from ARIN while they are available or
buy a block of address space, which is what Microsoft did in early 2011 when it bought 666624 IP addresses for $7.5 million.
IPv4 addresses are being used for computer networks, phone networks, and sensor networks, but the proliferation of IP-capable
devices on campuses is creating more demand.
IPv4 and IPv6 machines will not talk to each other, so Finkelson stated that the ideal campus network should be able to handle IPv4 and IPv6 requests, with some IPv6-only installations and a few legacy IPv4-only installations.
Finkelson said that getting buy-in from the campus community could be one of the hardest parts of transitioning to an IPv6 network.
Campus users will not understand why the transition is necessary, so IT staff will need to explain the upcoming IPv4 shortage and how
it will effect network services and end users.
- "Managing Your Network with Cacti"
Pete Hoffswell, Davenport University
Pete Hoffswell provided a thorough overview of Cacti, a graphing solution that uses a routing registry database to
create helpful reports for network administrators. Hoffswell demonstrated how network information from Cisco routers
could be entered into Cacti templates, and described how graphs could be customized using a T-holder Threshold plug-in
to generate alerts on CPU utilization, UPS battery status, or temperature status on connected machines. He also
described how a network weather map plug-in could be used to track network availability and congestion. For more about
Cacti, visit www.cacti.net
- "Malicious Activity and Network Reputation: Studying Network Activity and Block Listing in the ARIN Region"
Manish Karir and Kyle Creyts, Merit Network
Manish Karir provided an overview of a network research project that studied the reputation of networks within the ARIN region and compared them to networks in the LACNIC, RIPE, and APNIC regions.
Network reputation is an attempt to construct a metric or set of metrics that illustrate the collective reputation of all hosts in your
administrative domain. Reputation of hosts on your network can effect your network's reputation. Karir said that host reputation
block lists, which collect IP addresses of malicious hosts into large lists, were used for the study. General observances from the
research project found that hosts in less developed countries were greater sources for SPAM activity while hosts in more developed countries, such as the United States and European countries, were responsible for a greater number of command-and-control attacks, such as malware. You can
access the presentations for the ARIN, RIPE, and LACNIC regions at Merit's Network Research Papers & Presentations web page.
- Mythbusters: Network Maven Edition
Brian Paige and Chris Chamberlain, Oakland University; Pete Hoffswell and Josh Serba, Davenport University
The final presentation of the day was an interactive panel discussion that considered several network-related myths.
Panelists offered their opinions to confirm or disprove the myths and then gauged audience feedback to declare each myth as
confirmed, plausible, or busted. A small sampling of the myths included:
- Fiber is faster than copper (Busted)
- You need more bandwidth (Plausible or confirmed)
- This cloud thing is just a fad (Busted)
- Network mavens don't need to worry about compliance (Busted)
- Now is a good time to get rid of wireless (Busted)
An archive of PDF files from the day's presentations is available at:
http://www.merit.edu/networkers2011/
January 2012 - Merit Connections Newsletter
|
|
|
