Software-defined network solutions for science scenarios: Performance testing framework and measurements

Nageswara S.V. Rao, Qiang Liu, Satyabrata Sen, Raj Kettimuthu, Josh Boley, Bradley W. Settlemyer, Hsing B. Chen, Dimitrios Katramatos, Dantong Yu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

High-performance scientific workflows utilize supercomputers, scientific instruments, and large storage systems. Their executions require fast setup of a small number of dedicated network connections across the geographically distributed facility sites.We present Software-Defined Network (SDN) solutions consisting of site daemons that use dpctl, Floodlight, ONOS, or OpenDaylight controllers to set up these connections. The development of these SDN solutions could be quite disruptive to the infrastructure, while requiring a close coordination among multiple sites; in addition, the large number of possible controller and device combinations to investigate could make the infrastructure unavailable to regular users for extended periods of time. In response, we develop a Virtual Science Network Environment (VSNE) using virtual machines, Mininet, and custom scripts that support the development, testing, and evaluation of SDN solutions, without the constraints and expenses of multi-site physical infrastructures; furthermore, the chosen solutions can be directly transferred to production deployments. By complementing VSNE with a physical testbed, we conduct targeted performance tests of various SDN solutions to help choose the best candidates. In addition, we propose a switching response method to assess the setup times and throughput performances of different SDN solutions, and present experimental results that show their advantages and limitations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 19th International Conference on Distributed Computing and Networking, ICDCN 2018
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
ISBN (Electronic)9781450363723
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 4 2018
Event19th International Conference on Distributed Computing and Networking, ICDCN 2018 - Varanasi, India
Duration: Jan 4 2018Jan 7 2018

Publication series

NameACM International Conference Proceeding Series

Other

Other19th International Conference on Distributed Computing and Networking, ICDCN 2018
Country/TerritoryIndia
CityVaranasi
Period1/4/181/7/18

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Software
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
  • Computer Networks and Communications

Keywords

  • Controllers
  • Dedicated connections
  • Science scenarios
  • Software-Defined networks
  • Switching response method

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