Large scale RINA Experimentation on FIRE +

Designing a converged network operator with RINA: any access, any application

From Research to Standardization workshopMay 10, 11 Sophia Antipolis

A converged network vision..

• Any access media, any application requirementsupported by a common network infrastructure

• Single architecture, single management system, singleusers database (regardless of access)

Large-scale RINA Experimentation on FIRE+ 2

Manage users and sessions,Local managed services

Capillarity, Capacity,Mobility support

Multiplexing Switching,Transport

Control functions,Regional managed services

Devices

Places

UsersUsers AccessAccess AggregationAggregation Local Points of PresenceLocal Points of Presence CoreCore Regional Data CentresRegional Data Centres

Radio

Fiber

Are “All IP networks” fit for this purpose?

• Computer networking & telecom industry has beensteadily moving towards an “all IP” world.– Is “all-IP convergence” a simple, scalable, robust,

manageable, performing and future-proof solution for alltypes of computer networks?

• Could be if– The “IP protocol suite” had been designed with generality in

mind, allowing its protocols to adapt to specific networkenvironments

– The “IP protocol suite” is well know for having no scalability,performance or security issues

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There is a better approach: RINA

• Network architecture resulting from a fundamental theory ofcomputer networking

• Networking is InterProcess Communication (IPC) and only IPC.Unifies networking and distributed computing: the network is adistributed application that provides IPC

• There is a single type of layer with programmable functions, thatrepeats as many times as needed by the network designers

• All layers provide the same service: instances or communication(flows) to two or more application instances, with certaincharacteristics (delay, loss, in-order-delivery, etc)

• There are only 3 types of systems: hosts, interior and border routers.No middleboxes (firewalls, NATs, etc) are needed

• Deploy it over, under and next to current networking technologies4

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RINA macro-structure (layers)Single type of layer, consistent API, programmable policies

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Host

Border router Interior Router

DIF

DIF DIF

Border router

DIFDIF

DIF (Distributed IPC Facility)

Host

App A

App B

Consistent API through 

layers

IPC API

Data Transfer Data Transfer Control Layer Management

SDU Delimiting

Data Transfer 

Relaying and Multiplexing

SDU Protection

Retransmission Control

Flow Control

RIB Daemon

RIB

CDAP Parser/Generator

CACEP

Enrollment

Flow Allocation

Resource Allocation

Routing

Authentication

State VectorState VectorState Vector

Data Transfer Data Transfer 

Retransmission Control

Retransmission Control

Flow ControlFlow Control

Increasing timescale (functions performed less often) and complexity

Namespace  Management

Security Management

“IP protocol suite” macro-structure

• Functional layers organized for modularity, each layerprovides a different service to each other– As the RM is applied to the real world, it proofs to be

incomplete. As a consequence, new layers are patched intothe reference model as needed (layers 2.5, VLANs, VPNs,virtual network overlays, tunnels, MAC-in-MAC, etc.)

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(Theory) (Practice)

Naming and addressing, mobility, routingNo need for special protocols

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Name Indicates Property RINA IP

Application name What Location independent Yes No

Node address Where Location dependent, route independent

Yes No

Point of Attachment

How to get there

Route dependent Yes Yes (twice: IP, MAC)

Security: DIFs are securable containersSecure layers instead of protocols, expose less to apps, scope

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Allocating a flow to destination application

Access control

Sending/receiving SDUsthrough N‐1 DIF

Confidentiality, integrity

N DIF

N‐1 DIF

IPCProcess

IPCProcess

IPCProcess

IPCProcess Joining a DIF

authentication, access control

Sending/receiving SDUsthrough N‐1 DIF

Confidentiality, integrity

Allocating a flow to destination application

Access control

IPCProcess

Appl. Process

DIF OperationLogging/Auditing

DIF OperationLogging/Auditing

RINA IP protocol suiteConsistent security model, enforced by each layer via pluggable policies

Each protocol has its own securitymodel/functions (IPsec, TLS, BGPsec, DNSsec,etc.)

Scope as a native construct: controlledconnectivity by default

Single scope (global), connectivity to everyone by default. Scope via ad‐hoc means: firewalls, ACLs, VLANs, VPNs, etc.

Complete naming and addressing, separation of synchronization from port allocation

No application names, addresses exposed to applications, well‐known ports

Network managementCommonality is the key to effective network management

Large-scale RINA Experimentation on FIRE+ 9

• Commonality and consistency in RINA greatly simplifiesmanagement models, opening the door to increasedautomation in multi-layer networks

– Reduce opex, network downtime, speed-up network service delivery,reduce components that need to be standardised

From managing a set of layers, each with its own protocols, concepts and definitions …

… to managing a common, repeating structure of two protocols and different policies

DeploymentClean-slate concepts but incremental deployment

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• IPv6 brings very small improvements to IPv4, but requires aclean slate deployment (not compatible to IPv4)

• RINA can be deployed incrementally where it has the rightincentives, and interoperate with current technologies (IP,Ethernet, MPLS, etc.)– Over IP (just like any overlay such as VXLAN, NVGRE, GTP-U, etc.)– Below IP (just like any underlay such as MPLS or MAC-in-MAC)– Next to IP (gateways/protocol translation such as IPv6)

IP Network

RINA Provider

RINA Network

Sockets ApplicationsRINA supported Applications

IP or Ethernet or MPLS, etc

Service provider, RINA, Internet (e-mall) Access

Access router

PtP DIF

CPE

Edge Service Router

MAN P.E MAN P. E.

MAN Access  DIF

MAN Core DIFPtP DIF PtP DIF

PtP DIF PtP DIF

MAN P

PtP DIF

HostCore  Backbone DIF

PtP DIF

Core router Core router e‐mall AccessRouter

E‐mall Border Router

Customer network Service Prov. 1 network

Access Aggregation Service Edge Core  Internet Edge

Internet ( e‐mall) eXchange Point

Core PoP, city BCore PoP, city ACity A MANCity A Cabinets

PtP DIF PtP DIF PtP DIF

Service Provider Top Level DIF

E‐mall 1 DIF

PtP DIF

E‐mall 2 DIF

Service provider, RINA, Internet (e-mall) Access

Access router

PtP DIF

Cell Tower (eNodeB)

Mobile Edge Service Router

MAN P.E MAN P. E.

MAN Access  DIF

MAN Core DIFPtP DIF

PtP DIF

PtP DIF PtP DIF

MAN P

Cell DIF

Mobile Host

(or border router)

Core  Backbone DIF

PtP DIF

Core router Core router e‐mall AccessRouter

E‐mall Border Router

Service Prov. 1 network

Access Aggregation Service Edge Core  Internet Edge

PtP DIF PtP DIF PtP DIF

Service Provider Top Level DIF

E‐mall 1 DIF

PtP DIF

E‐mall 2 DIF

Mobile Access DIF

Internet ( e‐mall) eXchange Point

Core PoP, city BCore PoP, city A

City A MANCity A Cabinets

Cell sites

From research to standardisation

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• Current research projects– FP7 PRISTINE (2014-2016) http://ict-pristine-eu– H2020 ARCFIRE (2016-2017) http://ict-arcfire.eu– Norwegian project OCARINA(2016-2021)– BU RINA team http://csr.bu.edu/rina

• Open source implementations– IRATI (Linux OS, C/C++, kernel components, policy framework, RINA

over X) http://github.com/irati/stack– RINASim (RINA simulator, OMNeT++)– ProtoRINA (Java, RINA over UDP, quick prototyping)

• Key RINA standardization activities– Pouzin Society (experimental specs) http://pouzinsociety.org– ISO SC6 WG7 (2 new projects: Future Network – Architectures, Future

Network- Protocols)– ETSI Next Generation Protocols ISG

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