Network Performance
perfSONAR Network Performance Monitoring
For research projects, such as the LHC, which require the timely and reliable delivery of data on paths crossing several networks across the globe, it is very important that network engineers are able to detect the location of performance issues quickly and easily so that they can be solved in a timely fashion. This challenge is met by the network performance monitoring tool, perfSONAR.
In order to support large user projects which span more than one global region, GÉANT collaborates with its global partners to ensure that performance data gathered by perfSONAR Measurement Points can be shared with network engineers both in Europe and in other world regions.
Creating a Unified perfSONAR Monitoring Tool
Following the inception of perfSONAR almost 10 years ago as a collaboration between ESnet, Internet2, DANTE/GEANT and RNP, development of the tool followed different paths in Europe and North America. This led to the perfSONAR MDM tool in Europe and perfSONAR-PS in North America. Though both are implementations of the original shared idea, the diverse versions were not of themselves interoperable, presenting a significant challenge in the sharing of performance data between the two regions. Efforts to overcome this significant obstacle began in
March 2010 under a collaboration framework called DICE (Dante, Internet2, CANARIE, ESnet). In response to an increasingly international research community and to meet transatlantic monitoring needs, DICE aimed to make the two flavours of perfSONAR able to share data with each other. The outcome was a set of functionalities enabling the interoperability between perfSONAR MDM and -PS infrastructures.
However, maintaining interoperability is a demanding task, requiring constant alignment of all components involved, regular communication between the parties concerned to ensure that roadmaps match and that testing is continuous. In addition, interoperability has the side effect of needing to duplicate components and functionalities. With a constantly growing number of sites, projects and NRENs around the globe looking at perfSONAR (MDM or PS) as their preferred monitoring tool, a more effective and sustainable methodology was definitely needed.
Consequently, at the end of 2013, GÉANT, Internet2, Indiana University and ESnet started working together, using the experience gained over recent years to produce a single, unified perfSONAR tool, selecting the most appropriate components from the perfSONAR MDM and PS software packages to deliver a consistent, high quality experience to users. The first result of this work is the deployment of the first elements of new perfSONAR at two sites in the US and two in Europe for the TERENA Networking Conference in May 2014. The collaboration is continuing to work on integrating additional monitoring elements to the initial deployment, and to consolidate and converge support structures, training, documentation and software delivery for the new perfSONAR..
Sharing perfSONAR MDM with other World Regions
GÉANT also supports efforts for the implementation of perfSONAR Measurement Points in other world regions. This has led to perfSONAR Measurement Points (MPs) being implemented on the TEIN network in Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing, data from all of which are available via the perfSONAR User Interface. In Latin America, collaboration with RedCLARA has led to Measurement Points on the RedCLARA backbone in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Work also continues with the GISELA grid-computing community in Latin America.
Click here to learn more about perfSONAR MDM
eduPERT: A Global Performance Expertise Community
The GÉANT-led eduPERT community provides a platform for anyone interested in network performance to share knowledge, skills, tools and best practice to provide multi-disciplinary support to solve end-to-end performance issues.
With the aim of extending the eduPERT to include R&E networking communities beyond Europe, the eduPERT team is in contact with networks in North America, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region and intends to make contact with networks in Africa and the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central Asia in the near future.
Performance U! is a training environment, coordinated by eduPERT, that aims to train performance experts, providing validated performance resources and face-to-face training. Performance U! is open to participants from outside Europe and has also benefited from training given by performance experts from outside Europe.
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