Dissertation Title: Network Monitoring and Diagnosis Based on Available Bandwidth Measurement
Ningning Hu
Full text: PDF (1.6MB) PS (2.9MB)
Thesis Committee:
Peter Steenkiste (Chair)
Bruce Maggs
Hui Zhang
Albert Greenberg, AT&T Labs--Research
Abstract
Network monitoring and diagnosis systems are used by ISPs for daily
network management operations and by popular network applications like
peer-to-peer systems for performance optimization. However, the high
overhead of some monitoring and diagnostic techniques can limit their
applicability. This is for example the case for end-to-end available
bandwidth estimation: tools previously developed for available
bandwidth monitoring and diagnosis often have high overhead and are
difficult to use.
This dissertation puts forth the claim that end-to-end available
bandwidth and bandwidth bottlenecks can be efficiently and effectively
estimated using packet-train probing techniques. By using source and
sink tree structures that can capture network edge information, and
with the support of a properly designed measurement infrastructure,
bandwidth-related measurements can also be scalable and convenient
enough to be used routinely by both ISPs and regular end users.
These claims are supported by four techniques presented in this
dissertation: the IGI/PTR end-to-end available bandwidth measurement
technique, the Pathneck bottleneck locating technique, the BRoute
large-scale available bandwidth inference system, and the TAMI
monitoring and diagnostic infrastructure. The IGI/PTR technique
implements two available-bandwidth measurement algorithms, estimating
background traffic load (IGI) and packet transmission rate (PTR),
respectively. It demonstrates that end-to-end available bandwidth can
be measured both accurately and efficiently, thus solving the
path-level available-bandwidth monitoring problem. The Pathneck
technique uses a carefully constructed packet train to locate
bottleneck links, making it easier to diagnose available-bandwidth
related problems. Pathneck only needs single-end control and is
extremely light-weight. Those properties make it attractive for both
regular network users and ISP network operators. The BRoute
system uses a novel concept---source and sink trees---to capture
end-user routing structures and network-edge bandwidth information.
Equipped with path-edge inference algorithms, BRoute can infer the
available bandwidth of all N^2 paths in an N-node system with only O(N)
measurement overhead. That is, BRoute solves the system-level
available-bandwidth monitoring problem. The TAMI measurement
infrastructure introduces measurement scheduling and topology-aware
capabilities to systematically support all the monitoring and
diagnostic techniques that are proposed in this dissertation. TAMI not
only can support network monitoring and diagnosis, it also can
effectively improve the performance of network applications like
peer-to-peer systems.
Defended on April 17, 2006
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