CESNET Workshop on Network Monitoring

Today, CESNET has organized a workshop for an expert audience on the issues of monitoring of a network and its operation. The dynamic development of network services and applications has led to significant changes of the structure of network operation. Various services, which were even recently provided using dedicated infrastructures, have been gradually converging to a common transfer platform. Originally relatively independent and later co-existing services have been integrated into complex entities.

How does this development affect the area of monitoring of a network and its operation? What appears to be important, reasonable, sensible and effective for a common operation in this area? Answers to these questions were provided during the introductory lecture. The following lecture informed the participants about the monitoring of network operations on the basis of "flow", which is a popular and efficient method of monitoring. Its results can be very efectively utilized e.g. in the area of security, strategic planning and development of a network, or to optimisse the infrastructure behaviour, including implemented services. When looking for a particular solution for a particular network, it is necessary to take into account a number of aspects. The lecture attempted to provide a recapitulatory overview of the issue, with particular attention paid to implementation of systems for monitoring of extensive high-speed networks.

The first half of the workshop was concluded with a practical example of usage of a tool for data flow monitoring, as developed within CESNET. NetFlow Monitor processes, assesses and displays statistical information on data flows, using the netflow exports sent by routers manufactured by Cisco Systems, Juniper and others.

The lectures held in the second half of the workshop informed the participants about research activities of CESNET aiming to secure required performance communication characteristics in wide area high-speed networks. End-to-end performance is a term that expresses the quality of communication, as it is perceived by users of network applications. It includes throughput, response time, reliability and other characteristics. It depends on all the components of the communication chain between network applications at the end stations. The issue is treated on two levels – by monitoring the end-to-end performance and by taking actions to improve it.

The official programme was followed by an informal discussion.

The presentations used in the workshop are available (in Czech) at http://www.cesnet.cz/doc/seminare/20041109/.

The CESNET association was established by the universities and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in order to operate a national network for science and research. It is funded by the Government Council for Science and Research and its members. At present, it operates the national optical gigabit network CESNET2 and works together with Canada, the Netherlands and the U.S.A. on building of the global lambda network GLIF (Global Lambda Integrated Facility), the Czech part of which is called CzechLight. Thanks to its research activities in the field of telecommunications and Internet technologies, CESNET is the representative of the Czech Republic in the European project GÉANT, in which it plays an active part.