Objective
The course “Network Design and Management” aims at teaching the contemporary methodologies and technologies in the areas of design and management of computer networks. In this context, network design problems are presented and properly formulated, whereas algorithms for their solution are presented, developed and validated using commercial software packages. Furthermore, the fundaments of computer network management, with respect to architectural, functional, information and communication models, are presented, thoroughly discussed and validated. Last but not least, recent advancements and future trends in networks and their management are presented and analyzed. The course is comprised of both theoretical lectures and specialised laboratory and programming exercises and platform demonstrations.
Course Contents
- Introduction: Course/lectures overview. Overview of computer networks, Wireless/Fixed access. Core networks. High level presentation of design, management and optimization problems.
- Advanced network design problems: Advanced design problems in fixed/wireless access networks and core networks. Topology and Resource assignment problems (Routing & Wavelength, Virtual Machines Placement, Spectrum/Power Assignment, Traffic Engineering, Mobile Offloading) in optical networks, 4G/5G Small Cell/HetNets, Radio-over-Fiber Networks and Data Centers. Mathematical modeling (Energy Efficiency, Cost Reduction).
- Methods and algorithms for solving computer network design problems: local search, greedy, (meta-)heuristics, simulated annealing, genetic algorithms, taboo search, neural networks, bio-inspired and learning techniques. Application to and solution of the above design problems. Programming exercises.
- Introduction to network management: Configuration, Fault, Accounting, Performance and Security management functions – (CFAPS). Management layers, (element, network, service, business), manager(s), agents, network management architectures and standards. The internet management model, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) protocol, Management Information Base (MIB), Structure of Management Information (SMI)/Abstract Syntax Notation.1 (ASN.1) languages. The Netconf protocol, YANG information model.
- MIB design, processing and development: Reading and processing of MIB contents. Introduction to well established MIBs (MIB-II, RFC 1213). Focus on system, interfaces, IP and TCP groups. Monitoring and configuration of MIB parameters based on SNMP. Configuration, performance and fault management functions. Application of theory in lab network infrastructure (servers, host PCs, switches etc.) using open source tools, lab exercises and analysis of results.
- Design and development of network management applications: Development of management applications particularly for performance and fault management. Usage of scripts, high level programming languages and open source tools and libraries. Programming and lab exercises, derivation and analysis of results.
- Network monitoring techniques and tools: Packet inspection, Protocol analysis. Traffic monitoring and analysis. Active/Passive monitoring. Network monitoring tools (ping, Traceroute, TCPdump, MRTG, IPFIX/NetFlow, HP Openview, SNMPc, MRTG/PRTG, Nagios, OpenNMS). Event and alarm generation. Event/alarm correlation (Aggregation, Filtering, Masking, Root cause analysis, Τεχνικές Case-, Model-, Rule- Based Reasoning).
- Autonomic Network Management: Mechanisms self-management (self-configuration, self-optimization, self-healing), cognitive management, application of machine learning in network management. Policy-based management. Network governance. The case of 3GPP LTE Self-Organizing Networks (SΟΝ).
- Management of SDN networks: Introduction to Software Defined Networks (SDN). The OpenFlow protocol. Virtual Switches and SDN controllers. Network virtualization and SDN Applications. Network Function Virtualization.
- Management /Programming of SDN: Installation and configuration of SDNs using source tools (Openflow vSwitches, mininet, JAVA/Python based controllers). Lab exercises on networking management/programming and development of networks functions/applications.
- Mark L. Murphy, 2010.