Network2: Difference between revisions

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This page proposes a fresh design for network configuration in a highly collaborative world, based on Scott's [[Network Principles]] in general and on these micro-principles in particular:
Last updated: [[User:Mstone|Michael Stone]] 04:15, 15 January 2010 (UTC) | '''[[Network2/Paper|paper version]]'''


Sugar's desired realtime collaboration experience can only be provided atop a robust and efficient network stack designed to accommodate automated diagnosis and standardized workarounds -- anything less only wastes students' and teachers' time and patience, contrary to our [[OLPC Human Interface Guidelines/Design Fundamentals/Key Design Principles|human interface guidelines]].
# Ease of debugging is paramount.
# Orthogonal pieces.
# Self-test functionality.


This '''unfinished''' essay summarizes an attempt to work out a simple way to realize this sort of network experience, with existing software and hardware, while also demonstrating the sort of thinking which might help other parts of the system achieve the same standard of quality.
However, unlike the Network Principles situation, we also describe how to integrate several kinds of NAT-traversal technology, primarily to support dog-fooding and diagnosis by remote developers.


'''Quick links''': '''[[Network2/Paper|the Paper]]''' : (finished/''unfinished'' sections)
== Client IPv6 ==


* Prior work: [[networking]], [[collaboration]], [[network principles]]
Your job is to be an [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2460 IPv6] node. Consequently, when you bring up your interfaces,
* Background: [[Network2/Purpose|purpose]], [[Network2/Scenarios|scenarios]], [[Network2/Architecture|architecture]]
* Designs: [[Network2/Design|naming and internetworking]], ''[[Network2/Security|security ideas]]'', [[Network2/Diagnosis|diagnosis techniques]]
* Analyses: ''[[Network2/Dynamics|cost model]]'', ''[[Network2/Self-test|self-test algorithm]]''
* Experiments: [[Network2/Experiments/Dnshash|dnshash]], [[Network2/Experiments/Openvpn|openvpn]], ''[[Network2/Experiments/HE|6to4: HE]]'', ''[[Network2/Experiments/Sixxs|6to4: Sixxs]]'', ''[[Network2/Experiments/Simulation|simulation]]'', ''[[Network2/Experiments/openwrt|openwrt]]'', ''[[Network2/Experiments/tinydns|olpcdyndns1]]''


'''Personal goals...'''
# You might [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2461 discover] an IPv6 router [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2463 advertising] on one of your links.
#* (See <tt>sysctl net.ipv6.conf.all.accept_ra</tt> and related variables.)
# You might try out [https://fedorahosted.org/dhcpv6/ dhcp6c].
# You might have some kind of IPv4 connectivity. If so, [http://www.sixxs.net/faq/connectivity/?faq=comparison connect] to the Internet or to other internetworks ([http://openvpn.net/ openvpn], ...) of your choice.
# Use [[dnshash]] to add guessable link-local addresses to all your links.


# "I want to use familiar tools in my activities, -- like Twisted, curl, ssh, rsync, and email -- both under a tree, in a walled garden, and out on the public Internet, without modification or wrappers."
== Server IPv6 ==
# "I want a design that has 20% fewer ways to fail, and that offers manual overrides for the failure modes that remain."
# "I want to chop 2-3 levels from the current collaboration stack's 6-level 'fast-path'."
# "I want to collaborate with people who only have web browsers -- they outnumber people with Jabber clients by millions."


'''Finally, to help out''', please improve my writing, experiment with my ideas, and share this work with your friends!
Your job is to be an IPv6 router and a [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1034 DNS] [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1035 server]. One of several situations might obtain:


==Subpages==
# You might discover an IPv6 router advertising one or more IPv6 prefixes on your outbound link(s).
{{Special:PrefixIndex/{{PAGENAMEE}}/}}
# You might have some kind of IPv4 connectivity. If so, [http://www.sixxs.net/faq/connectivity/?faq=comparison connect] to the Internet or to other internetworks ([http://openvpn.net/ openvpn], ...) of your choice.
# You might be under a tree. If so, generate a [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4193 Unique Local Address] prefix.
# (Use [[dnshash]] to add guessable link-local addresses to all your links?)


When done, use [http://www.litech.org/radvd/ radvd] or [https://fedorahosted.org/dhcpv6/ dhcp6d] to share addresses.


[[Category:Network2]]
== Server DNS ==
[[Category:Subsystems]]

One of the server's most important jobs is to get itself on appropriate internetworks so that it can dynamically map stable (DNS) names to unstable names [IPv6 addresses] for itself and its clients.

Unfortunately, the most reliable and secure means of updating these mappings is likely to be bespoke -- [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2136 RFC 2136] is not widely implemented and specifies no concrete security protocol while DNSSEC seems immature at present.

Consequently, I propose the following strawman update protocol -- exchange an RFC-2136 UPDATE packet and response over your favorite authenticated RPC protocol with the nameserver.

(My favorite protocol for this sort of thing is currently "json-over-SSH-to-python-and-make", but variations (ucspi-ssl, 9p, etc.) make me smile.)

Latest revision as of 04:15, 15 January 2010

Last updated: Michael Stone 04:15, 15 January 2010 (UTC) | paper version

Sugar's desired realtime collaboration experience can only be provided atop a robust and efficient network stack designed to accommodate automated diagnosis and standardized workarounds -- anything less only wastes students' and teachers' time and patience, contrary to our human interface guidelines.

This unfinished essay summarizes an attempt to work out a simple way to realize this sort of network experience, with existing software and hardware, while also demonstrating the sort of thinking which might help other parts of the system achieve the same standard of quality.

Quick links: the Paper : (finished/unfinished sections)

Personal goals...

  1. "I want to use familiar tools in my activities, -- like Twisted, curl, ssh, rsync, and email -- both under a tree, in a walled garden, and out on the public Internet, without modification or wrappers."
  2. "I want a design that has 20% fewer ways to fail, and that offers manual overrides for the failure modes that remain."
  3. "I want to chop 2-3 levels from the current collaboration stack's 6-level 'fast-path'."
  4. "I want to collaborate with people who only have web browsers -- they outnumber people with Jabber clients by millions."

Finally, to help out, please improve my writing, experiment with my ideas, and share this work with your friends!

Subpages

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