= Containers =


Today, using version 1.0.0,  you can run experiments on DETER involving high numbers of virtual nodes. We currently support experiments mixing [http://openvz.org OpenVZ virtual servers], QEMU virtual nodes running Ubuntu, View-OS lightweight processes, and physical computers.

A container represents a collection of experimental elements at the
same level of abstraction. Containers have standardized interfaces and
incorporate interconnection backplanes for communication both within
and between containers. Containers can be nested -- the elements
within a container can be other containers. This leads naturally to a
hierarchical paradigm, in which apparatuses are built by allocating
and connecting containers hierarchically through standard interfaces.

If you have problems with or questions about the system, contact [mailto:faber@ISI.EDU Ted Faber] or [https://trac.deterlab.net/wiki/GettingHelp contact the testbed staff].

= Project Goals =

The container mechanism will enable an experimenter to provide a conceptual
description of an experiment -- a "conceptual apparatus" -- as a
general topology annotated with fidelity requirements, without
specifying its eventual physical realization in the testbed as a "real
apparatus". The container mechanism will automate instantiating
the conceptual apparatus as a real DETERlab experiment that is scaled and abstracted appropriately to meet the
fidelity requirements. This will include mapping conceptual nodes into
real machines, virtual machines, processes, threads, etc as
appropriate, and handling the details of configuring the links and
initializing the experiment.

The experimenter will create a topology description labeled with
experiment constraints, and the system will assign its concrete elements to a
hierarchical structure of containers. The system will guide the user in
this assignment by ensuring that both experiment constraints and
container constraints are satisfied. Then the concrete elements in the
containerized experiment will be mapped into physical realizations on the
real testbed(s).The virtual machines need to be instantiated, the
simulators loaded, and the computers allocated. The container system
will use the hierarchical structure to perform a recursive embedding
process, again satisfying constraints.



== Current Users ==

See UsingContainers for documentation.

In the event of any problem please [/newticket file a ticket] or contact the staff directly faber@ISI.EDU

== Developer Documentation ==

PluggingIn: documentation for plugging in new virtualization platforms