FGRE: Visualizing an Experiment's Measurements

Experiments involving multiple nodes, demand that the measurements collected from them are in an organized way. For this purpose, we will employ the OML library responsible for collecting measurements in a database file. 

Organizing the measurements in a database file gives us the opportunity to visualize them in an easy way. For this purpose, we will use omf_web, which is a Rubygem, able to parse and visualize database files with measurements.

We will use a second NITOS server for visualizing our experiments.

Login using your credentials to the nitlab-wimax.inf.uth.gr server using the command:

 ssh This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

You can download testing visualization files in your home directory using the following command:

 wget http://10.64.44.180/omf_web_fgre.tar.gz 

To untar the files issue the following commandL

 tar zxvf omf_web_fgre.tar.gz 

By listing your home directory you will be able to see a new folder named omf_web_nitos_fgre. Your home directories are synchronized among all the available NITOS servers, so be careful on which server you are working at any time.

In order to run a sample visualization script that we have prepared you need to issue the following commands:

cd omf_web_nitos_fgre 
ruby1.9.1 -I lib example/fgre/simple_viz_server.rb start --db fgre-test -p 300X

where X is the number of your team. You will see many lines outputted in the console. That are messages printed by omf_web, as they start to parse the example database file that you currently use.

Omf_web is using a built-in web server which is configured to start and draw the measurements. When the server is initiated, you will see a line like:

 INFO Server: >> Listening on 0.0.0.0:300X, CTRL+C to stop

where X is the number of the port you are using. You can now open a web browser to the page http://nitlab-wimax.inf.uth.gr:300X and you will see some graphics like the folllowing:

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FGRE: Accessing the NITOS testbed remotely

NITOS server is remotely accessible, and the experimental nodes available for reservation 24/7. In order to access the server, you can use the credentials that have been handed out to you and issue the following command in a UNIX terminal:

 ssh This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

You may need to open multiple terminal instances to the server during this tutorial session. If you have a Windows based host, you will need to use an SSH client, such as Putty, in order to connect to the testbed portal.

Once you are logged in the server, you can check your current working directory by using the following command:

 pwd 

Now that you are connected to the server, you can connect to the node that your team is allocated. In order to check which node is allocated to your team, you can use the command:

 t_reboot who 

The number outputted is the node that you will use for your experiments.
In order to use the nodes, you will have to turn them on. You can do it with the following command:

 omf tell -a on -t omf.nitos.node0XX 

where XX is the node you will be using. The nodes usually take 30 seconds to come up. In the meantime, you can check the connectivity to the nodes using the ping command:

 ping node0XX 

If the node is responding (i.e. you see RTT delays), you can connect to the node using the command:

 ssh root@node0XX 

You will see that the command prompt will change to something like:

 root@node044:~# 

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FGRE: NITOS testbed Introduction

The NITOS Future Internet facility is a heterogeneous testbed that allows experimenters from all over the globe to have access on multiple cutting-edge resources, enabling the conception and experimental validation of novel protocols and ideas. The main experimental components of NITOS are:

• A wireless experimentation testbed, which consists of powerful nodes, that feature multiple wireless interfaces and allow for experimentation with heterogeneous (WiFi, Bluetooth) wireless technologies. NITOS is a meso-scale testbed, using WiMAX and LTE Base Stations. The testbed resources are deployed in three sites; 50 nodes are deployed in an interference-rich site, while 10 nodes are deployed in an RF-isolated office environment, and 50 more nodes are about to be deployed in an interference free environment. 
• A software defined radio (SDR) testbed that consists of Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) devices attached to the NITOS wireless nodes. USRPs allow the researcher to program a number of physical layer features (e.g. modulation), thereby enabling dedicated PHY layer or cross-layer research.
• A Software Defined Networking (SDN) testbed that consists of four OpenFlow technology enabled switches, connected to the NITOS nodes, thus enabling experimentation with switching and routing networking protocols. Experimentation using the OpenFlow technology can be combined with the wireless networking one, hence enabling the construction of more heterogeneous experimental scenarios.
• A testbed for conducting video-transmission (wired or wireless) related experimentation, which consists of high definition digital cameras, mounted on the NITOS nodes. This component can be combined with the wired (OpenFlow) and wireless testbeds mentioned above, enabling the study of video transmission over heterogeneous communication technologies.
• A distributed Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) testbed able to sense and gather environmental measurements from agricultural installations. The deployed facility consists of multiple clusters, each one comprised of wireless sensor devices and Gateway nodes, creating mesh networks utilizing the ZigBee technology. Measurements that are gathered by the sensor network are aggregated, stored and processed at a centralized cluster of servers, which controls the irrigating system. The distributed wireless sensor infrastructure is located in the agricultural installation of UTH and enables experimentation on agricultural development by sensing environmental conditions as well as controlling multiple parameters on the agricultural process.

The objective of this tutorial is that you will get an actual hands on experience with the NITOS nodes and the WiMAX Base Station.

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a wireless communications standard designed to provide 30 to 40 megabit-per-second data rates.

Mobile WiMAX was a replacement candidate for cellular phone technologies such as GSM and CDMA, or can be used as an overlay to increase capacity. Fixed WiMAX is also considered as a wireless backhaul technology for 2G, 3G, and 4G networks in both developed and developing nations.

NITOS WiMAX setup is based on the Airspan Air 4GS WL-24 Base Station unit, which is configured to operate in a standalone method, without authentication.

The Base Station is configured to operate using a 2590 MHz frequency using 10 MHz channel bandwidth. 

The WiMAX clients that you will be using for this tutorial are the Teltonika UM6225 models which require a setup that we will explain later on. 

If you want to find out more about the NITOS testbed you can visit this page.

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