[Nsi-wg] ietf NETCONF group

Fri Jun 26 07:50:54 CDT 2009

Hi Guy, all,

In one of the sub-projects of GN2-AMPS we were trying to address that issue.
We defined a very simple structure, Abstract Vendor Independent XML
(AVI-XML), which is an abstraction to provide generic specification for the
configuration service. Our AMPS Configuration Service was supposed to work
with an implementation of AVI-XML designed for Premium IP only. The
assumption behind this work was to make it as flexible as possible, to allow
future extensions to support other specific configurations (e.g. Firewall
AVI-XML, etc.). 

I am trying to find the latest version of this specification, but in general
the idea was to identify the common attributes/parameters usually put in the
request and define an abstract part, where the user can put all
service-oriented data. An example (not sure about the naming, most probably
original tags have slightly different names):

<AVI-XML>
  <global-information>
  ...
  </global-information>

  <request-information>
  ...
  </request-information>

  <device>
  ...
  </device>

The "service" tag is a placeholder for further extensions. 

AVI-XML forms an interface to our software. In further steps, the
configuration service translates the Premium IP request into the XML file,
which is applied finally to the Juniper routers.

In summary, I must say this wasn't an attempt to standardize an interface or
protocol for the communication with the network equipment. What we were
trying to achieve was to design and develop a piece of software which
potentially could be re-used in different projects/activities to configure
"any kind" of equipment for "any kind" of services. Pragmatic approach, but
maybe too idealistic, don't you think? :-)

Best regards,
Bartek

-- 
Bartosz Belter
Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center
Network Department

tel. +48 61 858 2028
http://www.man.poznan.pl

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Guy Roberts [mailto:Guy.Roberts at dante.net]
> Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 2:00 PM
> To: Eduard Grasa; Jerry Sobieski
> Cc: bartosz.belter at man.poznan.pl; 'NSI WG'
> Subject: RE: [Nsi-wg] ietf NETCONF group
> 
> Hi Guys,
> 
> Thanks for all your info on NETCONF, this is helpful.
> 
> I guess Jerry's question is interesting - i.e. has anyone attempted to
> create a non-vendor specific configuration protocol?
> 
> Guy
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eduard Grasa [mailto:eduard.grasa at i2cat.net]
> Sent: 26 June 2009 12:28
> To: Jerry Sobieski
> Cc: bartosz.belter at man.poznan.pl; 'NSI WG'; Guy Roberts
> Subject: Re: [Nsi-wg] ietf NETCONF group
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> The netconf specification is quite simple, and does not define what is
> the device being configured. You can look at the RFC or at this nice
> wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netconf), but basically
> NETCONF defines an XML-RPC protocol with 7 messages: <get>,
> <get-config>, <edit-config>, <copy-config>, <delete-config>, <lock>,
> <unlock>, <close-session>, <kill-session>.
> 
> The contens of each message (the configuration data in the wikipedia
> picture) are not part of the standard, they are left to every
> implementor, who defines the XML data that goes inside each message
> (taht's why JunOS netconf looks juniper centric, Cisco one looks Cisco
> centric, and so on). Therefore you can configure whatever you want as
> long as you use the 7 messages above (which are pretty generic anyway).
> 
> Hope this helps,
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Eduard
> 
> 
> Jerry Sobieski escribió:
> > Hi all-
> >
> > I'd like to make a couple comments about this...I am not by any means
> an
> > expert, but I see some issues that I wonder if anyone has considered
> or
> > knows about?...
> >
> >  From what I know of the JUNOS implementation, the NETCONF API seems
> > completely Juniper centric.  And therefore JUNOS centric.   I.e. it
> > really is focused on configuring IP routers and Juniper routers at
> that...
> >
> > I think the issue of configuring devices using automated network
> agents
> > will be more useful if it can cover devices other than just routers.
> > Certainly ethernet switches fall into this catagory (perhaps JUNOS is
> > implemented on some of these as well), but also other network devices
> > including SONET/SDH or DWDM devices (ala GMPLS "LSR" architecture).
> >
> > I also believe a generic NETCONF architecture could be useful for
> > configuring and monitoring other devices as well such as firewalls
> and
> > end-systems or even non-network devices such as instuments or
> > sensors...  And it could be used to reconfigure larger service
> functions
> > such as a DHCP elements or routing domains, or policy domains if it
> were
> > designed to do so as part of the architectural background.
> >
> > So two questions:
> >     a) Does anyone know of any NETCONF type of package that portends
> to
> > doing this type of of architectural domain autoconfiguration?,
> >     and b) Should this effort to develop an automated configuration
> > process for IP devices consider how to define a *generic* device
> > configuration protocol that could be used to cover a broader set of
> > cyber-devices?
> >
> > Thanks
> > Jerry
> >
> > Bartek Belter wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Guy, all,
> >>
> >> The GN2 AMPS (Advance Multi-domain Provisioning System, a federated
> resource reservation system for Premium IP) also uses this API to
> configure Juniper routers. And indeed, as Joan Antoni pointed out, this
> API is used to configure a single network device, not the whole
> network.
> >>
> >> If you have valid GN2 credentials you may take a look at the page:
> http://wiki.geant2.net/bin/view/SA3/AmpsConfigurationService
> >> This gives a brief overview to the part of AMPS responsible for the
> configuration of network elements. I can try to dig a bit more, if some
> of you are interested to get more detailed description.
> >>
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >> Bartek
> >>
> >>
> >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > nsi-wg mailing list
> > nsi-wg at ogf.org
> > http://www.ogf.org/mailman/listinfo/nsi-wg
> >
> >
> 
> 
> --
> 
> 
> Eduard Grasa Gras
> 
> Network Technologies Cluster (CTX)
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