To implement the network service chaining in the ns3 has need to embrace the sequence of network services such as firewalls, load balancers, and intrusion detection systems that packets need to permit via earlier reaching their endpoint. This needs to setup the numerous nodes, configure the routing and probably utilize the custom applications to emulate the features of these services. Given below are the detailed procedure on how to implement the network service chaining in the ns3:
Step-by-Step Implementation:
Step 1: Setup ns3 Environment
Make sure ns3 is installed in the system.
Step 2: Include Necessary Modules
Include the necessary ns3 modules in your script:
#include “ns3/core-module.h”
#include “ns3/network-module.h”
#include “ns3/internet-module.h”
#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”
#include “ns3/applications-module.h”
#include “ns3/traffic-control-module.h”
#include “ns3/flow-monitor-module.h”
Step 3: Create the Simulation Script
- Setup Nodes and Network:
using namespace ns3;
NS_LOG_COMPONENT_DEFINE (“NetworkServiceChainingExample”);
int main (int argc, char *argv[])
{
CommandLine cmd;
cmd.Parse (argc, argv);
// Create nodes
NodeContainer nodes;
nodes.Create (6);
// Create point-to-point links
PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;
pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute (“DataRate”, StringValue (“10Mbps”));
pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute (“Delay”, StringValue (“2ms”));
NetDeviceContainer devices;
devices = pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (0), nodes.Get (1))));
devices.Add (pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (1), nodes.Get (2))));
devices.Add (pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (2), nodes.Get (3))));
devices.Add (pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (3), nodes.Get (4))));
devices.Add (pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (4), nodes.Get (5))));
// Install Internet stack
InternetStackHelper stack;
stack.Install (nodes);
// Assign IP addresses
Ipv4AddressHelper address;
address.SetBase (“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces = address.Assign (devices);
// Set up routing
Ipv4GlobalRoutingHelper::PopulateRoutingTables ();
// Set up applications
uint16_t port = 9; // Discard port (RFC 863)
// Server application on node 5
Address serverAddress (InetSocketAddress (Ipv4Address::GetAny (), port));
PacketSinkHelper packetSinkHelper (“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, serverAddress);
ApplicationContainer sinkApps = packetSinkHelper.Install (nodes.Get (5));
sinkApps.Start (Seconds (1.0));
sinkApps.Stop (Seconds (20.0));
// Client application on node 0
OnOffHelper onoff (“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, Address (InetSocketAddress (interfaces.GetAddress (5), port)));
onoff.SetConstantRate (DataRate (“1Mbps”));
ApplicationContainer apps = onoff.Install (nodes.Get (0));
apps.Start (Seconds (2.0));
apps.Stop (Seconds (20.0));
// Enable pcap tracing for packet capture
pointToPoint.EnablePcapAll (“network-service-chaining”);
// Enable traffic control
TrafficControlHelper tch;
tch.SetRootQueueDisc (“ns3::RedQueueDisc”);
tch.Install (devices);
// Enable flow monitor
FlowMonitorHelper flowmon;
Ptr<FlowMonitor> monitor = flowmon.InstallAll ();
Simulator::Stop (Seconds (20.0));
Simulator::Run ();
// Print per-flow statistics
monitor->CheckForLostPackets ();
Ptr<Ipv4FlowClassifier> classifier = DynamicCast<Ipv4FlowClassifier> (flowmon.GetClassifier ());
std::map<FlowId, FlowMonitor::FlowStats> stats = monitor->GetFlowStats ();
for (std::map<FlowId, FlowMonitor::FlowStats>::const_iterator i = stats.begin (); i != stats.end (); ++i)
{
Ipv4FlowClassifier::FiveTuple t = classifier->FindFlow (i->first);
std::cout << “Flow ” << i->first << ” (” << t.sourceAddress << ” -> ” << t.destinationAddress << “)\n”;
std::cout << ” Tx Bytes: ” << i->second.txBytes << “\n”;
std::cout << ” Rx Bytes: ” << i->second.rxBytes << “\n”;
std::cout << ” Tx Packets: ” << i->second.txPackets << “\n”;
std::cout << ” Rx Packets: ” << i->second.rxPackets << “\n”;
std::cout << ” Throughput: ” << i->second.rxBytes * 8.0 / (i->second.timeLastRxPacket.GetSeconds() – i->second.timeFirstTxPacket.GetSeconds()) / 1024 / 1024 << ” Mbps\n”;
}
Simulator::Destroy ();
return 0;
}
Step 4: Create Custom Applications for Network Services
We need to generate the custom application then we must emulate the behaviour of network services such as firewalls, load balancers, and intrusion detection systems. Below are the samplet to setup a basic firewall application:
class FirewallApplication : public Application
{
public:
FirewallApplication ();
virtual ~FirewallApplication ();
void Setup (Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address);
private:
virtual void StartApplication (void);
virtual void StopApplication (void);
void HandleRead (Ptr<Socket> socket);
Ptr<Socket> m_socket;
Address m_peer;
};
FirewallApplication::FirewallApplication ()
: m_socket (0)
{
}
FirewallApplication::~FirewallApplication ()
{
m_socket = 0;
}
void
FirewallApplication::Setup (Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address)
{
m_socket = socket;
m_peer = address;
}
void
FirewallApplication::StartApplication (void)
{
m_socket->Bind ();
m_socket->Connect (m_peer);
m_socket->SetRecvCallback (MakeCallback (&FirewallApplication::HandleRead, this));
}
void
FirewallApplication::StopApplication (void)
{
if (m_socket)
{
m_socket->Close ();
}
}
void
FirewallApplication::HandleRead (Ptr<Socket> socket)
{
Ptr<Packet> packet;
Address from;
while ((packet = socket->RecvFrom (from)))
{
NS_LOG_UNCOND (“Firewall received ” << packet->GetSize () << ” bytes from ” << InetSocketAddress::ConvertFrom (from).GetIpv4 ());
// Implement firewall logic here (e.g., drop or forward packets based on rules)
// For simplicity, we’ll forward all packets
socket->Send (packet);
}
}
Step 5: Integrate Custom Applications
Incorporate the custom applications inside the simulation script. For instances, we need to setup a firewall application on node 2:
int main (int argc, char *argv[])
{
CommandLine cmd;
cmd.Parse (argc, argv);
// Create nodes
NodeContainer nodes;
nodes.Create (6);
// Create point-to-point links
PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;
pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute (“DataRate”, StringValue (“10Mbps”));
pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute (“Delay”, StringValue (“2ms”));
NetDeviceContainer devices;
devices = pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (0), nodes.Get (1))));
devices.Add (pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (1), nodes.Get (2))));
devices.Add (pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (2), nodes.Get (3))));
devices.Add (pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (3), nodes.Get (4))));
devices.Add (pointToPoint.Install (NodeContainer (nodes.Get (4), nodes.Get (5))));
// Install Internet stack
InternetStackHelper stack;
stack.Install (nodes);
// Assign IP addresses
Ipv4AddressHelper address;
address.SetBase (“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces = address.Assign (devices);
// Set up routing
Ipv4GlobalRoutingHelper::PopulateRoutingTables ();
// Set up applications
uint16_t port = 9; // Discard port (RFC 863)
// Server application on node 5
Address serverAddress (InetSocketAddress (Ipv4Address::GetAny (), port));
PacketSinkHelper packetSinkHelper (“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, serverAddress);
ApplicationContainer sinkApps = packetSinkHelper.Install (nodes.Get (5));
sinkApps.Start (Seconds (1.0));
sinkApps.Stop (Seconds (20.0));
// Client application on node 0
OnOffHelper onoff (“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, Address (InetSocketAddress (interfaces.GetAddress (5), port)));
onoff.SetConstantRate (DataRate (“1Mbps”));
ApplicationContainer apps = onoff.Install (nodes.Get (0));
apps.Start (Seconds (2.0));
apps.Stop (Seconds (20.0));
// Firewall application on node 2
Ptr<Socket> firewallSocket = Socket::CreateSocket (nodes.Get (2), UdpSocketFactory::GetTypeId ());
Address firewallAddress = InetSocketAddress (interfaces.GetAddress (3), port);
Ptr<FirewallApplication> firewallApp = CreateObject<FirewallApplication> ();
firewallApp->Setup (firewallSocket, firewallAddress);
nodes.Get (2)->AddApplication (firewallApp);
firewallApp->SetStartTime (Seconds (1.5));
firewallApp->SetStopTime (Seconds (20.0));
// Enable pcap tracing for packet capture
pointToPoint.EnablePcapAll (“network-service-chaining”);
// Enable traffic control
TrafficControlHelper tch;
tch.SetRootQueueDisc (“ns3::RedQueueDisc”);
tch.Install (devices);
// Enable flow monitor
FlowMonitorHelper flowmon;
Ptr<FlowMonitor> monitor = flowmon.InstallAll ();
Simulator::Stop (Seconds (20.0));
Simulator::Run ();
// Print per-flow statistics
monitor->CheckForLostPackets ();
Ptr<Ipv4FlowClassifier> classifier = DynamicCast<Ipv4FlowClassifier> (flowmon.GetClassifier ());
std::map<FlowId, FlowMonitor::FlowStats> stats = monitor->GetFlowStats ();
for (std::map<FlowId, FlowMonitor::FlowStats>::const_iterator i = stats.begin (); i != stats.end (); ++i)
{
Ipv4FlowClassifier::FiveTuple t = classifier->FindFlow (i->first);
std::cout << “Flow ” << i->first << ” (” << t.sourceAddress << ” -> ” << t.destinationAddress << “)\n”;
std::cout << ” Tx Bytes: ” << i->second.txBytes << “\n”;
std::cout << ” Rx Bytes: ” << i->second.rxBytes << “\n”;
std::cout << ” Tx Packets: ” << i->second.txPackets << “\n”;
std::cout << ” Rx Packets: ” << i->second.rxPackets << “\n”;
std::cout << ” Throughput: ” << i->second.rxBytes * 8.0 / (i->second.timeLastRxPacket.GetSeconds() – i->second.timeFirstTxPacket.GetSeconds()) / 1024 / 1024 << ” Mbps\n”;
}
Simulator::Destroy ();
return 0;
}
Step 6: Run the Simulation
Compile and run your simulation script:
./waf configure
./waf build
./waf –run NetworkServiceChainingExample
Explanation
- Node Creation: Create nodes representing different devices in the network.
- Point-to-Point Links: Configure point-to-point links between nodes with specified data rates and delays.
- Internet Stack: Install the Internet stack on all nodes.
- IP Configuration: Assign IP addresses to the interfaces.
- Routing: Set up global routing to ensure packets can travel through the network.
- Applications: Use OnOffApplication and PacketSink to simulate traffic between nodes. Add custom applications (like FirewallApplication) to simulate network services.
- Packet Tracing: Enable pcap tracing to capture packets.
- Traffic Control: Enable traffic control using the RedQueueDisc queue discipline.
- Flow Monitor: Use the FlowMonitor module to collect and print statistics about the traffic flows.
Advanced Network Service Chaining Techniques
- Load Balancer:
To distribute traffic across multiple servers is executed a load balancer application.
class LoadBalancerApplication : public Application
{
public:
LoadBalancerApplication ();
virtual ~LoadBalancerApplication ();
void Setup (Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address);
private:
virtual void StartApplication (void);
virtual void StopApplication (void);
void HandleRead (Ptr<Socket> socket);
Ptr<Socket> m_socket;
Address m_peer;
};
LoadBalancerApplication::LoadBalancerApplication ()
: m_socket (0)
{
}
LoadBalancerApplication::~LoadBalancerApplication ()
{
m_socket = 0;
}
void
LoadBalancerApplication::Setup (Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address)
{
m_socket = socket;
m_peer = address;
}
void
LoadBalancerApplication::StartApplication (void)
{
m_socket->Bind ();
m_socket->Connect (m_peer);
m_socket->SetRecvCallback (MakeCallback (&LoadBalancerApplication::HandleRead, this));
}
void
LoadBalancerApplication::StopApplication (void)
{
if (m_socket)
{
m_socket->Close ();
}
}
void
LoadBalancerApplication::HandleRead (Ptr<Socket> socket)
{
Ptr<Packet> packet;
Address from;
while ((packet = socket->RecvFrom (from)))
{
NS_LOG_UNCOND (“LoadBalancer received ” << packet->GetSize () << ” bytes from ” << InetSocketAddress::ConvertFrom (from).GetIpv4 ());
// Implement load balancing logic here (e.g., forward packets to different servers)
// For simplicity, we’ll forward all packets to the next hop
socket->Send (packet);
}
}
- Intrusion Detection System (IDS):
To detect and log malicious traffic to execute an IDS applications.
class IdsApplication : public Application
{
public:
IdsApplication ();
virtual ~IdsApplication ();
void Setup (Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address);
private:
virtual void StartApplication (void);
virtual void StopApplication (void);
void HandleRead (Ptr<Socket> socket);
Ptr<Socket> m_socket;
Address m_peer;
};
IdsApplication::IdsApplication ()
: m_socket (0)
{
}
IdsApplication::~IdsApplication ()
{
m_socket = 0;
}
void
IdsApplication::Setup (Ptr<Socket> socket, Address address)
{
m_socket = socket;
m_peer = address;
}
void
IdsApplication::StartApplication (void)
{
m_socket->Bind ();
m_socket->Connect (m_peer);
m_socket->SetRecvCallback (MakeCallback (&IdsApplication::HandleRead, this));
}
void
IdsApplication::StopApplication (void)
{
if (m_socket)
{
m_socket->Close ();
}
}
void
IdsApplication::HandleRead (Ptr<Socket> socket)
{
Ptr<Packet> packet;
Address from;
while ((packet = socket->RecvFrom (from)))
{
NS_LOG_UNCOND (“IDS received ” << packet->GetSize () << ” bytes from ” << InetSocketAddress::ConvertFrom (from).GetIpv4 ());
// Implement IDS logic here (e.g., detect and log malicious traffic)
// For simplicity, we’ll log all packets
NS_LOG_UNCOND (“Logging packet: ” << packet->GetUid ());
// Forward the packet
socket->Send (packet);
}
}
- Policy-Based Routing:
To control the paths that packets take through the network based on predefined rules to execute policy-based routing.
Ipv4StaticRoutingHelper ipv4RoutingHelper;
Ptr<Ipv4StaticRouting> staticRouting = ipv4RoutingHelper.GetStaticRouting (nodes.Get (0)->GetObject<Ipv4> ());
staticRouting->AddNetworkRouteTo (Ipv4Address (“10.1.2.0”), Ipv4Mask (“255.255.255.0”), Ipv4Address (“10.1.1.2”), 1);
In the end, we have discussed how the network service chaining will implemented in the ns3 tool. If you need any other information regarding the service chaining we will confirm to help and support you. We provide you with exceptional project execution ideas for the implementation of Network Service Chaining in ns3tool. Our team will conduct thorough performance analysis and offer superior simulation support. We specialize in managing numerous nodes and configuring routing effectively.