1.1. How to set up and run an experiment with SEER

1.1.1. Initial Setup

1. Begin a new experiment and load the ns file that defines the network topology. Simple ns file modifications are required to support loading the SEER backend on each node:

   1. Create an additional unconnected node in the experiment called ‘control’ to gather and display statistics and act as the interface for the remote GUI client.
   2. Run the python script /share/seer/experiment-setup.py as root on each node at startup with a list of modules or module groups that you wish to use.

tb-set-node-startcmd $node "sudo python /share/seer/v160/experiment-setup.py Basic"

Note

On Windows images, you should not use sudo in the command.

1. Install SUN JRE v1.5 or later on your local machine to support the frontend GUI
2. Navigate to the seer.isi.deterlab.net front page and click on the WebStart link for the version you want.

1.1.2. Running the experiment and the SEER software

1. Swap the experiment in using the DETER web interface.
2. Start up the SEER GUI and select “Emulab” as the testbed interface type

3. Associate your experiment with the SEER GUI by using Emulab Interface->Attach To Experiment

4. The GUI will prompt you for a project and experiment string. Both of these values are case sensitive. If you enter the correct values but with incorrect case, the GUI will not be able to connect and will notify you so.

5. As you now require a connection to DETER, the GUI will prompt you for a username and host.

6. It will now prompt for ssh passphrase or interactive password, based on type of authentication technique supported by the local machine. We recommend setting up ssh keys on DETER for more robust connections. If the key file supplied isn’t valid, it will default back to keyboard interactive passwords.
7. The topology will now be displayed under the Topology Tab.
8. Various types of cross traffic can be generated using the Control Tab
9. Traffic on the topology can be observed by right clicking on a node and selecting ‘Open Graph’. The graph will will be found in the Graphs Tab.

1.1.3. Example: A Small DoS Experiment

First, setup a 4 node toplogy, with two attackers, a victim, and a intermediate router. Listed below is the ns file with the SEER support.

set ns [new Simulator]
source tb_compat.tcl
#Create the topology nodes
foreach node { V R A1 A2 control } {

   #Create new node
   set $node [$ns node]

   #Define the OS image
   tb-set-node-os [set $node] Ubuntu1004-STD

   #Have SEER install itself and startup when the node is ready
   tb-set-node-startcmd [set $node] "sudo python /share/seer/v160/experiment-setup.py Basic"
}

#Create the topology links
set linkRV [$ns duplex-link $V $R 100Mb 3ms DropTail]
set linkRA1 [$ns duplex-link $R $A1 50Mb 3ms DropTail]
set linkRA2 [$ns duplex-link $R $A2 50Mb 3ms DropTail]
$ns rtproto Static
$ns run

Next, swap the experiment in and start the GUI following the instructions listed above.