MiniCenter

MiniCenter is an abstraction layer over Mininet and Ryu that enables users to emulate a reasonably realistic datacenter environment for network experimentation, testing, and research.

Overview

MiniCenter provides a simplified interface for creating and managing datacenter network topologies with the following features:

• Realistic Datacenter Topologies: Supports standard datacenter network architectures including Fat Tree, Leaf-Spine, and custom topologies
• SDN Integration: Seamless integration with Ryu SDN controller for programmable network control
• Simplified API: Abstract away the complexities of Mininet and Ryu configuration
• Traffic Simulation: Tools to generate realistic datacenter traffic patterns
• Performance Monitoring: Built-in monitoring capabilities for network performance metrics
• Extensible Framework: Easily add custom network components and behaviors

Requirements

• Python 3.9.18
• Mininet (http://mininet.org/download/)
• Open vSwitch
• Ryu (for the controller)

Installation

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/MiniCenter.git
cd MiniCenter
pyenv local 3.9.18
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Start the Controller

Start the Ryu controller:

ryu-manager simple_controller.py

Run Datacenter Topologies

Run with default Fat Tree configuration (4 pods):

sudo python fat_tree.py

Specify a different number of pods (must be an even number):

sudo python fat_tree.py 6

Run in one command

ryu-manager simple_controller.py & python fat_tree.py

Test Connectivity

mininet> pingall

• Note: it might take multiple tries for pingall to reach 100% connectivity since STP might still be converging in the background.

Clean Exit

mininet> exit

Advanced Features

Custom Traffic Patterns

MiniCenter allows you to generate realistic datacenter traffic patterns:

sudo python traffic_generator.py --pattern hadoop

Available patterns: hadoop, webserver, database, mixed

Network Monitoring

Monitor network performance in real-time:

sudo python monitor.py

Architecture

MiniCenter consists of three main components:

1. Topology Generator: Creates virtual network topologies that mirror real datacenter architectures
2. Controller Interface: Provides SDN control capabilities through Ryu
3. Simulation Tools: Generates realistic network traffic and workloads

Troubleshooting

• Run all commands with sudo privileges
• Ensure Mininet and Open vSwitch are properly installed
• Start the controller before running the topology
• If connectivity issues occur, wait 10-20 seconds for STP to converge
• Default controller connection is 127.0.0.1:6633

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT