iNET System Management Scaling

Abstract

The integration of standard networking technologies into the test range allows for more capable and complex systems. As System Management provides the capability for dynamic allocation of resources, it is critical to support the level of network flexibility envisioned by the integrated Network-Enhanced Telemetry (iNET) project. This paper investigates the practical performance of managing the Telemetry Network System (TmNS) using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). It discusses the impacts and benefits of System Management as the size of the TmNS scales from small to large and as distributed and centralized management styles are applied. To support dynamic network states, it is necessary to be able to both collect the current status of the network and command (or modify the configuration of) the network. The management data needs to travel both ways over the telemetry link (in limited bandwidth) without interfering with critical data streams. It is important that the TmNS's status is collected in a timely manner so that the engineers are aware of any equipment failures or other problems; it is also imperative that System Management does not adversely affect the real-time delivery of data. This paper discusses measurements of SNMP traffic under various loading conditions. Statistics considered will include the performance of SNMP commands, queries, and events under various test article and telemetry network loads and the bandwidth consumed by SNMP commands, queries, and events under various conditions (e.g., pre-configuration, normal operation, and device error).