CMon: Multi-Domain Circuit Monitoring System Based on GÉANT perfSONAR MDM

Global research collaborations today require robust, secure and dedicated network connections to facilitate data communication between collaborating partners. In order to manage and process such large amount of data, dedicated connections are required to transport data in a highly efficient manner. Managing such links that often traverse multiple geographically spaced domains with heterogeneous network infrastructure poses many compelling research challenges, one of which is inter domain network monitoring. In this paper, a multi-domain circuit monitoring system, CMon, is introduced to address the topic of multi-domain circuit monitoring. Building upon some services provided by GÉANT perfSONAR MDM, CMon aims to provide end-to-end circuit monitoring services with flexibility, extensibility, and vendor independency, regardless of the underlying circuit provisioning systems, keeping in mind the future enhancements of the system itself. The archite cture of CMon, by using measurement federations, can adapt to either changes in the circuit provisioning system or the expansion of network size with little or no changes to the CMon system as a whole. The tool can be seen as a value addition to network mo nitoring suite, bringing in circuit monitoring as well into the fold. Further research possibilities include more distributed architecture for scalability, incorporating passive measurements by way of robust protocols and/or network management tools, and also expansion of monitoring ability to multi-domain VPNs, multicast networks etc.