News archive:
[2 July 2008] pci-bridge-1.3.0 released
The PCI Bridge firmware upgrade package pci-bridge-1.3.0 is available for download. The package is intended to work with COMBO6X card with COMBO-4SFPRO or COMBO-2XFP2 add-on cards. The package comes with updated (not NETCOPE) PCI Bridge firmware in version c610.04.08. The documentation is available at
Documents -> Package releases -> pci-bridge-1.3.0 user guide.
[27 June 2008] nic-2.0.0 released
The NIC package is available for download. NIC 2.0.0 is the first Liberouter package based on NetCOPE platform. Package introduces capabilities and performance of the platform as its simplest application, where network traffic is routed directly to software without hardware preprocessing. The package is intended to work with COMBO6X mother card with COMBO-4SFPRO add-on card.
New features include:
Firmware
- wirespeed packet reception at one SFP port
- precise timestamp support using COMBO-PTM card
Software
- NetCOPE
- fast szedata interface
- libpcap support
- kernel drivers improvements
[26 May 2008] TERENA Networking Conference 2008
A paper titled NETCONF - Secure FlowMon Probe Remote Configuration presenting our experiences of implementing NETCONF protocol was accepted and presented on TNC 2008. There is also available poster describing Hardware-Accelerated Framework for Flow Monitoring of 10Gbit Networks that was presented on TNC 2008.
TERENA Networking Conference 2008 was held in Bruges (Belgium) from 19-22 May 2008.
[11 April 2008] Presentation of COMBOv2 at Xilinx Academic Forum
New cards of COMBOv2 family were presented at Xilinx Academic Forum in San Jose, California, USA on 28/02/2008. The presented cards drew attention of many academic researchers. Cards of COMBOv2 family offer high performance for network critical application at speed over 10Gbps.
The presentation can be downloaded here
[9 April 2008] FlowMon-1.4.0 released
The FlowMon package is available for download. The new release introduces support for COMBO-2XFP2 interface cards with 10GE interfaces and FlowMon exporters are now able to use IPFIX (IP Flow Information eXport) protocol for sending data to the collector(s).
New featuers include:
- support for COMBO6X mother card with COMBO-2XFP2 add-on card
- support for up to 120 000 flowrecords on COMBO6X card and up to 490 000 flowrecords on COMBO6X card with DRAM
- FlowMon exporters are now able to use IPFIX (IP Flow Information eXport) protocol
- kernel drivers improvements
[10 March 2008] ids-1.1.2 released
Traffic Scanner package is available for download. ids-1.1.2 package brings final fixes to Traffic Scanner v1. Main changes from ids-1.1.1:
- hardware bugfixes causing probe freezing
- new installation system
- ids-daemon brings -S switch, which enables user to choose post restart script which will be executed after hardware restart. Intended to restart applications like Snort.
- various software fixes
- updated documetation
Documents -> Package releases -> ids-1.1.2 user guide.
Traffic Scanner homepage, Traffic Scanner web interface, release notes. errata.[6 March 2008] pci-bridge-1.2.0 released
The PCI Bridge firmware upgrade package pci-bridge-1.2.0 is available for download. The package is intended to work with COMBO6X card with COMBO-4SFPRO or COMBO-2XFP2 add-on cards. The package comes with updated (not NETCOPE) PCI Bridge firmware in version c610.04.07 and contains new pci-bridgelkm tool for easy management of kernel modules needed by the package software. The documentation is available at
Documents -> Package releases -> pci-bridge-1.2.0 user guide.
[20 December 2007] pci-bridge-1.1.0 released
The PCI Bridge firmware upgrade package pci-bridge-1.1.0 is available for download. The package is intended to work with COMBO6X card with COMBO-4SFPRO or COMBO-2XFP2 add-on cards. The package comes with new PCI bridge firmware for the NETCOPE platform. This package release contains NETCOPE PCI bridge in version c610.05.0a. Package also contains updated (not NETCOPE) PCI Pridge firmware in version c610.04.06. The documentation is available at
Documents -> Package releases -> pci-bridge-1.1.0 user guide.
[18 December 2007] FlowMon instructional videos available
We have prepared a set of instructional videos for recently published flowmon-1.3.0 package. This first video set describes (and shows) process of the package installation from the package untar to startup the FlowMon web frontend for remote configuration.
These videos are available at Documents -> Package releases -> flowmon-1.3.0 videos section.
[4 December 2007] FlowMon-1.3.0 released
The FlowMon package is available for download. This release contains many new tools and features including remote configuration system over NETCONF protocol.
FlowMon 1.3.0 is the first Liberouter package with the new installation framework containing liberouterpkg tool to enable easy package switching and uninstalling. Due to the fact you have to fully uninstall any previously installed Liberouter packages (these don't contain liberouterpkg tool).
We have improved our documentation again, so basic information necessary for successful package installation you can find in the README file. More detailed information about FlowMon probe configuration or using liberouterpkg tool you can find in new FlowMon Handbook located in the doc/ directory inside the package. The complete documentation is available at Liberouter web page in section Documents -> Package releases.
This release contains secure NETCONF over SSH protocol based remote configuration with web configuration interface. The installation process was divided into three possible ways according to what you want to install. Server installation installs all necessary tools for PC where the COMBO6(X) card is placed. Client installation provides NETCONF-client side tools for remote command line configuration and Web installation installs client tools including web configuration interface.
New features include:
- temperature sensor controller connected via I2C on COMBO-4SFPRO
- new package control tool - liberouterpkg
- new configuration daemon flowmond(1) for changing FlowMon probe settings
- support for remote configuration via NETCONF over SSH protocol including web configuration interface
- kernel drivers improvements
[30 October 2007] ids-1.1.1 released
Traffic Scanner package is available for download. ids-1.1.1 package brings ids-daemon, a daemon which controls probe, and many minor software improvements. Main changes from ids-1.0.0:
- ids-daemon - a daemon which repeatidly checks if Traffic Scanner probe is running correctly. If probe is detected frozen, daemon restarts Traffic Scanner within seconds
- man documentation for tools ids, idslkm, idsctl and camctl
- kernel drivers improvements
- ids_lkm changed to idslkm
- ids script runs without root permissions
[15 August 2007] pci-bridge-1.0.0 released
The PCI Bridge firmware upgrade package pci-bridge-1.0.0 is available for download. The package is intended to work only with COMBO6X card with COMBO-4SFPRO add-on card. The package contains software necessary for upgrade and the newest PCI Bridge firmware in version c610.04.05. Old firmware can have compatibility issues with newer designs. It is recommended to keep the firmware up-to-date.
For more information see User guide (installation and upgrade guide),
[13 June 2007] FlowMon-1.2.0 released
The FlowMon package is available for download. The new release contains some new tools and introduces support for COMBO-2XFP interface cards with 10GE interfaces. New featuers include:
- support for COMBO6X mother card with COMBO-2XFP add-on card
- support for 10, 100 and 1000 Mbps link speeds for COMBO6X mother card with COMBO-4SFPRO add-on card
- ibufctl(1) tool to access IBUF component registers
- phyterctl(1) tool to display and change phyter configuration
- new flowmoncol(1) program for importing FlowMon probe data in NetFlow version 5 format
- kernel drivers improvements
[17 March 2007] New technical reports
We have published seven new technical reports related to our project:
- FlowMon Cache Simulation and Analysis of Inter-Packet Gaps
- FlowMon Probe
- JTAG programming device for FPGA configuration EEPROMs
- Interconnection System for the NetCOPE Platform
- Traffic Scanner
- Card database
- Annotating XML Schemas with reStructuredText
[28 February 2007] FlowMon-1.1.0 released
The FlowMon package is available for download. The new release contains a number of significant advancements over FlowMon 1.0.3. These include:
- support for COMBO6X mother card and COMBO-4SFPRO add-on card,
- COMBO6X handles 1GE traffic at line rate in both directions,
- new software configuration tools,
- kernel drivers are now SMP compliant,
- PowerPC DMA support for reading flows from HW.
[29 January 2007] IDS-1.0.0 package released
The IDS (Traffic Scanner) package is available for download. IDS 1.0.0 package provides Intrusion Detection System for COMBO6X users. Package provides the following features:
- Snort hardware acceleration
- throughput up to 3.2 Gbps
- pre-compiled IDS firmwares
- web configuration frontend
- complete support for Linux OS
[23 January 2007] Project posters
The project posters have been published:
- Liberouter project
- Family of COMBO cards
- FlowMon probe
- IDS - Traffic Scanner
- NetCOPE - Platform for Network Applications
[14 January 2007] NIC-1.2.0 package released
The NIC package is available for download. NIC 1.2.0 is a new release for users of COMBO6 based 4-port Network Interface Card, which provides the following new features:
- complete support for Linux and NetBSD OS,
- installation process is covered by pkgtool(1) script,
- nic(1) and nic_lkm(1) scripts added to set up NIC,
- configuration file nic.conf added,
- init script to start up NIC during OS boot added.
[2 November 2006] Liberouter design complete
The idea with which all this fun started - namely a hardware-accelerated IPv4/IPv6 router - has finally materialised. The entire chain of firmware modules necessary for this function is now complete:
- Input Buffer receives packets and checks CRC
- Header Field Extractor collects header information
- Look-Up Processor classifies the packet and decides about its fate.
- Replicator replicates (pointers to) the packet, e.g., for multicast or tcpdump.
- Priority Queues control packet scheduling.
- Output Packet Editor modifies certain fields in packet headers (TTL, MAC addresses).
- Output Buffer sends the packet to the output interface.
[9 October 2006] FlowMon-1.0.3 package released
The FlowMon package is available for download. FlowMon 1.0.3 is a maintenance release for users of FlowMon 1.0.2 release, which provides the following updates relative to 1.0.2:
- fixed PCI bus problem generating gigabit flows,
- added FlowMon configuration file (flowmon.conf),
- added FlowMon probe init.d script (flowmon.rc) so that the probe can be started automatically after host machine reboot,
- documentation rewritten and extended.
[29 September 2006] Nific-1.3.0 package available
The new nific package is available for download here. The main changes against previous versions:
- two combinations of supported hardware: COMBO6X + SFPRO and COMBO6 + MTX
- bus master DMA controlled by PowerPC (COMBO6X only)
- improved throughput (COMBO6X only)
- nific and nific_lkm scripts added to set up NIFIC
- restructured README
[22 August 2006] Traffic Scanner accelerate Snort
Traffic Scanner was configured for searching a p2p programs on high loaded network. Traffic scanner procesed 500 000 000 packets for a 12 hours. 2 000 000 packets was exported for additional analysis. 1 000 000 packets was identified by Snort as a p2p traffic. Result can be found here.
[12 July 2006] Novel results regarding asynchronous designs verification accepted to FMICS
A paper titled "Verifying VHDL Designs with Multiple Clocks in SMV" presenting results of our verification team has been accepted to FMICS conference.
[6 Jan 2006] NetFlow probe operates in duplex mode
A new important functionality of the NetFlow probe has been successfully tested. The probe is now able to gather and process data in both directions on the link it is inserted to.
[2 Jan 2006] New technical reports
At the turn of the year, CESNET published three new technical reports related to the Netflow probe:
- Petr Hlávka et al.: CRC64 Algorithm Analysis and Verification
- Martin Žádník & Ladislav Lhotka: Hardware-Accelerated NetFlow Probe
- Pavel Čeleda et al.: Software for NetFlow Monitoring Adapter.
[19 Sep 2005] NetFlow probe sends data
The autonomous NetFlow probe successfully started test operation. For the last five days, the probe has been monitoring a rather heavily loaded line (up to 15 Kflows/s) and sending unsampled NetFlow v9 data to a collector. A summary of this test is shown in this graph.
[26 Jul 2005] Look-up processor secret revealed
David Antoš finished a technical report dealing with the algorithms used in the look-up processor (LUP) and their mathematical background. LUP is the most complicated component of the Liberouter firmware that determines the fate of all incoming packets.
[13 Jul 2005] Working prototype of NetFlow v9 probe
Firmware for the autonomous NetFlow probe passed succesfully first tests in COMBO6 hardware! After necessary debugging and integration with high-level software, the prototype should be able to handle up to 64000 simultaneous flows and send reports in the new NetFlow version 9 format. Special thanks are due to Martin Žádník for his hard work on the firmware development and Jaroslav Kysela for writing the device driver.
[22 Mar 2005] Activation of COMBO6X continues successfully
The new COMBO6X card designed for the PCI-X bus now interacts with the host OS (NetBSD) through the PCI bus using a low-level driver: VHDL designs can be downloaded to the main XC2VP50 Virtex FPGA on COMBO6X and also to the FPGAs on the add-on interface card. COMBO6X uses XC2VP7 Virtex with PCI core instead of the specialised PCI interface chip PLX9504 that was used on the original COMBO6.
[28 Dec 2004] New technical reports on NetFlow and metaconfiguration
Note three new and rather comprehensive technical reports by our team members:
- Tomáš Košňar: Notes to Flow-Based Traffic Analysis System Design
- Tomáš Košňar: Flow-Based Traffic Analysis System - Architecture Overview
- Miroslav Matuška: Metaconfiguration of the Computer Network
[14 Dec 2004] More technical reports
Another four technical reports by our team members have been published:
- Jan Holeček et al.: Verification Process of Hardware Design in Liberouter Project
- Petr Novák : Main concept of the Web frontend
- Petr Novák: XML catalogs in the Netopeer tools
- Martin Žádník: Overview of NetFlow Monitoring Adapter
[29 Oct 2004] COMBO-2XFP tested with third party equipment
We finally got the long-awaited 1310 nm XFP GBICs - big thanks to folks from Agilent. With them, the 10GE card COMBO-2XFP was successfully tested against both Intel PRO/10GbE LR NIC card and a router tester.
[21 Oct 2004] Article in 6NET Newsletter
The newest issue of 6NET Newsletter contains an article about our project.
[20 Oct 2004] New technical reports
Our formal verification group published two new technical reports:
- Jan Holeček et al. Verification Results in Liberouter Project
- Jan Holeček et al. How to Formalize FPGA Hardware Design
[1 Oct 2004] Mailing list netflow
We have created a new mailing list - netflow@liberouter.org - that will be devoted to the development of a NetFlow collector. To subscribe, visit this page.
[18 Aug 2004] 10GE NIC card up and running
The 10-gigabit card COMBO-2XFP confronted our hardware developers with few tough challenges, mainly related to heat dissipation, but now the card is both sending and receiving packets through 850 nm multimode XFP transceivers. Two cards were tested back-to-back using the same NetBSD and Linux drivers as for the GE card COMBO-4SFP. Now, if only we could put our hands on 1310 nm singlemode XFP transceivers...
[21 Jun 2004] The Liberouter premiere
Our alternative access line to 6NET is now terminated in a GE interface of a COMBO6 card, operating so far as a pure NIC card, i.e., without forwarding/filtering acceleration in hardware.
[21 Jun 2004] BIRD ported to NetBSD/FreeBSD
Ondřej Filip, the new member of our team, succesfully ported the BIRD routing daemon to NetBSD and FreeBSD. The NetBSD variant is running on our access router to 6NET.
[27 Apr 2004] COMBO-PTM has been manufactured
A new species has been added to the Liberouter menagerie. It is the COMBO-PTM card that will be primarily used within the SCAMPI project for generating ultraprecise time stamps. Hardware guys may appreciate the fact that it is the first COMBO card based on the 90nm FPGA technology - it uses the Spartan 3 FPGA from Xilinx. A photo of COMBO-PTM is here.
