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    Mininet: A Simple Virtual Testbed for OpenFlow
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                        or
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How to Squeeze a 1024-node OpenFlow Network onto your Laptop

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Alpha release, March 2010
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Mininet creates OpenFlow test networks by using process-based
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virtualization and network namespaces.

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Simulated hosts (as well as switches and controllers with the user
datapath) are created as processes in separate network namespaces. This
allows a complete OpenFlow network to be simulated on top of a single
Linux kernel.
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Mininet may be invoked directly from the command line, and also
provides a handy Python API for creating networks of varying sizes and
topologies.
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In order to run Mininet, you must have:

* A Linux 2.6.26 or greater kernel compiled with network namespace support
  enabled (see INSTALL for additional information.)
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* An OpenFlow implementation (either the reference user or kernel
  space implementations, or Open vSwitch.) Appropriate kernel modules
  (e.g. tun and ofdatapath for the reference kernel implementation) must
  be loaded.
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* Python, bash, ping, iperf, etc.
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* Root privileges (required for network device access)
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Currently Mininet includes:
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- A simple node infrastructure (Host, Switch, Controller classes) for
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  creating virtual OpenFlow networks
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- A simple network infrastructure (Mininet class) supporting parametrized
  topologies (Topo subclasses.) For example, a tree network may be created
  with the command
  # mn --topo tree,depth=2,fanout=3
  
- Basic tests, including connectivity (ping) and bandwidth (iperf)

- A command-line interface (CLI class) which provides useful 
  diagnostic commands, as well as the ability to send a command to a
  node. For example,
  
  mininet> h11 ifconfig -a
  
  tells host h11 to run the command 'ifconfig -a'
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- A 'cleanup' command to get rid of junk (interfaces, processes, files in
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  /tmp, etc.) which might be left around by Mininet or Linux. Try this if 
  things stop working!
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- Examples (in the examples/ directory) to help you get started.
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Batteries are not included (yet!) 

However, some preliminary installation notes are included in the INSTALL
file. Good luck!
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---
Bob Lantz
rlantz@cs.stanford.edu