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Project Byzantium

Project Byzantium. Networking for the Zombie Apocalypse. The Internet is BROKEN. It fails on many levels, but let's just focus on the lowest ones for now. Assumptions. You know what the Internet is You're familiar with the OSI model You know what routing does (layer 3)

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Project Byzantium

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  1. Project Byzantium Networking for the Zombie Apocalypse

  2. The Internet is BROKEN. It fails on many levels, but let's just focus on the lowest ones for now.

  3. Assumptions • You know what theInternet is • You're familiar with theOSI model • You know what routingdoes (layer 3) • You know how to use 802.11 (layers1 & 2) • You like being connected

  4. Deliberate compromise of infrastructure ISPs offline Trunk lines go dark Services are filtered Need to collaborate Use Case: Egypt Problem

  5. Massive infrastructure failure Natural disaster Connectivity is all or nothing Need to communicate Use Case: Katrina Problem

  6. Our Approach • Mobile, ad-hoc mesh network • Not all nodes need to run mesh routing software • Provides services to associated clients

  7. Ad-Hoc Networking • Takes place at OSI layers 1 and 2 • Built into 802.11 • Requires minimal configuration to bootstrap a network • Nodes can move around while maintaining connectivity  • Nodes can relay traffic to extend range  • Any wi-fi enabled device can do it

  8. Mesh Routing • Takes place at OSI layer 3 • Nodes perform IP routing • A number of protocols exist • Not all protocols have the same features, solve the same problems, or are efficient

  9. How Routing Works

  10. But wait! Isn't the Internet a mesh network? Not really.

  11. The Internet is a partial mesh. It's mostly hierarchical.  Lots of networks have routers which are also single points of failure.

  12. What we need is a fully connected mesh (or something close to it).

  13. Ad-hoc wireless + mesh routing ==Mobile ad-hoc mesh network We can already do this, but we need to make it easier.

  14. Design Goals • Cheap, readily available equipment • Improvisable • Rapidly deployable • Robust and reliable • Secure • Low maintenance

  15. Design Constraints • Solving Katrina first, Egypt second • A small group of geeks can deploy the solution to enable the larger community to connect. • Not all nodes have (or need) the mesh software • Minimal collusion required

  16. Wireless network • Ad-hoc wireless clients • Mesh nodes • Hacked routers • Laptops or netbooks • Desktop PCs • Plug computers • Inter-mesh links • Cantenna • Dial-up • Something more exotic?

  17. Mesh routing • Route traffic through the network • Route traffic between networks • Support both mesh and non-mesh nodes • Protocols • OLSR • Babel • BATMAN-adv 

  18. OLSR (Optimized Link State Routing) • Not optimized for wireless • No link-quality awareness • Routing loops are possible • Tries to propagate the full routing table to every node

  19. Babel • Enhancement of OLSR • Link-quality aware • Loop avoidance • No kernel code required • Works by managing the OS routing table • Only supports IPv4 & IPv6 at layer 3 • Easy to start • Minimal configuration • Easy to troubleshoot

  20. BATMAN-adv • Better Approach To Mobile Ad-hoc Networking • Also has link-quality awareness • Also has loop avoidance • Requires a kernel module • Included in kernel tree since v2.6.38 • Provides a virtual layer 2 interface • Works with any layer 3 protocol • Very active community • Challenging to troubleshoot

  21. Resources provided • Wiki • Microblogs • Etherpad • Instant messenger • Forums • Telephony • Chat • File dump • Audio streaming All of these use existing software. XMPP supports many of these features.

  22. The Byzantium Live Distribution • LiveCD/LiveUSB Linux distribution • Mesh routing software • Including source code • Software development/debugging tools • Network troubleshooting/monitoring tools • Resource hosting software

  23. The Byzantium Live Distribution • Utilities for easy setup and configuration • Shell scripts? • Local web app? • Multi-lingual documentation • Library (CD3WD) • Utilities for replicating copies of the distro in the field

  24. Technical difficulties • Client configuration • DHCP • AHCP • Resource discovery • DNS • Bonjour/ZeroConf/mDNS • Handwriting on the wall • QR Codes • A P2P searchable resource directory service

  25. Technical difficulties • Inter-mesh links • Exotic != {easy,reliable} • May be specific to use case • Execution over style • Easy, intuitive user interface • Configuring mesh routing daemon • Configuring networking • Distributing the solution before the crisis

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