= A Network Topology Mapper =
This page aims to serve as documentation for the on-going work to produce a topology mapping tool/service for the ORBIT testbeds. 

== Overview ==
Currently ORBIT does not have a framework with which users can easily set up network topologies for their experiments. Users may choose to build test topologies using methods such as:
 * node-side packet filtering, e.g. `ebtables`
 * switch partitions, e.g. VLANs 
 * SDN, e.g. !OpenFlow  
among others, but this entails impromptu scripting or manual configuration. In the ideal scenario a user should be able to set up an experiment by providing a topology description file to a framework that would build the topology on their behalf. 

== Components ==
The framework/service is expected to have at least the following components:
==== graph visualization ====
Two components:
   1. interpretation of user-provided graphs into a topology description file usable by topology setup components 
   1. visualization of a topology setup from file
==== topology description file format ====
For now, [http://graphml.graphdrawing.org/primer/graphml-primer.html GraphML] has been chosen as the basis for describing topologies. 
==== topology setup ====
both on the nodes and network: 
  * ''nodes'' : via OMF (sorry, not familiar with it) ?
  * ''network'' : via !OpenFlow e.g. a Floodlight module that takes a topology description and pushes static flows, or even CLI.