ModelNet: Towards a datacenter emulation environment

ModelNet is a network emulator designed for repeatable, large-scale experimentation with real networked systems. This talk introduces the ideas behind ModelNet that have made it a successful experimental platform. Beyond these core concepts, the talk highlights the latest additions to our methodology to test the next generation of network protocols and applications. Many of these developments address the datacenter compute environment: high-capacity networks, sophisticated infrastructure software (storage and virtualization), and complex network load. While these efforts significantly extend ModelNet's capabilities, there remain a number of open challenges, including incorporating new performance objectives (energy) and multicore architectures.