GENI (Global Environment for Networking Innovations)

The Global Environment for Networking Innovations (GENI) is a virtual laboratory that enables experimentation and innovation in computer networks and distributed systems. It is a large-scale, national research infrastructure that provides a platform for researchers to develop and test new network architectures, protocols, and services in a realistic environment.

GENI was created in response to the growing need for a platform that could support research on future internet technologies and their impact on society. It was designed to provide an open and flexible environment for researchers to conduct experiments, share resources, and collaborate on new ideas. GENI is managed by the GENI Project Office, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and supported by a consortium of universities and industry partners.

The GENI infrastructure consists of a nationwide network of interconnected nodes, known as GENI racks. Each rack is a collection of computing and networking resources, including servers, switches, routers, and storage devices. GENI racks are located at research universities, national labs, and industry partners throughout the United States. Together, these racks form a distributed infrastructure that enables researchers to create experimental networks that span multiple geographic locations.

One of the key features of GENI is its ability to support virtualization. GENI racks are equipped with virtualization software that allows multiple experimental networks to run concurrently on the same physical infrastructure. This enables researchers to conduct experiments on different network architectures and protocols without interfering with each other's work. It also allows researchers to create and test new network services and applications in a controlled environment before deploying them on the public Internet.

Another important feature of GENI is its support for programmability. GENI provides a set of programming interfaces that enable researchers to control and manage their experimental networks programmatically. This allows researchers to create custom network configurations, run experiments automatically, and collect data on network performance and behavior. It also enables researchers to develop new network protocols and algorithms and test them in a realistic environment.

GENI also provides a variety of tools and services that support research on network security, privacy, and resilience. For example, GENI supports the creation of secure virtual networks that can be used to test new security mechanisms and protocols. It also provides tools for monitoring network traffic and detecting anomalies and attacks. These tools and services are designed to help researchers develop new approaches to securing and protecting networks in the face of evolving threats.

To use GENI, researchers must submit proposals to the GENI Project Office outlining their research goals and experimental design. Once their proposal is approved, researchers are granted access to the GENI infrastructure and provided with support from the GENI Project Office and the GENI community. Researchers are expected to share their results and findings with the broader research community through publications, presentations, and other forms of dissemination.

In addition to supporting research, GENI also serves as a platform for education and outreach. GENI provides resources and tools for teaching computer networking and distributed systems to students at all levels, from K-12 to graduate school. GENI also sponsors workshops, tutorials, and other events to help researchers and educators learn about new developments in network research and technology.

In summary, GENI is a national research infrastructure that provides a platform for innovation and experimentation in computer networking and distributed systems. It enables researchers to develop and test new network architectures, protocols, and services in a realistic environment, and provides a variety of tools and services to support research on network security, privacy, and resilience. GENI also serves as a platform for education and outreach, providing resources and tools for teaching computer networking and distributed systems to students at all levels.