Rattan: An Extensible and Scalable Modular Internet Path Emulator

TL;DR

Rattan is a modular, scalable internet path emulator that uses a cell-based architecture to support extensive, flexible network simulations on single or multiple machines, aiding research and development.

Contribution

It introduces a novel cell-based architecture enabling scalable, extensible network emulation for modern internet conditions.

Findings

Supports hundreds of gigabit-level paths on a single machine

Enables hierarchical composition of emulation cells

Facilitates simulation of new network conditions

Abstract

The rapid growth of Internet paths in heterogeneity, scale, and dynamics has made existing emulators increasingly insufficient in flexibility, scalability, and usability. To address these limitations, we present Rattan, an extensible and scalable software network path emulator for modern Internet conditions. Rattan's core innovation lies in its cell-based architecture: by splitting emulation functions into modular "cells" with well-documented asynchronous interfaces, users are allowed to easily compose different cells by hierarchically linking them and easily construct new cells by using standard cell interfaces. This design enables: (1) scalability, supporting hundreds of concurrent gigabit-level paths on a single machine and cluster-level experiments composed of multiple machines; (2) extensibility, simulating new network conditions by constructing new cells. Rattan empowers developers and researchers to efficiently and confidently evaluate, validate, and diagnose diverse network transport innovations for online services.