OPNET IT Guru Analysis of MPLS implementation benefits in WSN over IP for 6LoWPAN network nodes.This Thesis is submitted to the school of engineering at ... partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science/Technology in Electrical Engineering. The thesis is equivalent to 20 weeks of full time studies.Contact InformationPage intentionally left blank

AbstractMultiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is an emerging technology. It is highly supported by the fourth and fifth generation networks. Its vital element is in its assurance to offer high internet connection speeds with minimal delays. This paper analyses the link utilization between two networks of Wireless Sensor Node (WSN), having 6LoWPAN as the end-to-end connection nodes. The networks are designed with one using the MPLS technology, while the other using the traditional IP Network. The two networks are modeled using OPNET IT Guru Edition 9.1. The three parameters as Traffic Received in bytes per second, Packets end-to-end delay and Packets Delay Variation are generated and compared for the two WSN network models. From the analysis of the results, one is able to draw conclusion that investing in MPLS technology will ensure a stable network with high network throughput, high link utilization and low latencies.

Keywords: MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), WSN (Wireless Sensor Networks), 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low Power Personal Area Networks), Optimized Network Engineering Tool (OPNET), and VPN (Virtual Private Networks). AcknowledgementI am grateful to my parents whose blessings have been abundantly and their unrelenting support with encouragement that enabled me accomplishes this task.I do also dedicate this thesis to my dear family members.

It is with great honor and privilege to thank my thesis supervisor. Who guided me with his scholarly skills. Without his encouragement and guidance, this work would not been achievable. I sincerely express my heartfelt gratitude to him.

I also thank my fellow collogues and friends for the team work and support, they extended to me during this project.

Thank you all, I am forever indebted to you.

Table of Contents4Abstract

5Acknowledgement

8List of Figure

9Acronyms

101.0 Chapter One

101.1 Introduction

101.2 Research Background

111.3 The objectives of the project

111.2 Rationale for the project

112.0 Chapter Two

11Literature Review

112.1 Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)

122.2 The 6LoWPAN Node

152.3 MPLS Routing Technology

183.0 Chapter Three

183.1 Research Methodology

183.2 The ethical consideration

193.3 Proposed MPLS and IP Design Protocol and Components

193.3.1 MPLS Implementation Design

203.3.2 Conventional IP Implementation

203.4 Design Assumptions

213.5 Simulation

213.6 OPNET Simulation

223.7 Simulation Assumptions

224.0 Chapter Four

224.1 OPNET Simulation Implementation

234.1.1 MPLS Simulation Model

244.1.2 Conventional IP Simulation Model

254.2 Modeling of VoIP packets in MPLS and IP network

275.0 Chapter Five

275.1 Comparison of Performance metrics

285.2 Diagrammatic Representation

306.0 Chapter Six

306.1 Conclusion and Recommendation

316.2 Future Study

31Reference

32Appendix

List of FigureFigure 1- Interconnection between WSN and other external network

Figure 2- Comparison between IEEE 802.15.4 to other wireless technologies

Figure 3- The 6LoWPAN layered architectureFigure 4- Sample Architecture of 6LoWPAN in a Mobile Telephony NetworkFigure 5- MPLS-VPN network linking several client sites via a single Service Provider

Figure 6 MPLS Proposed Implementation diagram

Figure 7 Conventional IP Proposed Implementation diagramFigure 8 - MPLS Simulation ModelFigure 9- Conventional IP Simulation Model

Figure 10 Application Definition object

Figure 11 Profile Definition object

Figure 12 Comparison for Traffic received in bps in MPLS and IP WSN model

Figure 13- Packets end-to-end delay comparison for MPLS and IP Model WSN model

Figure 14 - Packet Delay variation comparison for MPLS and IP WSN network

AcronymsMPLS Multiprotocol Label Switching

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol

IPv6 Internet Protocol version 4

LER Label Edge Router

LSR Label Switching Router

LSP Label Switch Path

LDP Label Distribution Protocol

FEC Forward Equivalence Class

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol

QoS Quality of Service

RTTP Real Time Transport Protocol

CR-LDP Constraint Based Label Distribution Protocol

CR-LSP Constraint Based Label Switch Path

RSVP Resource Reservation Protocol

OSPF Open Shortest Path First

LIB Label Information Base

VPN Virtual Private Network

OSPF Open Shortest Path First

BGP Border Gateway ProtocolWSN Wireless Sensor Networks

6LoWPAN IPv6 over Low Power Personal Area Networks

OPNET Optimized Network Engineering Tool 1.0 Chapter One1.1 Introduction

This project investigates the advantage of using MPLS as a routing protocol and a 6LoWPAN as an end node for a Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). The project uses OPNET simulator to model MPLS in a WSN to analyze network parameters as delay, throughput, ping statistics, tracert, and latency.1.2 Research Background

The MPLS is a connection- oriented packet networking technology. It enables many carriers to converge their LTE networks to MPLS. MPLS technology has been considered to lower the capital expenditure (CapEX) and operational expenses (OpEx) as compared to the traditional time-division multiplexing (TDM) a circuit switched technology. Hence employing MPLS in a Wireless Sensor Networks will see an organization reduce on these CapEX and OpEx cost. The two MPLS standards are IP/MPLS and MPLS-TP (The Multiprotocol Label Switching-Transport Profile). The Cisco systems have had a pusedowire-based MPLS being adopted for the transport layer in OSI model for the network services.The IPv6 over Low Power Personal Area Neworks (6LoWPAN) have enabled the WSN devices to have seamless connection to the internet. The 6LoWPAN provides a gateway for the packets to be IP addressable with an end to end connectivity.1.3 The objectives of the project

The project aims to evaluate experimentally the advantages of using MPLS in Wireless Sensor Network. From the experiment the network parameters network throughput, latency and etc.

1.2 Rationale for the project

The emergence of 4th generation networks have been designed to support packet switched technology unlike the traditional circuit switched networks. These circuit switched networks uses the Time Division Multiplexing routing technology which are not supported by the Long Term Evolution generation network architecture currently being used by the Mobile telephony providers. This makes the research viable as the new design of the WSN devices in the LTE design supports the packet switched technology used in the MPLS routing technology. 2.0 Chapter TwoLiterature Review

2.1 Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)WSN is a network of wireless nodes having capability of measuring physical variables. The devices are embedded in nature, consisting of memory, sensors, microcontrollers, wireless interface, batteries and a programmable interface (Becker 2014 11). The field of Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) has enabled the miniaturization of these nodes a capacity of less than one centimeter cubic. The WSN ability to measure physical variables enables the measurement of physical world variables in a virtual environment.

In order to maintain technical and economical feasibility, the WSN nodes manufacture takes considerations of the critical resources like processing power, energy, and bandwidth available for communication.

The integration of WSNs in IP network has made it possible to integrate data into a business processes. This in itself forms the precursor to the universal acceptance of the WSNs. The 6LoWPAN internet gateway lying at the network layer in the IP layer, it has made it mode feasible to feed IP packets into WSNs (Becker 2014 13).The implementation of Internet Protocol Version 6(IPv6) in WSNs is made possible because of other factors like interoperability of other IP standards, abundance tools like ping, tracer route, and telnet for network management, and the security solutions like access controls and firewalls that have been developed (Becker 14 2014).The diagram below shows the interconnection between WSN and other external networks.

Figure 1- Interconnection between WSN and other external network

2.2 The 6LoWPAN NodeThis is an IEEE 802.15.4 protocol accepted as a PHY and MAC layer protocol being used for LoWPAN. It was created by IETF to define the applicability of IPv6 over IEEE 802.15.4 by introducing an additional layer between network and data link layer, this is as illustrated in the figure below (Sinniah, Suryady, Sarwar, Abbas 2013 2) The diagram below compares the IEEE 802.15.4 standard to other wireless technologies

Figure 2- Comparison between IEEE 802.15.4 to other wireless technologiesThe protocol stack for the 6LoWPAN gateway in a layered architecture is as illustrated in the diagram below, Figure 3- The 6LoWPAN layered architectureThe IPv6 as low power over wireless personal area networks (LoWPAN) is a protocol gateways used between the data link and the network layer in the IP model. The gateway acts as a router whilst performing traffic filtration (Oleveira, Rodrigues, Macao, Nicolau, Wang, Shu 2013 2).The 6LoWPAN system is built by integrating the IEEE802.15.4 with other standard internet interface like Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and Ethernet, with the gateway having a dual stack as illustrated in the diagram above (Sinniah, Suryady, Sarwar, Abbas 2013 4) .The protocol has three modules namely 6LoWPAN (WSN) module providing hardware compliance, external interface module defining the MAC and Physical interfaces, and Service Module providing for IPv6 and 6LoWPAN packets handling.

The key components of 6LoWPAN gateways being the Node management consisting of periodic logger, map table, node discovery, address translation and IPv6 predefined prefix. The other key component is packet transition and handling being made up of packet transformation, packet handler and remote addressing (Sinniah, Suryady, Sarwar, Abbas 2013 2).The diagram below illustrates an example of 6LoWPAN network diagram.

Figure 4- Sample Architecture of 6LoWPAN in a Mobile Telephony Network2.3 MPLS Routing Technology

This is packet-forwarding technology that makes use of labels in making the decisions in forwarding the data (Cisco System 2008 2). Here the layer 3 header analysis is carried out only once when the packets are entering the MPLS domain, but the label inspection aids in subsequent packet forwarding. MPLS gives special and beneficial applications such as Traffic Engineering (TE), Quality of Service (QoS), Virtual Private Networking (VPN), and Any Transport over MPLS (AToM). In addition to the beneficial applications, MPLS also decrease the overhead associated with packet forwarding in the core routers (Cisco System 2008 3).

The label is a short four-byte, fixed in length local significant identifier for deciding and identifying a Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC) (Cisco System 2008 4). Hence a particular label on a given packet represents the FEC assigned to that packet. The figure below shows a FEC diagram.

The FEC has the following parts as illustrated in the above diagram: Label: Gives the label unstructured value made up of 20 bits

Exp: Experimental Using 3 bits forming the Class of Service (CoS) field

S: Bottom of Stack made of 1 bit

TTL: Time to live made up of 8bits

The MPLS transports traffic using VLL, Pseudo wire, VPLS and IP VPNs. It uses Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) as he Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) in supporting the setting up of its paths.The MPLS high availability is ensured using faster path restoration and network re-convergence in a time of 50ms. This end-to-end restoration of MPLS FRR ensures network resilience. This high availability is important for mission-critical video, voice and data information. The MPLS FRR ensures interruptions of these critical services are minimized during network failure. The MPLS hence provide cold and hot-standby used for protecting active path. This is implemented using Label Distribution Protocol and Nonstop services in VPLS and IP VPM (Cisco System 2009 2).MPLS traffic engineering allows the best path to be selected in a network, to ensure optimization of the bandwidth, while the Quality of Service by providing weighted queuing or strict priority implanted in Cisco switched as VLANs.

MPLS also offers effective network management using simplified tools allowing for easier configuration, problem isolation and resolution, network control, and support on new application management.

The two standards for MPLS are the MPLS-TP and the IP/MPLS, the hybrid of the two called the Pseudowire-based MPLS is adopted in transporting the network packets. The MPLS_TP supports native transport models, supports QoS, whilst supporting the Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) mechanism of protection that is available in traditional technologies (Cisco System 2009 2)The MPLS-TP is a transport network with functions like Penultimate Hop Popping (PHP), Label-Switched Paths (LSPs) merged, and the Equal Cost Multi Path (ECMP).The diagram below illustrates an example of MPLS-VPN network,

Figure 5- MPLS-VPN network linking several client sites via a single Service Provider3.0 Chapter Three

3.1 Research Methodology

This section analyses the project design, analyses the architecture of MPLS diagram in WSNs designed using the OpNet simulator. The diagram is then simulated and the network parameters like throughput, tracert route, network latency are measured.

The project is implemented using two diagrams, one applying the use of MPLS while the other not. These two diagrams are analyzed for the network parameters above and a conclusion is drawn on the effects of implementing a network using MPLS whether the core four objectives like high availability, few interruption, quality of service(QoS) and operation, application and maintenance(OAM) is realized.3.2 The ethical considerationThe project is viable as it lays more emphasis to the benefits drawn from applying MPLS technology is WSNs as opposed to the traditional TDM, this is because most of the current Networking devices in the fourth generation are designed to used packet-switching routing technology that does not gives fixed bandwidth, but a variable hence eliminating the wastage associated with circuit switched technologies. The values of money, network resilience, availability, quality of service and the ease operational maintenance derived from employing MPLS technology makes this project beneficial.3.3 Proposed MPLS and IP Design Protocol and Components3.3.1 MPLS Implementation Design

The design is done for an MPLS VPN networks assuming that the customers site is having Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) or Routing Information Protocol (RIP). This configuration will allow several sites to interconnect through a secure tunnel on the service providers network. VPN is being associated to at least one VPN routing or forwarding occurrences (VRFs), with each VRF having IP routing table. The routers used in the design have Multiprotocol BGP (MP-BGP) that distributes the VPN routing information to its extended community.

Figure 6 MPLS Proposed Implementation diagramThe components used in the design are Client Switch , Client LER, MPLS LSR, SP VSAT and the SP 1Gb mbps as a redundant link. The LSR Routers must be Cisco series 7200 or higher running IOS release 12.3 that are capable of supporting MPLS VPN configuration, while the LSR routers should have the ability of exchanging the routing information with the MPLS LSR routers.

3.3.2 Conventional IP Implementation

The design is done for an IP/VPN networks assuming that all other conditions used in MPLS above are held constant, but only the MPLS LSR and LER routers are now replaced with standard IP Routers that does not support MPLS functionality. The diagram is illustrated as below.

Figure 7- Conventional IP proposed implementation diagram3.4 Design AssumptionsThe designing of the MPLS VPN for remote IP packets tunneling for different client sites in remote sites assumes the following conditions are satisfied for the design objectives to be realized. A Cisco Router 2600 or higher having IOS release 12.3

The devices in use have default configuration as their initial state

The client site supports Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) or Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

The end-to-end node for the WSN devices in the cloud are utilizing the 6LoWPAN IP routing and addressing

3.5 Simulation

This is the process for creating abstract representation of an existing or a proposed system, so as to predict the behavior or understand the controlling factors. Among the several simulation tools like QualNET , Network Simulator, and OPNET, the proposed system design was subjected to simulation using OPNET to help realize it strength and weakness of the system as pertain the network parameters below:

The quality of service (QoS) How Secure the system is

Optimal routing of packets

Network latency Overlay between clients sites

Optimal routing targets

Ability for Service providers to make optimal use of network resources whilst complying to the Quality of Service (QoS) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with the clients3.6 OPNET Simulation

The main simulation task will involve analyzing the importance of MPLS in the VPN networking that is making use of the 6LoWPAN as the end to end node connection for the WSN devices that are making the internet cloud. The simulator will help compare the performance of two network diagrams. One designed using MPLS while the other designed using other technologies like IP routing. The following parameters will be compared for the two networks; Traffic Received in bytes per second for MPLS vs. IP Network

Packets end-to-end delay for MPLS vs. IP Network

Packets Delay Variation for MPLS Vs. IP Network

To accomplish this task, data traffic is used across the two WSN networks; one designed using MPLS while the other designed using traditional IP routing technology. The results obtain from simulation are analyzed to determine the performance levels of the two network design.3.7 Simulation Assumptions

The difficulty in prediction of the behavior of MPLS design in the WSN network because there are many different implementation entities that play a key factor in the design. This varies when modeling the network parameters. In this project we simulated different WSN networks one design with MPLS using the BGP or RIP routing protocols, while the other is WSN network that is modeled using traditional IP routing technologies. 4.0 Chapter Four

4.1 OPNET Simulation ImplementationThe simulation for MPLS and traditional IP networks are employed in the OPNET IT Guru Academic Edition 9.1. The simulation is setup into two main scenarios. Scenario 1 consist of implementing WSN using MPLS as the routing technology

Scenario 2 consist of implementing WSN using traditional IP routing

Both the networks are simulated assuming that both are implemented using a common topology.

4.1.1 MPLS Simulation Model

Figure 8 MPLS Simulation ModelThe figure above shows MPLS network model consisting of the following network elements.

2 LER Client Routers

2 LSR MPLS Routers

2 Client Switches

3 Client workstations

1 File server

The LSR and LER routers are connected using PPP DS3 connectors, while the workstation and switches connected by Ethernet 100BaseT.

In this scenario Voice over IP(VoIP) packet is transmitted across the network from the workstation from the remote site to the other, and the parameters as Traffic Received in bytes per second, Packets end-to-end delay and Packets Delay Variation are computed graphically from the simulation results.The VoIP packets are established in the simulation above by modeling the application and profile definition utilities. The application definition is set to a definition is set to a default application profile, while the profile definition is set to have telecom profile that has one voice over IP call application. This is discussed more in the next sections.

4.1.2 Conventional IP Simulation Model

Figure 9- Conventional IP Simulation Model

The figure 7 above represents the conventional IP Simulation model. In this case the MPLS LSR routers are replaced with the ordinary IP routers. The MPLS attribute is also replaced with IP VPN attribute. Hence the packets are routed using OSPF protocol that does not take capacity constraint into consideration. The VoIP packets are transmitted from Site A to B using the same procedure as was in the MPLS scenario.

4.2 Modeling of VoIP packets in MPLS and IP network

In modeling an application in OPNET, an object called application definition is used. This consists of preprogrammed applications that can be customized, depending on the customers demand. Some of the application definitions attributes are email, file transfer, https, Voice over IP just to mention a few.

Figure 10 Application Definition

The figure 8 above shows application definition attributes. In this model we have used voice over IP call (PCM quality). The application definition is set to default to automatically load the default service attribute defined in the profile definition.The profile definition is then used to describe the behavior of the workstations. It describes the start of the simulation, operation mode and the duration. In this case the simulation was set to have exponential operation, serial operation mode and duration of 900 seconds as indicated in the profile definition attribute below.

Figure 11- Profile Definition ObjectThe OPNET task of determining the VoIP traffic received in bps, packets end-to-end delay and packet delay variation are determined by configuring the profile to add VoIP calls in fixed interval, with the process repeated till the end of the simulation. The first VoIP call is stabled at the 40th second of the simulation, for every 2 seconds of VoIP calls added to the simulation .Additional voice calls are then done by repeating till the end of the simulation. This allows the VoIP traffics to be added continuously at a constant interval hence determine network throughput in terms of traffic received in bps, end-to-end packet delay and variation in packet delay for the two modeled networks.5.0 Chapter Five

5.1 Comparison of Performance metricsThe results in the figures 12, 13 and 14 are the performance metrics resulting from the simulation of the MPLS and the conventional IP Networks. From the graph of packet received in bytes per second it can be observed that the MPLS received a higher number of packets in bps as compared to the conventional IP network. The figure 12, also illustrates that the IP networks has a higher packet end-to-end delay as compared to the network having MPLS. This shows the low latency realized in a network that uses MPLS as the routing technology. Finally the figure 14 shows that non MPLS networks depicts a very high variation of packet delays, this has adverse effect on the network performance, as opposed to MPLS networks that has a low variation in the packet delays. 5.2 Diagrammatic Representation

Figure 12 Comparison for Traffic received in bps in MPLS and IP WSN model

Figure 13- Packets end-to-end delay comparison for MPLS and IP Model WSN model

Figure 13: Packet Delay variation comparison for MPLS and IP WSN network

6.0 Chapter Six6.1 Conclusion and RecommendationThe main objective of this project was to determine the advantage of employing MPLS define in a WSN networks by considering key network parameters as packet quantity transmitted, packet end-to-end delay and the variation in the packet delay.

The project started with a literature review, then the design and implementation of design using OPNET simulator.

The finding from the comparison metrics and the resultants diagrams help in answering the research question earlier stated advantages of MPLS over other networks technologies for a WSN network. From the results analysis, it can be seen that the benefit an organization will gain by deploying MPLS network, is far much compared to other technologies. They stand to gain on stable and faster network access, low latency and lower delay variation that often leads to packet distortion6.2 Future Study

This project work laid more emphasis on the performance of VoIP traffic between MPLS and Conventional IP. The future work can be carried out to investigate the performance of MPLS VoIP using signaling protocols CR-LDP and RSVP. This will rather be interesting as one will be required to consider the codecs of the VoIP application. This will give rise to interesting comparative metrics.ReferenceAlcatel Lucent(2009). IP/MPLS Networks for Highways. Infrastructures for highly available mission-critical communications

Cisco Systems(2008). MPLS FAQ For Beginners. Cisco Systems Inc.

Cisco Systems(2009). Understanding MPLS-TP and Its Benefits. Cisco System Inc. Publication

Becker M (2014) Services in Wireless Sensor Networks, Advanced Studies Mobile Research Center

Oleveira et al.(2013).End-to-End Connectivity IPv6 over Wireless Sensor Networks accessed at

http://www.iariajournals.org/systems_and_measurements/Sinniah G. et al. (2013). 6LoWPAN Gateway System for Wireless Sensor Networks and Performance AnalysisAppendix

Diagrammatic representation on results comparing the MPLS and the IP Routing technology for traffic received, packet end-to-end delay and packet delay variation.MPLS Routing

IP Routing