Overview of Project Content and Milestones
Cisco networking devices are used extensively on the Internet, and one of their strengths is the usage of the Cisco IOS operating system, which provides a common infrastructure across the product range. The School of Computing at Napier has developed a novel range of network emulators for Cisco devices, including emulation for routers, switches, PIX firewalls and wireless access points. An important feature of device emulators is to automatically capture changes in operating system versions, and in capturing the help commands. This project will investigate the methods which could used in capturing device state, and store these in a structured way, in order that a network emulator could use the results.
The Main Deliverable(s)
Automated capture of responses from Cisco devices, using HTTP, SMTP, Telnet or SSH.
Implementation of remote connections for request and response.
Definition of an XML or database structure for storing requests/responses.
Definition of device context, in a markup language format.
The Target Audience for the Deliverable(s)
Network emulation.
Training.
The Work to be Undertaken
Investigation of remote connections to device, including HTTP, Telnet and SSH.
Implementation of request/response with storage in the form of a database or mark-up language.
Automated capture of context of device.
Evaluation of system performance related to key parameters, such as the time to capture the context of the device.
Additional Information / Knowledge Required
The project will use the .NET framework with C#, and training and support will be provided.
Information Sources that Provide a Context for the Project
1. Network-emulators. network-emulators.com
The Importance of the Project
Many users use emulators in their training, and a major challenge is to make software operate in the same way as real-life devices. This project will help to define a system which could capture changes in new versions of Cisco IOS, and in providing useful help for users.
The Key Challenge(s) to be Overcome
A major challenge is in the implementation of a request/response system which automatically prompts the device for a wide range of commands, and stores the response in a structured manner. Another challenge is in evaluating the best methodology for this approach.
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