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ENTERPRISE NETWORK ANALYSIS: A CASE STUDY OF THE KUWAIT

CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION COMPUTER NETWORK


Abdullah Kh. Alnusef Dr.Muhanned Alfarras

Eng.nusif@gmail.com; dr.muhanned@gulfuniversity.net

ABSTRACT
The Kuwait Civil Service Commission buildings: Headquarters (HQ) and Disaster
(KCSC) built an enterprise to allow clients to Recovery (DR). Using the most reliable
access those systems. This network covers two network simulator tool (OPNET), the KCSC
buildings: Headquarters (HQ) and Disaster network was modeled according to the device
Recovery (DR). In addition, the KCSC network
types in operation and the behavior of the
covers more than 250 sites, including all ministries
and other governmental agencies.
traffic passing through this network. Network
parameters were chosen for a simulation in
This analysis studies the Local Network order to identify any hidden performance
Area (LAN) for KCSC using OPNET. The issues. In addition, network design issues were
following network parameters are investigated in identified that could affect the availability of
order to identify any network performance issues: the KCSC network. The simulation results
network delay, throughput, packet drops, and were compared with the real values gathered
jitter. from the KCSC’s network monitoring system
The main results of this analysis show an (Orion Solarwinds) in order to validate the
average network delay of 0.2 ms without any reality of the simulation results. The most
packet drops and a maximum network traffic of important result that can be gathered from this
not more than 2.2 Gbps, indicating that there is no study is the ability to detect some design
congestion. Some network jitter appears, affecting issues in the KCSC network that directly
VOIP service. The most critical design issue in the affect the network’s availability and
KCSC LAN is a lack of redundancy links between redundancy levels. Also, some voice
core switches and server farm switches, which performance issues were detected using the
have very little effect on the redundancy of the
simulation platform.
network.
Finally, technical recommendations
KEYWORDS
were suggested that could enhance the
OPNET, KCSC, VOIP, QoS, Packet Drops. performance and availability levels of the
KCSC network’s resources in order to serve as
1 INTRODUCTION a mission-critical system at all times.
The Kuwait Civil Service Commission 2 KCSC NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
(KCSC) plays a critical role in managing
human resources operations for the civil sector The KCSC network can be divided
of the Kuwaiti government. For this role, into two parts: LAN and Wide Area Network
KCSC has built custom-made, high-end (WAN). Figure 1 shows the high-level design
enterprise electronic systems to automate its of the KCSC network and the three main
operations. An enterprise network was WAN providers of the KCSC:
established in order to operate these systems,
which extend across two building belonging to 1- Kuwait Information Network
KCSC and cover more than 250 remote sites (KIN): A governmental private
including ministries, organizations, and banks. network links most governmental
agencies in Kuwait [1].
This analysis covers the Local 2- Wireless Network Providers are
Network Area (LAN) for KCSC in both responsible for linking

327
governmental ministries and other Required Servers (Active/Passi 10 Gbps
entities. ve)
2
3- Internet Service Providers. Throughput
(Active/Acti
2 Gbps or
Required Servers 20 Gbps
ve)
In this analysis, the WAN part and end
users outside the KCSC LAN will not be 3 SERVICES RUNNING ON THE KCSC
considered. NETWORK

The KCSC LAN can be divided into the Multiple services run on the KCSC
following layers: network. Table 2 lists those with the highest
traffic[3].
1- Core switching and routing
Table 2. Services running on the KCSC network
2- Server farms switching and routing
3- Edge switching and routing Number of
Service Name Role
4- Access switching Servers
5- Wireless Access Points Human
4 databases
Integrated Resources and
12 application
Figure 2 summarizes the layers described Systems for Payroll for
servers
above and shows that the core switching layer Civil Services Civil Sector in
10 web servers
Kuwait
is the backbone of the KCSC network. Edge Stores KCSC
and server farm switches are linked with the documents;
Document 2 databases
core switching layer with redundant 10Gbps used for
6 application
Archiving
fiber links. Figure 3 shows the core switching paperless
System and web servers
layer, which includes two Cisco 6500-series organization
project
switches at the main site and one Cisco 4500- 1 database
series switch at the DR site. 1 Simple Mail
KCSC formal Transport
Edge switches are located in each floor in KCSC Email
email service Protocol
the main building, and those switches are (SMTP) server
redundantly linked with each core switch with 1 web server
KCSC main
10Gbps fiber links worked in Active-Active Microsoft
authentication
Mode (i.e., Cisco Global Load Balancing Active 6 servers
and security
Protocol – GLBP). Directory
provider
KCSC main
Server farm switches in the main building IP Telephony internal
7 servers
are linked without any redundancy meaning System communication
that each switch is linked to one core switch. systems
User profiles
The bandwidth at both links is 10Gbps. File Sharing
and file 6 servers
Service
roaming
At the DR site, servers are linked with
multiple cascaded switches with 2Gbps 4 NETWORK MODELING AND
bandwidth for each core switch. Figure 4 SIMULATING
summarizes the server farm switching layer Network modeling is one of the
[2]. methods used to study the computer network
Servers and clients have multiple to compare the impacts of various technology
connectivity options, as shown in Table 1. designs on the network’s end-to-end behavior
[4]. Enterprises, organizations, and companies
Table 1. Node connectivity options around the world try to achieve high-
performance networks by redesigning them
Number of
Role Bandwidth periodically. A network model is a description
Links
End users 1 1 Gbps of observed behavior, simplified by ignoring
Test and Dev. certain details of the computer network.
1 1 Gbps
Servers Modeling allows complex networks to be
Redundancy 2 1 Gbps or

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understood, and their behavior is predicted
within the scope of the model. 3- Packet Drops: Traffic sent and
received is measured in bytes between
Generally, in order to evaluate any the source and the destination. This
problem, a logical workflow must be followed parameter helps identify any losses in
[5]. This workflow has five steps: packets or traffic. Packet drops affect
the service and force packet to be
1- Define the problem
retransmitted in the case of TCP or lost
2- Build the model
in UDP [9].
3- Execute the simulation
4- Analyze the results
5- Make decisions 4- Jitter: Jitter, measured in seconds, can
be defined as variations in the delay of
The steps above are summarized in the received packets. Jitter primarily
workflow shown in Figure 5. affects VOIP services by introducing
vocal echoes [10].
In this analysis, OPNET Modeler
version 14.1 is used to simulate KCSC 4.2 Simulation in OPNET®
network and services.
OPNET provides the ability to take into
4.1 Investigated Network Parameters consideration the physical location and
dimensions of the simulated environment [9].
In this study, the following network Table 3 shows the KCSC buildings’ physical
parameters are considered: dimensions.
1- Network Delay: The time taken for a Table 3. Physical measurements of KCSC buildings
bit of data to travel across the network
from one node to another. Network Location Parameter Value
delay is measured in seconds. This Coordinates Lat: 29.346451
Lon: 47.990835
parameter can affect network Number of floors 8+1 basement
performance because some network Floor area 2500sqm / floor
protocols are very sensitive to high Distance between 3.5 m
delay time, such as VOIP. There are Main floors
multiple sources of network delay [6], Building Distance between 7.5 m
(Shuwaikh) edge switch room
and two are as follows: core cable duct
• IP network delay: Delay Average distance 20 m
resulting from packets and between end-user
bits processing within the devices and edge
switch
network devices [7]. Coordinates Lat: 29.383667
• End system delay: Time Lon: 47.990835
taken by the service to Number of floors 3
generate the network traffic DR Floor area 2000 sqm / floor
and to prepare it for Building Distance between 5m
(Sharq floors
transmission over the Tower) Average distance 10 m
network [8]. between end-user
devices and edge
This parameter has been switch
chosen due to its effect on the services Each building and floor in the
running in the network, such as VOIP simulation has been represented as a subnet
or file services [7]. (red circle), as shown in Figure 6. Main and
DR Building are shown in figures 7 and 8.
2- Throughput: Throughput for a one-
second interval is the sum of the total Floor subnets are presented with three
number of bits of all recorded frames components, as shown in Figure 9:
transmitted [9].

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1- Edge switch, which links the subnet to video
the core switching layer. CSC_Intern
Http Searching
et
2- VOIP devices.
3- Personal computers (PCs). 5 SIMULATION RESULTS
The total number of devices is shown in Table Simulation results in OPNET can be
4. measured globally across the simulated
environment or by nodes like servers or PCs.
Table 4. Total number of network-connected devices in
KCSC buildings According to the investigated network
parameters, the following results were
Building Device Type Total gathered.
Main PCs 1144
Building VOIP Devices 1210 5.1 Network Delay and Packet Drops
PCs 155
DR Building
VOIP Devices 97 Results
Servers are connected to server farm The average in delay in the KCSC
switches and presented in Figure 10. network is 0.2 ms. Figure 11 shows an
4.3 Applications and Profiles Definitions average global delay graph.

In order to generate traffic in an Delay was measured on each server in


OPNET simulation, applications and profile order to evaluate hidden delay issues. Table 6
components need to be placed to define the shows end-point delay results.
application characteristics, and then traffic is
Table 6. KCSC network endpoint latency
generated from sources to destinations [11]. measurements in OPNET
Table 5 shows the application profiles in the
KCSC network simulator . End point Latency (ms)
Cisco call manager server 0.4
Table 5. KCSC Applications’ definitions on OPNET Integrated systems DBs 0.9
Integrated systems APP 1.2
Application Application Integrated systems WEB 0.6
Value Note
profile parameter Email system 1.2
In real NAS storages 1.9
life, FileNET APP 1.3
more FileNET DB 0.8
Heavy than 2
File servers 0.9
CSC_IS Database
load million
PC on Floor 1 0.5
transacti
ons per PC on Floor 2 0.8
day PC in Old DR Building 1.0
More than IP Phone on Floor 7 1.2
Heavy 5000 Average 1.0
Browsing simultane
load Simulation shows that there are no packet
ous users
Average drops at all.
of
600,000 5.2 Traffic Throughput
CSC_Filenet Database MID Load
transacti
ons per
day
In order to identify congestion in the
Image KCSC network, throughput has been
Browsing
browsing measured from the core switches through
Average which all traffic passes. The maximum
of 300 throughput is 2.2 Gbps.
CSC_EMAI
Email Mid load message
L
s per
min
5.3 Voice Jitter
CSC_AD Custom NTLM
IP Voice jitter results are shown in figure
CSC_VOIP VOIP 12. The x-axis represents the simulation time,
Telephony
Video VCR
CSC_IPTV
conferencing Quality

330
and y-axis represents the jitter in ms. The thorough analysis is performed on two factors:
average jitter in the KCSC network is 8 ms. performance and design. The performance
analysis focuses on latency, which clearly
6 KCSC NETWORK ENHANCEMENTS affects some network applications. In addition,
In order to solve the jitter problem, a network throughput is considered to identify
technique called Quality of Service (QoS) can any congestion or bottlenecks. On the other
be used. This approach allows for the side, the study takes a look at the design
transport of traffic with special requirements. viewpoint to identify issues impacting the
When computer networks are used to deliver availability levels of the network to meet the
voice services, some factors could interrupt business requirements of the KCSC. From the
this service, such as echo, delay, or cross- study, the following can be concluded:
talks. 1. There is no congestion at all in
KCSC’s network.
QoS can be achieved by prioritizing 2. The average latency is within
traffic [13] to alleviate the latency on the limits.
network as much as possible (fixed latency 3. From the design aspects, KCSC
equals zero jitter value). With QoS, voice needs to create redundancy
traffic can be given a higher priority than between core-switching layers and
other traffic. This will minimize the server farm switching layers.
processing time inside the switches and
routers between sources and destinations. 8 REFERENCES
1. Central Agency of Information Technology
QoS has been applied in OPNET, and Kuwait, http://www.cait.gov.kw/National-
Projects/Kuwait-Information-Network.aspx
voice packet priority has been set. After
applying QoS jitter almost become Zero. 2. KCSC IT Sector, “Local Area Network
Figure 13 shows that result. Documentation”, KCSC’s Internal
Documentation, pp. 45-135, (2010)
The KCSC server farm switches have
a single supervisor engine. Therefore, multiple 3. KCSC IT Sector, “Services and infrastructure
supervisor engines on each switch need to be running inside Data Center”, KCSC’s Internal
Documentation , pp. 12-45
configured to solve the problem.
4. Weilong, Hu, “A co-design modeling approach for
Furthermore, redundant uplinks computer network systems.” Simulation
between each server farm switch and each Conference, Winter, pp.685-693, (2007).
core switch need to be used instead of a single
uplink. All KCSC servers should have a 5. Chang, X, “NETWORK SIMULATIONS WITH
OPNET.” Proceedings of the Winter Simulation
redundant connection between the two server
Conference, pp. 307-313 (1999)
farm switches. 6. Telchemy Inc.. “Impact of delay.” VoIP
performance Management, (2006).
Finally, redundant core switches need
to be considered at the DR site, and the 7. Bulira, Damian, “Voice and video streaming in
secondary link bandwidth should be upgraded wireless computer networks: evaluation of
to 10 Gbps to match the main link to avoid network delays.” Future Internet Communications
(BCFIC), 2012 2nd Baltic Congress, pp.156-161,
any bottlenecks. (2012).
7 CONCLUSIONS 8. Fall, Kevin, “A delay-tolerant network architecture
for challenged Internets,” Proceedings of the 2003
KCSC has a robust network conference on Applications, technologies,
infrastructure, which can help to achieve high architectures, and protocols for computer
performance levels. The drawbacks in the communications, pp. 27-34, (2003).
current architecture are on availability levels.
This analysis summarizes the KCSC network
and mentions the procedures followed to build
models in the network simulator (OPNET). A

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9. Jardosh, A. P, “Understaning Congestion in IEEE
802.11b Wireless Networks.” Internet
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10. Zheng, L. “Characteristics of network delay and


delay jitter and its effect on Voice over IP.”
Singapore: Nanyang Technological University,
(2001).

11. OPNET Modeler Manual Online Version ,


http://www.opnet.com/university_program/teachin
g_with_opnet/textbooks_and_materials/materials/
OPNET_Modeler_Manual.pdf

12. Paganelli, A., “QoS performance evaluation of


multimedia services in emergency networks”,
Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing
Conference (IWCMC), 2012 8th International,
pp.933-938,(2012).

13. Bolletta, P.,“Monitoring of the user Quality of


Service: Network architecture for measurements,
role of the user operating system with
consequences for optical accesses.” Optical
Network Design and Modeling (ONDM), 15th
International Conference, pp.1-5, (2011)

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Figure 2. High-level Design of KCSC LAN
Figure1. KCSC Network High Level Design

Figure 3. KCSC Core Switching Layer Figure 4. Server Farms Switching Layer

Figure 6. Top View from OPNET(R) Modeler for KCSC’s Main


Figure 5.General Modeling Workflow
and DR Sites

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Figure7. Main Building’s Main Topology in OPNET Figure8.KCSC DR Building Topology in OPNET(R)

Figure 9. KCSC Floor Topology Figure 10. KCSC Server Modulation in OPNET(R)

Figure12. Voice Performance Parameters from OPNET(R)

Figure 11. Global Network Delay in OPNET


Figure13. Jitter after Applying QoS

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