This document provides an overview of the RIPE Atlas network measurement platform and tools for visualizing network data. It describes the RIPE Atlas probe network and available measurements, including built-in and custom measurements. Tools are presented for visualizing latency data from ping measurements (LatencyMON), DNS performance (DNSMON), and domain name server data (DomainMON). The document also discusses using the RIPE Atlas command line interface and APIs to interact with the platform and build custom visualizations. An invitation is extended to experiment with these tools.

1. Christian Teuschel | September 2016 | iWeek ZA
Focus: RIPE Atlas
Network Visualisation
Workshop

2. Christian Teuschel | iWeek ZA | September 2016 2
Workshop Requirements
• Please make sure you have a RIPE NCC
Access account!
• Voucher for 5,000 Atlas credits
https://access.ripe.net
iweek_2016

3. Network Visualisation
Overview

4. Christian Teuschel | iWeek ZA | September 2016 4
Network Visualisation
• Bringing raw data to life, help with
interpretation and understanding
• Three main types of data:
- Registry data
- Routing data (BGP)
- Active measurement data (RIPE Atlas, MLab, etc.)

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Registry Data
• Source: RIR databases
- AFRINIC, ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC and RIPE NCC
• Useful as supporting data set
https://stat.ripe.net/widget/allocation-historyhttps://stat.ripe.net/widget/address-space-hierarchy

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Routing Data
• RIPE NCC’s RIS
- http://ris.ripe.net
https://stat.ripe.net/widget/bgplay

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Routing Data
• RIPE NCC’s RIS
- http://ris.ripe.net
https://stat.ripe.net/widget/routing-history

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Active Measurement Data
• RIPE Atlas
• MLab by Google
• Bandwidth measurements
- Speedchecker, Ookla, …
• Google ad measurements done by APNIC

9. RIPE Atlas
Introduction

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RIPE Atlas
• A brief introduction
- Global network for Internet measurements

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RIPE Atlas
• Standard Probe
- TP-Link MR3020
- Version 3
• Atlas Anchor
- Higher capacity
- Currently 216 nodes
- Soekris Net6501-70
- https://atlas.ripe.net/anchors/
Version 1/2

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RIPE Atlas

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RIPE Atlas
• RIPE Atlas probes in South Africa
https://stat.ripe.net/za#tabId=activity
389 registered ASNs
263 routed ASNs

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RIPE Atlas
• RIPE Atlas probes in South Africa
https://stat.ripe.net/za#tabId=activity

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RIPE Atlas
• RIPE Atlas anchors in South Africa
https://atlas.ripe.net/anchors/list/

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Agenda
• Introduction to web UI
• Measurements
• Tools
- LatencyMon, QuickLook, DNSMON, DomainMON and
IXP-Country-Jedi
• Command line tools
• RIPE Atlas APIs
• DIY workshop

17. RIPE Atlas
Web UI

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Web UI

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Exercise I
• Go to https://atlas.ripe.net
• Check if you can log in with your RIPE NCC
Access account!

20. RIPE Atlas
Measurements

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Build-In Measurements
• What is it?
First check for existing measurements
https://atlas.ripe.net/measurements/

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Build-In Measurements
• Probe view
https://atlas.ripe.net/probes/

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Exercise II
• Pick a probe and look up build-in
measurement results!

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Build-In Measurements
• Global view
https://atlas.ripe.net/results/maps/

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User-Defined Measurements
• Custom measurements
- All measurement types possible
- Credit system to keep the resource allocation fair

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User-Defined Measurements
• Credit system
https://atlas.ripe.net/user/credits

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Exercise III
• Redeem your voucher “iweek_2016”
https://atlas.ripe.net/user/credits

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Exercise IV
• Create a ping measurement
https://atlas.ripe.net/measurements/

29. RIPE Atlas
LatencyMON

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LatencyMON
• Every running ping measurement
https://atlas.ripe.net/measurements

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LatencyMON

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LatencyMON

33. RIPE Atlas
DNSMON & DomainMON

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DNSMON
• DNS root and many TLD name servers
https://atlas.ripe.net/dnsmon/

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DomainMON
• Same visualisation as DNSMON
• For any domain server
• Runs on RIPE Atlas credits
• https://atlas.ripe.net/domainmon/

36. RIPE Atlas
IXP-Country-Jedi

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IXP-Country-Jedi
IPv6IPv4
http://sg-pub.ripe.net/emile/ixp-country-jedi/latest/ZA/geopath/

38. RIPE Atlas
Command Line Tool

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Command Line Tool
• Access RIPE Atlas from the terminal / shell
console
• Quick and dirty shortcuts for network
troubleshooting
• FLOSS (free software / open-source) tools
- Written and maintained by the RIPE NCC
- Open to community contributions

40. Christian Teuschel | iWeek ZA | September 2016 40
Command Line Tool
• Before you can use the toolset:
- Download the tools
- Install
- Configure
- ripe-atlas configure --set
authorisation.create=MY_API_KEY
• You need to have one (or more) API Keys
- https://atlas.ripe.net/keys/

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Command Line Tool
• Source:
- https://github.com/RIPE-NCC/ripe-atlas-tools/
• Documentation:
- https://ripe-atlas-tools.readthedocs.org/
• Included in the Linux / BSD distributions:
- OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Gentoo, Arch, Debian and Ubuntu
(in progress: Fedora, Windows)

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Command Line Tool
• Simple: one-off, using default values
(50 probes to “target”)
• $ ripe-atlas measure ping --target
wikipedia.org

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Command Line Tool
• Geo-specific using 20 probes from ZA:
- $ ripe-atlas measure ping --target example.com --probes 20
--from-country za
• 20 ZA probes that support IPv6:
- $ ripe-atlas measure ping --target example.com
-- probes 20 --from-country za —include-tag system-ipv6-
works
• Create a recurring measurement:
- $ ripe-atlas measure ping —target example.com --interval
3600

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Exercise V
• Make a note to try it at home!

45. RIPE Atlas
RIPE Atlas APIs

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Rest API
• https://atlas.ripe.net/docs/api/v2/manual/

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Streaming API
• RIPE Atlas streaming allows users to receive
measurement results as soon as the probes
send them, in real time
- Publish / subscribe through web sockets
- https://atlas.ripe.net/docs/result-streaming/
• Two types of data:
- Measurement results
- Probe connection status events

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User-Defined Measurements
• Credit system
http://sg-pub.ripe.net/demo-area/atlas-stream/dns-instances.html

49. RIPE Atlas
DIY Visualisation

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DIY Visualisation
• Build a simple visualisation
- https://atlas.ripe.net/webinar/streaming01.html
- Open the console of your browser
- Download the source code and edit the behaviour

51. Questions
christian.teuschel@ripe.net
@cteuschel