How to create a new RapidNet SeNDlog application?

Question: How to create a new RapidNet SeNDlog application?

Answer: SeNDlog stands for SEcure NDlog. It includes additional constructs for encryption and authentication for writing secure network protocols.

The procedure for creating a SeNDlog application is basically the same as that for an NDlog application. The RapidNet compiler can detect the difference between NDlog and SeNDlog programs by looking at the syntax in the .olg file and generate appropriate code. SeNDlog applications have a context declaration and they do not use the location specifier "@" in the predicates.

Let us try to clone the secure-pathvector application to see the process of creating a new SeNDlog application.

• Start out with creating new folder in src/applications/myproto.
• Create a file src/applications/myproto/myproto.olg with this SeNDlog program:

  materialize(link,infinity,infinity,keys(1,2)).
  materialize(linkD,infinity,infinity,keys(1,2)).
  materialize(path,infinity,infinity,keys(4:list)).
  materialize(bestPath,infinity,infinity,keys(2)).
  
  At S:
  
  r1 path(S,D,C,P) :- link(S,D,C),
                    P1:=f_append(S),
                    P2:=f_append(D),
                    P:=f_concat(P1,P2). 
  
  r2 encrypts S says linkD(S,D,C)@D :- link(S,D,C).
  
  r3 encrypts S says path(D,Z,C,P)@D :- encrypts D says linkD(D,S,C1),
                                     bestPath(S,Z,C2,P2),
                                     C:=C1+C2,
                                     f_member(P2,D)==0,           
                                     P1:=f_append(D),
                                     P:=f_concat(P1,P2).
  
  r4 bestPath(S,D,a_MIN<C>,P) :- encrypts W says path(S,D,C,P).
  

• Now use the RapidNet compiler to generate the C++ code. Run ./rapidnet/compiler/compile src/applications/myproto. This generates the required files.
• Now let's build it. To do that you need to tell ns-3 that we have a new application folder. To do this, add an entry 'applications/myproto' in src/wscript under all_modules.
• Great. So now let's run ./waf to build it.
• Now we are ready to run this application by writing a script. So let's create a new file examples/myproto-test.cc and add this (copied and modified from examples/secure-pathvector-test.cc):

  #include "ns3/core-module.h"
  #include "ns3/simulator-module.h"
  #include "ns3/node-module.h"
  #include "ns3/myproto-module.h"
  #include "ns3/rapidnet-module.h"
  #include "ns3/values-module.h"
  
  #define link(src, next, cost) \
    tuple (Myproto::LINK, \
      attr ("link_attr1", Ipv4Value, src), \
      attr ("link_attr2", Ipv4Value, next), \
           attr ("link_attr3", Int32Value, cost))
  
  #define insertlink(from, to, cost) \
    app(from)->Insert (link (addr (from), addr (to), cost)); \
    app(to)->Insert (link (addr (to), addr (from), cost));
  
  #define deletelink(from, to, cost) \
    app(from)->Delete (link (addr (from), addr (to), cost)); \
    app(to)->Delete (link (addr (to), addr (from), cost));
  
  using namespace std;
  using namespace ns3;
  using namespace ns3::rapidnet;
  using namespace ns3::rapidnet::myproto;
  
  ApplicationContainer apps;
  
  void Print ()
  {
    PrintRelation (apps, Myproto::PATH);
    PrintRelation (apps, Myproto::BESTPATH);
  }
  
  
  // Create a chain topology
  void
  UpdateLinks1 ()
  {
    insertlink (1, 2, 2);
    insertlink (1, 3, 3);
    insertlink (1, 4, 5);
    insertlink (2, 3, 6);
    insertlink (3, 4, 2);
    insertlink (4, 5, 10);
  }
  
  void
  UpdateLinks2 ()
  {
    deletelink (1, 2, 2);
  }
  
  void
  UpdateLinks3 ()
  {
    insertlink (1, 2, 3);
    insertlink (2, 5, 1);
  }
  
  int
  main (int argc, char *argv[])
  {
    LogComponentEnable("Myproto", LOG_LEVEL_INFO);
    LogComponentEnable("RapidNetApplicationBase", LOG_LEVEL_INFO);
  
    apps = InitRapidNetApps (5, Create<MyprotoHelper> ());
    apps.Start (Seconds (0.0));
    apps.Stop (Seconds (40.0));
  
    Simulator::Schedule (Seconds(0.0001), &UpdateLinks1);
    Simulator::Schedule (Seconds(10.0000), &Print);
    Simulator::Schedule (Seconds(10.0001), &UpdateLinks2);
    Simulator::Schedule (Seconds(20.0000), &Print);
    Simulator::Schedule (Seconds(20.0001), &UpdateLinks3);
    Simulator::Schedule (Seconds(40.0000), &Print);
  
    SetMaxJitter (apps, 30);
  
    Simulator::Run ();
    Simulator::Destroy ();
    return 0;
  }
  

• We should now edit examples/wscript and add this entry to it:

      obj = bld.create_ns3_program('myproto-test')
      obj.source = 'myproto-test.cc'
  

• Next step is to build everything using ./waf
• And you are now ready run your new protocol using ./waf --run myproto-test
• See the generated output make sure the PATH and BESTPATH tables printed have the right entries.

• A brief note on SeNDlog: The syntax of SeNDlog is different from NDlog in the following ways:
  1. The "At Context:" declaration. This tells the rule engine the position of the location specifier. All terms in the rule body must be local to this context.
  2. The outgoing tuples in the rule head is tagged with at the end of the predicate.
  3. "says" keyword used to specify the pricipal that initiated the information, or the sayer. This is used for authentication at the receiver end. The sayer signs the tuple of information which the receiving principals can verify.
  4. "encrypts" keyword that is used to encrypt a tuple before sending it over the network.

For more details on SeNDlog, please refer to the paper: http://www.netdb.cis.upenn.edu/papers/decsec_icde09.pdf