West Coast
AREDN

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.
~~DISCUSSION~~
====== Network Topology ======
<QUOTE>
[[wp>Network_topology|Network Topology]] is the arrangement of the elements (links, nodes, etc.) of a communication network.
</QUOTE> 

{{ networktopologies.png?400 }}

Each have their [[https://www.comparitech.com/net-admin/network-topologies-advantages-disadvantages/ |pros and cons]].



===== Current Topology =====
As of November 28, 2021, our network topology (for BC stations only) looks like this:((To zoom in on an image, click on it once to open it in the media manager, then a second time to view it as its own, then use <key>C-%%+%%</key> to zoom in.))<sup>,</sup>((Each node has two arrows because I counted each connection twice.  Once the clients are removed from the list, the diagram will be cleaner.))
{{ 01_current.png }}

Drawn this way, we can outline the RF links through Benson (in blue), and some of the small internet loops:
{{ 02_current.png }}



===== Hybrid System =====
The previous picture had me wonder what a hybrid topology could look like with a star made from the mount Benson RF links, and a ring of internet tunnels around it:
{{ ring_star_hybrid.png }}
A few things to note here:
  * Over internet only, the "circumference" of the ring is 30 nodes so the furthest path would be 15 nodes long (all else begin equal).
  * Each node on the ring would have two internet paths to any other node (a short path and a long path) so no single node outage could take out the network.
  * And each node also has an additional RF path through the centre.
  * This configuration has only one internet loop (of 30 nodes) since any other loop goes through the an RF link.


===== Now What? =====
I have no idea whether the Ring-Star hybrid topology would be a good idea or not.  And even if it were, it would take quite a bit of coordination to implement.  A quick win might be to look at the current topology and make minor adjustments.  For example, by making the following changes:

<WRAP half column>
<fc #ff0000>**Remove these links:**</fc>
  * VE7LSE <-> VE7RBE
  * VE7LSE <-> VE7KGV
  * VE7LSE <-> VE7GEC
  * VE7LSE <-> VA7DXX
  * VE7LSE <-> VE7OHM
  * VE7TOM <-> VE7PDM
</WRAP>
<WRAP half column>
<fc #008000>**Add these links:**</fc>
  * VA7DXX <-> VE7OHM
  * VA7DXX <-> VE7ODG
</WRAP>

{{ 03_changes.png }}

We'd have the following topology:

{{ 04_proposed.png }}

What do you think?  Feel free to use the discussion tool below:


===== Python Script =====
I just finished writing the first working draft of a python script that loads every BC mesh status pages on a given network and builds the list of connected nodes from there.  A list that took a few hours of manual work to compile, now takes about a minute and a half.

That list can then be copied into [[https://flowchart.fun/]] to generate the chart.

I still have a few things I want to tweak, but for now it's usable.
<WRAP rightalign>--- //[[va7fi@rbox.me|Patrick, VA7FI]] 2021/11/12 13:27//</WRAP>

<hidden onHidden="Click to display script" >
<file python AREDN_topology.py>
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

"""
LICENSE:
AREDN_topology.py reads all the mesh status pages available on a given network
and builds a list of connections that can be pasted into https://flowchart.fun
Copyright (C) 2021 Patrick Truchon.

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

VERSION:
    * v2021.11.12: First working copy.
"""

import fnmatch
import urllib.request

# User Input
print('Enter the URL of your mesh status page, or simply press Enter to use')
print('  http://VA7FI-HAP-1.local.mesh/cgi-bin/mesh')
MYURL = input() or "http://VA7FI-HAP-1.local.mesh/cgi-bin/mesh"

print("Calculating time...")


# Format URL so that NODE name is in upper case:
MYSTATION = (MYURL.partition("http://")[-1].partition(".local")[0]).upper()
MYURL = "http://" + MYSTATION + ".local.mesh/cgi-bin/mesh"


# Read the content of my page
MYPAGE = urllib.request.urlopen(MYURL).readlines()


# Extract list of URLS for other stations' mesh status pages seen on my page.
URLS = []
i = 0
for i in range(len(MYPAGE)):
    line = MYPAGE[i].decode('ascii', 'ignore')
    if fnmatch.fnmatch(line, "*local.mesh*/'>*"):
        url = (line.partition("<a href='")[-1].partition("'>")[0]) + \
        "cgi-bin/mesh"
        if url[7:10] == "VE7" or url[7:10] == "VA7":  #Include BC stations only
            URLS.append(url)


# Add my URL to the list
URLS.append(MYURL)
URLS.sort()  # sort list of websites


# Create list of NODES from list of URLS
NODES = []
for i in range(len(URLS)):
    NODE = (URLS[i].partition("http://")[-1].partition(".local")[0])
    NODES.append(NODE)

print("It should take about " + str(round(len(URLS)/38, 1)) + \
        " minutes to complete.")
print()


# Get NODES connected to each station given by i
i = 0
for i in range(len(URLS)):
#for i in range(8,11):
    # Load mesh status page for ith station
    page = urllib.request.urlopen(URLS[i]).readlines()

    # Get the name of the ith station NODE from the URL
    NODE = (URLS[i].partition("http://")[-1].partition(".local")[0])
    print(NODE)

    j = 0
    k = len(page) # set this large for now
    conns = []

    for j in range(len(page)):
        #reset the conntype to empty (it could be 'dtd', 'tun', or empty)
        conntype = ""
        line = page[j].decode('ascii', 'ignore') #ignore weird characters

        # Connected NODES are located on lines after "Current Neibhbors"
        if fnmatch.fnmatch(line, "*Current Neighbors*"):
            k = j
        if fnmatch.fnmatch(line, "*local.mesh*/'>*") and j > k:
            if fnmatch.fnmatch(line, "*<small>(*"):
                conntype = (line.partition("<small>(")[-1].\
                                           partition(")</small>")[0])+":"
            conn = (line.partition("http://")[-1].partition(".local")[0])
            if conn in NODES:
                fconn = "  "+conntype +"("+conn+")"
            else:
                fconn = "  "+conntype +conn
            print(fconn)
print()
print(str(i+1)+" NODES have been analyzed.")
print("You can now copy and paste them into:  https://flowchart.fun ")
</file>
</hidden>
// //

<hidden onHidden="Click to display output" >
<code>
Calculating time...
It should take about 1.2 minutes to complete.

VA7ASI-HOME
  dtd:(VA7ASI-SXT5HOME)
  tun:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
VA7ASI-SXT5HOME
  dtd:(VA7ASI-HOME)
  (VA7ASI-SXT5WORK)
VA7ASI-SXT5WORK
  (VA7ASI-SXT5HOME)
  dtd:(VA7ASI-WORK)
VA7ASI-WORK
  dtd:(VA7ASI-SXT5WORK)
VA7CPM-hAP-YVR
  tun:(VE7MRP-hAP-YXC)
VA7DGP-hAP-YVR
  tun:(VA7EDU-HAP-YVR)
  tun:(VA7ULD-240)
  tun,wan:(VE7LE-hAP-YVR)
  tun:(VE7MRP-hAP-YXC)
VA7DXX-BENSON-LINK
  dtd:(VA7DXX-HAP-1)
  (VE7NA-8-Mt-Benson-SE)
VA7DXX-HAP-1
  dtd:(VA7DXX-BENSON-LINK)
VA7EDU-HAP-YVR
  tun:(VA7DGP-hAP-YVR)
VA7FI-HAP-1
  dtd:(VA7FI-LDF5-1)
  tun:(VA7ULD-240)
  tun:(VE7RBE-HAP-1)
VA7FI-LDF5-1
  dtd:(VA7FI-HAP-1)
  (VE7NA-8-Mt-Benson-SE)
VA7ILO-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7RBE-HAP-1)
VA7MJZ-NODE0
  tun:(VE7TOM-HAP)
VA7MPG-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
VA7TUF-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
VA7ULD-240
  tun:(VA7DGP-hAP-YVR)
  tun:(VA7FI-HAP-1)
VA7WPM-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7ODG-AR750-1)
VE7AX-2
  tun:(VE7TOM-HAP)
VE7BEF-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7ODG-AR750-1)
VE7DNR-WOODLEY-RANGE-NW
  tun:(VE7DNR-WOODLEY-RANGE-SW)
  (VE7ODG-SXTSQ-1)
VE7DNR-WOODLEY-RANGE-SW
  tun:(VE7DNR-WOODLEY-RANGE-NW)
  (VE7LSE-WOODELY-LINK)
VE7GDE-BENSON-LINK
  dtd:(VE7GDE-HAP-1)
  (VE7NA-8-Mt-Benson-SE)
VE7GDE-HAP-1
  dtd:(VE7GDE-BENSON-LINK)
VE7GEC-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7ODG-AR750-1)
VE7HSP-hAP-YVK
  tun:(VE7OHM-HAP-YLW)
VE7ITS-GL750-1
  tun:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
VE7KGV-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7TOM-HAP)
VE7KOD-LHG5
  dtd:(VE7KOD-hpac)
  (VE7NA-3-Mt-Benson-NE)
VE7KOD-hpac
  dtd:(VE7KOD-LHG5)
  tun:(VE7RBE-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7TOM-HAP)
VE7LE-hAP-YVR
  tun:(VA7DGP-hAP-YVR)
VE7LSE-HAP-1
  tun:(VA7ASI-HOME)
  tun:(VA7DXX-HAP-1)
  tun:(VA7MPG-HAP-1)
  tun:(VA7TUF-HAP-1)
  tun:VE6VH-hAP-AREDN
  tun:(VE7GEC-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7ITS-GL750-1)
  dtd:(VE7LSE-WOODELY-LINK)
  tun:(VE7ODG-AR750-1)
  tun:(VE7OHM-HAP-YLW)
  tun:(VE7RBE-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7TOM-HAP)
VE7LSE-WOODELY-LINK
  (VE7DNR-WOODLEY-RANGE-SW)
  dtd:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
VE7MRP-hAP-YXC
  tun:(VA7CPM-hAP-YVR)
  tun:(VA7DGP-hAP-YVR)
  tun:VE6CV-hAP-YQL
  tun:(VE7OHM-HAP-YLW)
VE7NA-3-Mt-Benson-NE
  (VE7KOD-LHG5)
  dtd:(VE7NA-8-Mt-Benson-SE)
  (VE7UY)
VE7NA-8-Mt-Benson-SE
  (VA7DXX-BENSON-LINK)
  (VA7FI-LDF5-1)
  (VE7GDE-BENSON-LINK)
  dtd:(VE7NA-3-Mt-Benson-NE)
  (VE7ODG-BENSON-LINK)
VE7NZR-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7RBE-HAP-1)
VE7ODG-AR750-1
  tun:(VA7WPM-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7BEF-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7GEC-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7ODG-BENSON-LINK)
  tun:(VE7ODG-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7PMD-HAP-1)
VE7ODG-BENSON-LINK
  (VE7NA-8-Mt-Benson-SE)
  dtd:(VE7ODG-AR750-1)
VE7ODG-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7ODG-AR750-1)
VE7ODG-SXTSQ-1
  (VE7DNR-WOODLEY-RANGE-NW)
VE7OHM-HAP-YLW
  tun:(VA7DGP-hAP-YVR)
  tun:VE6VH-hAP-Tunnel
  tun:(VE7HSP-hAP-YVK)
  tun:(VE7MRP-hAP-YXC)
VE7PMD-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7ODG-AR750-1)
  tun:(VE7TOM-HAP)
VE7RBE-HAP-1
  tun:(VA7FI-HAP-1)
  tun:(VA7ILO-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7KOD-hpac)
  tun:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7NZR-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7TBP-HAP-1)
VE7TBP-HAP-1
  tun:(VE7RBE-HAP-1)
VE7TOM-HAP-1
  (VE7TOM-HAP)
VE7TOM-HAP
  tun,wan:(VA7MJZ-NODE0)
  tun:(VE7AX-2)
  tun:(VE7KGV-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7KOD-hpac)
  tun:(VE7LSE-HAP-1)
  tun:(VE7PMD-HAP-1)
  (VE7TOM-HAP-1)
VE7UY
  (VE7NA-3-Mt-Benson-NE)

47 nodes have been analyzed.
You can now copy and paste them into:  https://flowchart.fun 
</code>
</hidden>
\\