2013 Fourth World Congress on Software Engineering
RNP: A Remote-desktop Based NetMagic Remote Debugging Platform
Tao Zhao
School of Computer
National University of Defense Technology
Changsha, Hunan, China
e-mail: zztt0311@126.com
Jinfeng Huang
School of Computer
National University of Defense Technology
Changsha, Hunan, China
e-mail: hjf@nudt.edu.cn
Abstract—The paper presents a remote-desktop based
NetMagic remote debugging RNP (Remote-desktop based
NetMagic Remote Debugging Platform) model for the situation
that hardware programming experiment is not often
conducted in the network innovation experiment and teaching.
It allows researchers to operate NetMagic remotely, which is a
kind of open source hardware network study experiment
platform, using the remote-desktop key technology.
Additionally, we preliminarily implemented the remote
debugging platform based on this model and verified the key
technology of the remote-desktop connection. The work of this
paper has an important guiding significance for the network
innovation experiment and teaching.
Keywords- NetMagic; remote desktop; remote debugging;
RNP
I. INTRODUCTION
Now the research of the future Internet has been carried
on, such as GENI [1], FIRE [2] and so on. However, the
traditional commercial network equipment usually adopts
enclosed design, which brings a lot of obstacles to the
innovation of the network technology. In order to study the
new Internet technology, the first consideration is to need the
network switching equipment that support new protocols,
allow users to define functions of switching equipment
remotely. Only when the network technology researchers
have the programmable network environment, they can
really carry on the technical innovation and development,
test and verify new functions. Nowadays, the research about
the remote software and hardware experiment has been a
hotspot. At present in the network innovation experiment and
teaching, OpenFlow [3], as a representative of the software
definition network, promotes the development of the Internet
innovation platform. Users can add rules to change functions
of the OpenFlow switch and change the rules in any place
through the network. It provides a flexible and convenient
experiment environment. But due to the shortage of software
definition, it doesn't have some hardware programmable
978-1-4799-2883-5/13 $31.00 © 2013 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/WCSE.2013.48
Jianbiao Mao
School of Computer
National University of Defense Technology
Changsha, Hunan, China
e-mail: mjn198812@sina.com
functions, such as implementing an encryption algorithm, a
new type of look-up table algorithm and so on.
NetMagic is a kind of programmable hardware platform
for the network innovation experiment [4]. Researchers can
control the processing behavior through FPGA programming
of the platform and realize various functions. Different from
NetFPGA platform that is similar to the network interface
card [5], NetMagic is independent equipment which contains
eight Ethernet interfaces and is similar to the Ethernet
switch. Because NetMagic is based on UM (User Module)
hardware programming which is simple and flexible, it can
well support the network technology research. NetMagic-
based network results have been applied in the papers in
SIGCOMM Demo and CoNEXT climax meeting [6] [7]. We
have established network experimental environment based
on the NetMagic platform in our campus network. In order to
support more researchers to conduct network experiments in
our experiment environment, we think it is very important to
conduct the NetMagic remote debugging operations for
users. There are three main reasons to explain:
(1) Researchers can conduct experiments at any time
and any place;
(2) Researchers can get the signal waveforms from the
NetMagic and debug their programs to ensure the
correctness of the hardware logic;
(3) Researchers can share and make full use of the
hardware experiment resources.
Due to many advantages of remote experiment, the
remote debugging technologies have been studied.
Especially, remote debugging of FPGA developed very fast
in recent years. Such as FPGA remote experiment service
based on WSRF [8], FPGA remote laboratory based on
LabView program development environment [9], FPGA
remote laboratory based on FSC [10] and so on. Most of
these remote experiment platforms use Web technology, are
based on graphical software development environment to
develop the remote control software and support users to
conduct the remote experiment. However, these remote
debugging technologies lack of multi-user scheduling
261
management, user experience and do not support the network
hardware programming, which are mostly used for teaching.
Therefore, we studied the NetMagic remote debugging
technology and preliminarily implemented the NetMagic
remote debugging platform based on the remote desktop. It
is said that this is the first time to put forward the NetMagic
remote debugging platform. The work of this paper has these
following main innovative points:
(1) We presented the remote-desktop based NetMagic
remote debugging platform model—RNP. The model
supports multi-user scheduling management, improves the
user experience and is suitable for the network innovation
experiment and teaching.
(2) We preliminarily implemented the NetMagic
remote debugging platform based on the RNP model and
verified the implementation of remote desktop key
technology.
(3) The remote platform uses the remote desktop on the
Windows operating system to be established very easily.
Section 2 in the paper describes the design goals of the
NetMagic remote experimental platform. Section 3 presents
the architecture and workflow of the RNP model in detail.
We show the result of the preliminary realization based on
the RNP model in Section 4. In Section 5, we plan the next
step to implement the rest work. Section 6 introduces the
correlational research and Section 7 summarizes our work in
the paper.
II. DESIGN GOALS
In order to design and implement an effective and
practical remote debugging platform, NetMagic remote
debugging platform must meet the following design goals:
1) Support users to remotely compile and simulate
programs.
Although users may have not professional development
environment, they can use the tools on our remote platform
to remotely compile and simulate hardware programs.
2) Make hardware development easier
When developing hardware in NetMagic, users only
implement the hardware logic in UM and do not care
network interface to send and receive. Besides, this platform
provides some simple and practical NetMagic hardware
reference model for users to refer to and use, which can
largely reduce the lifetime and difficulty of development.
3) Support users to remotely debug hardware logic
Users can use tools on a remote server to observe and
analysis the waveforms to find the errors of the logics, which
can ensure logic correct.
4) Isolate users’ traffic
The experiment traffic can’t affect normal network traffic
in the campus network. Therefore, we isolate the platform in
the local network environment to make experiment traffic
isolated.
5) Support multi-user management
According to the current situation of network and
hardware resources, this platform can schedule users to use
and ensure operations safe. For example, the platform can
ensure that users’ important information are safe, which are
users’ operation records, programs and so on.
262
6) Support specifications of users’ programs
The platform can ensure users’ program legal, which
means users’ logics can’t be used to do bad things. Once
hardware logics contain fallacious functions, it may affect
the whole network and lead to various network problems.
III. RNP MODEL
A. Architecture of Model
According to the design goals, we propose a remote-
desktop based NetMagic remote debugging platform
model—RNP model. Figure 1 describes the logical view of
the RNP model. The RNP model has five parts, including the
application, user manager, UM manager, resource manager
and NetMagic resource. These five components can also be
abstracted into three layers: user application layer, control
layer and infrastructure layer.
1) User application layer:
Application: Users firstly send the request to the control
layer to use NetMagic. After approval, users can control
NetMagic through the remote desktop interface.
2) Control layer:
User manager: It receives users’ requests. And according
to the feedback information from resource manager, user
manager allocate one or more NetMagic resources which
users request to the users. User manager will inform users of
being able to use resources they wanted. After receiving the
permission from user manager, users can control their
NetMagic to conduct experiments. And then user manager
will send users’ operation request to UM manager to deal
with.
UM manager: It is responsible for the users’ concrete
operations, which include: programming, compiling, loading,
debugging and so on. And at the end of the users’ operations
UM manager manages the users’ records to ensure safe.
Resource manager: It is responsible for managing
NetMagic resources. Resource manager records the
information about NetMagic (such as the number of being
used, the number of being idle, the number of being
abnormal and so on) and send these resource information to
user manager.
Figure 1. The logical view of the RNP model
 3) Infrastructure layer:
NetMagic resource: NetMagic resource provides
NetMagic platforms. NetMagic platforms can be deployed in
the remote laboratory and can be also deployed in the real
Internet.
B. Workflow of Model
This platform model is primarily aimed at network
technology researchers at school. As shown in Figure 2, a
remote server of the remote platform is deployed in a school
laboratory which is managed by a specialist. NetMagic
platforms can be centrally deployed in a laboratory, can be
also placed in a real network. Researchers can use their own
computers to connect the remote server through the Internet
at any time and any place. The control management software
on the remote server schedules users to use NetMagic
according to the usage information of hardware resources.
Here is the detailed workflow of this platform model:
(1) Users use their computers connected to the Internet to
send the request information to a remote server. The request
information includes the time, the number of NetMagic they
want and so on;
(2) After receiving the request information, user manager
on a remote server sends a check request to resource
manager. And then resource manager will return resource
information to user manager. User manager decides whether
to approve the users’ request based on the current resource
usage information.
(3) If user manager approves the users’ requests, it
returns approval information to the users. After receiving the
information, users can use remote desktop interface to send
operation information. After receiving operation information,
user manager sends the information to UM manager to deal
with. UM manager manages the users’ various remote
operations and establishes the connection to NetMagic.
However, if the remote server rejects the users’ requests, the
users can only wait or cancel the request.
(4) Users can use all kinds of simulation and compilation
software on the remote server to implement their own
experiments.
Figure 2. The deployment of the RNP model
263
C. Key Technology
Our remote debugging platform currently uses remote
desktop key technology which Windows operation system
provides. Remote desktop connection is developed from
TELNET, which is a graphical TELNET. When a host opens
the remote desktop connection, we can control a host at the
other end of the network and do real-time operations through
the remote desktop. We can install software and run
programs on the remote host. All remote operations are like
direct operations on the local host [11]. Using remote
desktop connection needs users to configure some
parameters. Users must input the IP address, account and
password of the remote host, and users can change some
settings to enhance the user experience. Users can also
modify the port number of the remote desktop according to
their needs. In this way, users can remotely control the hosts
they want.
Based on the remote desktop key technology, researchers
can control the hosts in a remote laboratory to compile,
simulate, load and debug hardware programs and remotely
conduct related network innovation experiments.
IV. PRELIMINARY IMPLEMENTATION OF RNP MODEL
A. Results of Preliminary Implementation
According to our proposed RNP model, we made a
preliminary implementation of the model. The current
preliminary remote debugging platform adopts a single-user
and exclusive-used mode. The mode means that a researcher
is only allocated one remote server, or multiple researchers
share usage time of a remote server. We place all of remote
servers in a lab, each of which is connected to a NetMagic.
We install hardware development tools on each remote
server, such as Quartus II software, Modelsim simulation
software and so on. Researchers can control remote servers
in the remote laboratory to compile, simulate, load and
debug hardware programs and remotely conduct related
network innovation experiments.
According to the operation process of preliminary remote
debugging platform, we use this platform to carry on the
NetMagic remote development—StreamGate. The main
functions of StreamGate are to monitor packets in a network
and forward the packets out according to the strategy in
RAM table.
Figure 3 shows the network topology of this experiment.
We firstly entered the IP address, account and password of
the remote server to control the remote server through
remote desktop interface. Then we used Quartus II software
and Modelsim simulation tools on the remote server to
develop our UM logic which is StreamGate and loaded the
compiled UM logic into a NetMagic through a JTAG
interface. Finally we observed the waveforms by using the
SignalTap tool of Quartus II software to debug our program.
Figure 4(a) is a compiling screenshot of this remote platform.
And Figure 4(b) shows our remote debugging screenshot.
Through using the platform, we successfully implemented
the remote development of StreamGate hardware.

Figure 3. The network topology of this experiment
In this experiment, we also observed some remote
desktop performance information. We used the ping
command to get the delay information between the user host
and the remote server: round trip time is about 18 ms.
Besides, as shown in Figure 5, we also used the Windows
task manager to detect the bandwidth information of the
network interface when using the remote desktop. By
observing these information, we found that a remote desktop
connection to a remote server can be made quickly, and only
when compiling programs, network utilization rate is very
high.
B. User Experience
At present, we have implemented three design goals:
supporting users to remotely compile programs, minimizing
difficulties of the hardware development and supporting
users to remotely debug programs. At the same time, though
using the platform for many times, we find that the
preliminary implementation also has the following
advantages:
1) Set up easily: Because this is a remote desktop
technology of Windows, setting it up is very easy.
2) Real-time and convenient: Due to the advantages of
remote desktop, this platform has the advantages of real-time
operation, convenience and quickness.
3) Any time and any place: Users can use this platform
through a network at any time and any place.
Though having used this platform for many times, we
also find that remote operations are always fluency and are
not fluency occasionally because of networks. In general,
this remote platform enables users to feel like operating the
local host. Therefore, this platform can be well applied to
network innovation experiment and teaching. Now this
platform model has not been complemented completely, we
will solve and implement the rest in the next step.
(a) (b)
Figure 4. Two screenshot of this remote platform: (a) this is a compiling
screenshot; (b) this is a remote debugging screenshot.
264
Figure 5. The bandwidth information of the network interface when using
the remote desktop
V. FUTURE WORK
Recently, we have preliminarily implemented the RNP
model, but there are these following key problems to be
solved in the next step.
1) Pass through firewalls
At present our platform in the campus network is used
well, but there are some problems when across a wide area
network. For example, we want to control a remote host in
the Hong Kong Polytechnic University using the remote
desktop connection, but we can’t connect the remote one
through a normal configuration. This is mainly because
routers in WANs filter out the remote desktop port (the
default port is 3389). Therefore, we consider developing a
kind of software which can detect the port number that all
routers allow very fast in the next step of work. And then we
will change the remote desktop port number to implement
the remote desktop connection across WANs.
2) Multi-user management
In order to solve the problem that the current platform
does not support multiple users, we thought about remotely
controlling multiple systems in a virtual machine on a remote
server by remote desktop control method, which is namely to
install multiple operating systems in a virtual machine on a
remote server, and each operating system is allocated a USB
interface to connect a NetMagic. Therefore, each user can
remotely control a virtual machine system respectively to
achieve multi-user operating at the same time. Given the idea,
we have made some experiments and made a good progress.
We will continue the research and development in the next
step. Besides, we will consider implementing multi-user
scheduling strategy, ensuring the safety of operations and so
on.
3) Specification of users’ programs
Now this platform supports NetMagic to be deployed in a
network, so we need to consider how to ensure good
specifications of users’ logics, which namely must
standardize users’ hardware logics. Such as do not send DOS
attacking packets, do not forge source IP address and so on.
In a word, do not let users use this platform to do bad things.
Because once the user hardware logic contains malicious
functions, it may affect the entire network and cause all
kinds of network problems. As a result, we will develop
good specifications of users’ programs in the next step, such
as credit score mechanism, punishment mechanism and so on.
 VI. CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
Recently, the concept of the remote laboratory has been
studied. Especially, the remote debugging of FPGA
developed very fast in recent years.
FPGA remote experiment service based on WSRF [8]
uses the Web technology. Users can use their browsers to
request experiment services and Web servers receive the
request information to open up corresponding FPGA
experiment services. The service based on the WSRF
protocol can maintain, access and manage the states between
clients and servers. The service contains configuration and
verification service. However, it does not support remote
compiling and debugging. The service does not mind multi-
user scheduling management.
FPGA remote laboratory based on LabView software
development environment [9] supports remote multi-user
time-sharing operation for hardware experiments. Users can
use Web browsers to conduct FPGA remote experiments.
Besides, the system adds remote desktop to remotely provide
many kinds of software tools in remote servers. However,
the system doesn’t support multi-user remote compiling
based on the remote desktop technology and doesn’t present
the isolation problems about experiment traffic.
FPGA remote laboratory based on FSC [10] adds FPGA
session control software in RBoot to allow for easier remote
access to the FPGA boards. Users can power on and off a
board, reconfigure and debug, and capture essential I/O (such
as a serial console and possibly some status LEDs).
However, the most important shortage is the lack of visual
feedback while performing the labs. The other factors that
discouraged the users are slow Internet connection at their
end, not having enough “hands on” experience with FPGAs,
“buggy” session software, and sometimes the congestion of
resources.
Although FPGA remote experiment laboratories studied
can support some basic functions, such as reconfiguration,
compilation and so on, these remote labs lack of multi-user
scheduling management, user experience and do not support
the network hardware programming, which are mostly used
for teaching and experiments. The most important problem is
that these remote platforms don’t involve network hardware
programming. Therefore, the implementation and use of the
RNP model are very meaningful.
VII. CONCLUSION
This paper proposes a remote-desktop based NetMagic
remote debugging platform model— RNP. We preliminarily
implemented the NetMagic remote debugging platform
265
based on the RNP model and verified the implementation of
remote desktop technology. Users can compile, simulate,
load and debug programs at any time and any place.
NetMagic is a programmable hardware network experiment
platform. Users can define the hardware logic by themselves
and implement your own functions. This platform is very
meaningful with its remote-control, hardware programmable
and real-time operational characteristics in the field of
network innovation experiment and teaching.
Currently this platform only supports a single-user mode,
so we will study the unimplemented design goals and
improve it in the next step. Finally we will implement the
design goals.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Thank Li Tao, Sun Zhigang, Zhang Yanlong and Cao
Chengzhou for their guidance to this paper.
REFERENCES
[1] Elliott. GENI: Opening up new classes of experiments in global
networking. IEEE Internet Computing, 2010, 14(1):39-42.
[2] Gavras A, Karila A, Fdida S, May M, Potts M. Future Internet
research and experimentation: The FIRE initiative. ACMSIGCOMM
Computer Communication Review, 2007,37(3):89í92.
[3] Mckeown N, Anderson T, Balakrishnan H, Parulkar G, Peterson L,
Rexford J, Shenker S, Turner J. OpenFlow: Enabling innovationin
campus networks. ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication
Review, 2008,38(2):69í74.
[4] http://www.Netmagic.org.
[5] Glen Gibb, and John W. Lockwood. NetFPGA—An Open Platform
for Teaching How to Build Gigabit-Rate Network Switches and
Routers. IEEE Transactions on Education. 2008.
[6] Taoli, Zhigang Sun, Chunbo Jia, Qi Su, and Myungjin Lee. Using
NetMagic to Observe Fine-Grained Per-Flow Latency
Measurements//Proceedings of the ACM SIGCOMM 2011, Toronto,
Canada, August, 2011:466-467.
[7] Edmond W. W. Chan, Ang Chen, and Xiapu Luo, et al. TRIO:
Measuring Asymmetric Capacity with Three Minimum Round-trip
Times//ACM CoNEXT 2011, December 6–9 2011, Tokyo, Japan.
[8] LI Tian-shun, XIAO Tie-jun. FPGA Remote Experiment Service
Based on WSRF. Computer Engineering, 2011, 37(2).
[9] Miloš DRUTAROVSKÝ, Ján ŠALIGA, Ingrid HRONCOVÁ,
Hardware infrastrure of remote laboratory for experimental testing of
FPGA based complex reconfigurable systems. Department of
Electronics and Multimedia Communications, Technical University
of Košice, 2009, 9(1):44-50.
[10] Yamuna Rajasekhar, William V. Kritikos, Andrew G. Schmidt, and
Ron Sass, Teaching FPGA system design via a remote laboratory
facility. Reconfigurable Computing Systems Lab, University of North
Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, 2008, 687-690.
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Desktop_Protocol.