This new release of our testbed software provides users with full control of experimental PCs instead of being limited to running VMware images:

• Experimental PCs can be rebooted at will

• There is a LiveCD in the experimental PCs, which will take a root password that you specify before rebooting the PC

• Users are now able to replace the operating system installed by default on experimental PCs, and gain full control

• The host operating system for VMware is restored after an experiment.

This facilitates experiments with other virtualization technologies (e.g, Xen), or with operating systems or software that don’t interact in the desired manner with VMware.

When compared with other testbeds such as Deter, the differences are that:

• You should be able to run anything on ReAssure, that is compatible with the hardware; 

• You may try to attack the ReAssure testbed itself; 

• Malicious software should have great difficulty escaping the testbed (if not using exp01 and exp02, the computers set aside for updating images); 

• Your experiments using VMware images are portable; 

• You can take VMware snapshots; 

As before, you can still:

• Use complex network topographies for your experiments, with high bandwidth utilization on each (Gbit ethernet)

• Extend reservations or stop experiments at will;

• Use ISO images and VMware appliances; 

• Share image files

• Cooperate remotely with other people, and give them access to the PCs in one of your experiments

• Update your images from two of our experimental PCs that allow connections to the outside (exp01 and exp02)

Under the hood changes:

• The switch management now uses a UNIX domain server instead of a script started by cron.  This increases the responsiveness of the system, allows checking the state of the switch directly in real time, and allows self-test results to be displayed on the web interface (for administrators).

• The upload mechanism now uses a UNIX domain server instead of a script started by cron.  This increases the responsiveness of the system and allows self-test results to be displayed on the web interface (for administrators).

• The power state of the experimental PCs is controlled via IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) on an isolated network

Visit the project home page, the testbed management interface itself, or download the open source software.  The ReAssure testbed was developed using an MRI grant from NSF (No. 0420906). 

I have over 3000 entries in my online address book and card collection, and I no longer remember who half of them are, where I met them, or why....a note would have helped me in trimming the collection some. ... Furthermore, you can read the papers when on the plane during times that no electronic devices can be used, and you can write comments in the margin when you have a small fold-down seat tray that isn't large enough to hold an open laptop. ... Also, you are prepared when the airline asks for volunteers to be bumped to the next day in return for a free ticket -- that means you can save money on your grants for the next conference, or else use the free ticket to have a spouse/SO accompany you on a trip. ... Airline check-in people can give you a better seat or waive a change fee if you are nice, flight attendants will sometimes comp a drink or give you the last blanket, and hotel clerks can put you in a better room -- all if you are nice. ... At the end of the trip, the receipts get sorted into three piles: those that go to the university or sponsor for reimbursement purposes, those that go into my file for income taxes (all meal receipts, for example), and a pile I keep until I have been reimbursed and my frequent flier miles credited. ... Intel is one example -- over a 3 year period with 5 trips they never paid an invoice in less than 6 months, one took 10 months to reimburse, and I had to file as a business supplier to even get into their system! ... If you are flying to a conference on grant money, check on university policy -- most will cover the change fee or even the cost of the ticket so long as you commit to buying non-refundable tickets to keep costs low. ... Yeah, maybe you collect frequent flier miles by using that card, but it also may have an 18%-25% effective annual rate. if you are delayed getting a reimbursement, or it crosses the due date of the bill, you may be paying a hefty penalty for those miles. ... The taxes part is easiest -- keep the receipts and if your reimbursement gets included in a form 1099-MISC filed by your host, then you list the amounts as deductible business expenses (talk to a tax advisor for specifics -- don't depend on this blog!). ... It is all perfectly legal (although you may need to educate the clerks at the other end), has the same number of digits as your SSN, but it compromised it won't contribute to fraud committed with your identity.

I am an advisor to ThePrivacyPlace.  They do great work on privacy issues, and this annual survey is valuable—but only with a lot of responses.  So, please respond and share the link with others.

The following is their survey announcement.

ThePrivacyPlace.Org Privacy Survey is Underway!

Researchers at ThePrivacyPlace.Org are conducting an online survey about privacy policies and user values. The survey is supported by an NSF ITR grant (National Science Foundation Information Technology Research) and was first offered in 2002. We are offering the survey again in 2008 to reveal how user values have changed over the intervening years. The survey results will help organizations ensure their website privacy practices are aligned with current consumer values.
The URL is: http://theprivacyplace.org/currentsurvey

We need to attract several thousand respondents, and would be most appreciative if you would consider helping us get the word out about the survey, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The results will be made available via our project website (http://www.theprivacyplace.org/).

Prizes include
$100 Amazon.com gift certificates sponsored by Intel Co.
and
IBM gifts

On behalf of the research staff at ThePrivacyPlace.Org, thank you!