Getting Started

Starting with version 3.1 of the RLI, there is only one RLI.jar file (i.e., the RLI allows the user to mix NPRs, NSPs and NetFPGAs in the same experiment), and the hardware description file is included as part of the RLI.jar file. If you are using ONL in a course, your instructor may want you to use only one type of router or place other restrictions on the types of network components you should use. In most cases, you are probably interested in the NPRs.

Follow these steps:

• Get the RLI.jar file
• You can get the RLI.jar file by following this Get RLI.jar Web link. You can also get it by logging into onl.wustl.edu and copying the file RLI.jar from ~onl/export/RLI.jar to your remote host. You can also get the jar file from the Get RLI link in the side bar of the ONL web page.
• Then, move it to where ever you plan to run the RLI. Some Windows users put it in their Desktop directory and start it through the Desktop icon. Others run it through a command window from a special directory or their home directory.
• Install JRE (Java Run-time Environment) 1.6.0 or higher (May not be necessary)
• First determine if you can avoid this step by seeing if you are already running JRE 1.6.0 or higher. Enter: java -version . If the response says that you are already running some version that is atleast 1.6.0, you can skip this step.
• If you need to install the JRE, go to the Java download page http://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp and download the latest JRE for your platform by following the instructions posted at the Sun site. Note: You only need to download the JRE (less than 20 MB), not the entire JDK (Java Development Kit).
• MAC Users:
  You will need to do more than other users to get this part to work. Follow this link to the instructions for MAC users.
• Verify that you can run an ssh client on your host
• If you know you have an ssh client, you can go on to the next step. Otherwise, continue ....
• Open up a command-line window and enter: ssh -V
  This should display the version number of your ssh. Furthermore, it should indicate that you are running version 2 and not the older version 1. If this fails, you see your system administrator or get an ssh client from the Web. Try PuTTY or Open SSH.
• Verify that you can SSH from your client host to our user host
• You can only SSH into onl.wustl.edu from outside of the ONL testbed.
• Use your SSH client tool or a command line window to SSH to onl.wustl.edu. If the connection succeeds, you should see a command line prompt that indicates that you are logged into the host onlusr. If you reach this point, you have successfully gotten through the firewall and a Linux bash shell is waiting for commands.
• Verify that you can run the RLI on your remote host
• Follow the instructions for setting up an ssh tunnel to the ONL Central Resource Daemon. See RLI SSH Tunneling. If successful, the SSH connection will be from your client to onlusr and there will be a tunnel to the ONL Central Resource Daemon (wherever it is running).
• Open up another command-line window.
• Start the RLI by enterring: java -jar RLI.jar
• At this point, we just want to see if the RLI will talk to the Central Resource Daemon. So, this step will result in an error message but hopefully the one we expect.
  Add one host by selecting in the RLI: Topology => Add host.
• Request ONL to commit resources by selecting: File => Commit
  One of three things will happen:
  
  • You will get a prompt for you password. Enter your password and select Enter. You should get a Commit Error message saying Reservation Not Found. This is OK at this point since it indicates that you were able to communicate with the Central Resource Daemon. Select OK. A Make Reservation dialogue box will appear. Select Cancel, and exit the RLI by selecting File => Exit.
  • You get a dialogue box that contains the error message Unable to connect: couldn't get I/O for 127.0.0.1. This indicates that your ssh tunnel to the Central Resource Daemon is not working. If you can not fix the problem, send email to testbed-ops AT arl.wustl.edu for assistance. Include your phone number (just in case we have to contact you by phone).
• If you encounter problems that you can not resolve, send email to testbed-ops AT arl.wustl.edu.

Congratulations!

Please note the following:

• If you want to change your password, you should do so through the web interface and not on the ONL hosts. Although there is nothing to stop you from changing your password by entering the passwd command while logged into one of the ONL hosts, your password on the hosts and your password in the database will be different.