Automating external networks creation in cyber ranges using scripting

Abstract

Two virtual machines hosted in a given Virtualization environment are used to host an OpenStack deployment with all the basic components, like Neutron and Nova. Python scripts are written and deployed to create a virtual network and all the necessary components, like router and network interfaces. The communication with the stack is achieved utilizing the API endpoints created in OpenStack. Network performance tests, for latency and throughput, are maid, measuring the connection between the already existed network 192.168.30.0/24 and a Virtual machine hosted inside Openstack in the newly created network 172.16.0.0/24 and the connection between two Virtual machines, both members of 172.16.0.0/24 network. Finally, the results from the tests are compared with the results from the communication of 2 Virtual machines hosted in the given Cyber Range, giving slightly better performance statistics.