Metrics Team
Old Roadmaps
Roadmap from October 2017 to September 2018
We put together a [metrics-team-roadmap-2017-11-17.pdf roadmap for 2017/18] in Berlin in September 2017, refined it at the Tor meeting in Montreal in October 2017, and updated it at a team-internal meeting in Aberdeen in April 2018. The following contains a very short version of goals for the time until September 2018 and will be updated over time:
Short-term goals (Q4/2017)
Code
Update all code to use Java 8 features (M; 50% of 50% done, deferred)Switch ExoneraTor and metrics-web from Tomcat to embedded Jetty, and harmonize directory structures (M; 100% done)
Operation
Deploy better notification system for operational issues (M; 30% of 30% done, deferred)- Make sure that each service has at least two operators (M; 30% done)
Sources
Add web server logs as new data source (M; 100% done)
News
Provide metrics timeline events as both a table on Tor Metrics pages and as an RSS/Atom feed that is also syndicated via Twitter to increase community engagement (M; 95% done)
Services
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Make Atlas part of the Tor Metrics website (M; 100% done) -
Make Compass part of Atlas in order to provide aggregated search results and details pages on Atlas and to finally shut down Compass (M; 100% done) -
Resolve ExoneraTor database slowness (M; 100% done) -
Extend Onionoo to use JNDI for rDNS lookups (M; 100% done)
Visualizations
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Add OONI graphs to Tor Metrics based on pre-aggregated data from vanilla Tor test and bridge reachability test (M; 45% done)
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Add IPv6 relay graphs to Tor Metrics based on existing descriptor contents (M; 100% done) -
Add a few more performance graphs based on existing OnionPerf data (M; 100% done)
About
Rename Tor Metrics components to make them easier to understand for people outside of the team (M; 45% of 45% done, deferred)
Medium-term goals (until Q3/2018)
Research
Document aggregated statistics files better (Sponsor 13) (8/5 L; 100% of originally planned 80% done)- Put external research data on the website, including Rob's phantomtrain OnionPerf data and Yixin's BGP monitoring data (M; 30% done)
Sources
Re-process bridge descriptor tarballs to retain “contact” lines in server descriptors and “fingerprint” lines in statuses (M; 25% of 25% done, deferred)Support PrivCount development and integrate its data as successor to statistics reported by relays and bridges (M; 100% done)Help the Core Tor and Tor Browser teams with ongoing measurements (M; 100% done)
About
Document the Tor Metrics system/pipeline, including explicitly writing down our requirements (Sponsor 13) (4/5 L; 20% of originally planned 10% done, deferred)
Burndown Chart
Draft roadmap from October 2018 to March 2019
In Mexico City, we started a draft roadmap for the time until March 2019. The following tasks are still subject to change.
- Extend OnionPerf to measure performance of Tor with mobile networks and/or PTs (requires #26673). (2M)
Rewrite CollecTor relaydescs module using Stem/txtorcon, at least consensuses and server descriptors as proof of concept (#28320). (2M, Sponsor 13; 100% done)- Write technical report documenting the metrics code base, the CollecTor prototype, the OONI comparison, and recommendation (#25644). (M, Sponsor 13; 75% done)
- Evaluate at least one other (not MaxMind) GeoIP database that could be used to improve data analysis and visualisation within Tor Metrics. (S)
- Review information architecture for Tor Metrics (#24422) and update to Bootstrap 4. (M)
- Write an initial CollecTor module for PrivCount including format specification discussions. Make some internal graphs (not on Tor Metrics) with: number of relays supporting each statistics version in each consensus; number of relays actually reporting statistics in each day; number of tally reporters processing statistics. (M)
- Finish operational issues notifications (#28322). (M; 30% done)
Add a metrics-web module to add the consensus weight per bwauth graph from #25459. Requires using votes in metrics-web. (M; 100% done)- Run arthur's DNS timeout scanner, archive it in CollecTor, and add it to Onionoo. (2M)
- Finish OONI vanilla Tor data. (M)
- Create an additional information lookup service using remote APIs (RIPEstat) and local databases (MaxMind). Consider adding back the relays by country graph to Tor Metrics. (2M)
- Finish having 2 operators for each service (#28327). (S)
- Make a plan for adding external research data to either Tor Metrics or the research portal. (S; 15% done)
- Rewrite or extend TorDNSEL with Stem to support IPv6. (2M)
- Extend dir-spec to serve recent, non-current consensuses and votes (#21378) and CollecTor to fetch them (#28324). Requires help by the network team. (M)
- Review CollecTor's use of file system storage and explore alternatives, potentially ZFS. (M; 10% done)
- Finish adding Java 8 date/time (#23752). (M; 30% done)
- Add sbws data to CollecTor (#21378) and to Onionoo (#28321). (M)
Improve the graph from #25459. (S; 100% done)- Clean up metrics-web codebase in order to move away from Ant to just Java (2M, 90% done)
Roadmap from February 2019 to June 2019
In Brussels 2019 we reviwed the roadmap, added new projects and shape it into a kanban board that will be revisited weekly: https://storm.torproject.org/shared/TsgBadLSfM8uh_aftPjxmR_rm0a8E-4UQ2HEa_l0DHv
Roadmap Priorities from July 2019 to December 2019
- exit scanner (MVP is the priority)
- performance metrics
- complete the bandwith file archive (with Tom's file)
- snowflake and PT related work
- better notification system
- irtf draft for guidelines for safe internet measurement