NetFL

NetFL is a framework that extends Fogbed by integrating Flower, enabling simulation of Federated Learning experiments within Fog/Edge computing environments. It supports the modeling of heterogeneous and resource-constrained edge scenarios, incorporating factors such as computational disparities among clients and dynamic network conditions, including bandwidth limitations, latency variations, and packet loss. This facilitates realistic evaluations of FL systems under non-ideal, real-world conditions.

Installation

Requirements: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later, Python 3.9.

1. Set up Containernet

Refer to the Containernet documentation for further details.

Install Ansible:

sudo apt-get install ansible

Clone the Containernet repository:

git clone https://github.com/containernet/containernet.git

Run the installation playbook:

sudo ansible-playbook -i "localhost," -c local containernet/ansible/install.yml

Create and activate a virtual environment:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

Note: The virtual environment must be activated before installing or using any Python packages, including Containernet and NetFL.

Install Containernet into the active virtual environment:

pip install containernet/.

2. Install NetFL

While the virtual environment is still active, run:

pip install netfl

Running an Experiment with NetFL and Fogbed

Follow the steps below to set up and run an experiment using NetFL. This is an example using the MNIST dataset. You can find more examples in the examples folder:

1. Define the Dataset, the Model, and the Training Configurations

from keras import models, optimizers
from flwr.server.strategy import FedAvg

from netfl.core.task import Task, Dataset, DatasetInfo, DatasetPartitioner, TrainConfigs
from netfl.core.models import cnn3
from netfl.core.partitioner import IidPartitioner


class MNIST(Task):
    def dataset_info(self) -> DatasetInfo:
        return DatasetInfo(
            huggingface_path="ylecun/mnist",
            item_name="image",
            label_name="label"
        )
    
    def dataset_partitioner(self) -> DatasetPartitioner:
        return IidPartitioner()

    def normalized_dataset(self, raw_dataset: Dataset) -> Dataset:
        return Dataset(
            x=(raw_dataset.x / 255.0),
            y=raw_dataset.y
        )

    def model(self) -> models.Model:        
        return cnn3(
            input_shape=(28, 28, 1), 
            output_classes=10,
            optimizer=optimizers.SGD(learning_rate=0.01)
        )

    def aggregation_strategy(self) -> type[FedAvg]:
        return FedAvg
    
    def train_configs(self) -> TrainConfigs:
        return TrainConfigs(
            batch_size=16,
            epochs=2,
            num_clients=4,
            num_partitions=4,
            num_rounds=10,
            seed_data=42,
            shuffle_data=True
        )


class MainTask(MNIST):
    pass

2. Start Fogbed Workers and Define the Experiment Network Topology

Refer to the Fogbed documentation for detailed instructions on starting workers.

3. Create and Run the Experiment

from fogbed import HardwareResources, CloudResourceModel, EdgeResourceModel
from netfl.core.experiment import NetflExperiment
from netfl.utils.resources import LinkResources
from task import MainTask


exp = NetflExperiment(name="mnist-exp", task=MainTask(), max_cu=2.0, max_mu=3072)

cloud_resources = CloudResourceModel(max_cu=1.0, max_mu=1024)
edge_0_resources = EdgeResourceModel(max_cu=0.5, max_mu=1024)
edge_1_resources = EdgeResourceModel(max_cu=0.5, max_mu=1024)

server_resources = HardwareResources(cu=1.0, mu=1024)
server_link = LinkResources(bw=1000)

edge_0_total_devices = 2
edge_0_device_resources = HardwareResources(cu=0.25, mu=512)
edge_0_device_link = LinkResources(bw=100)

total_edge_1_devices = 2
device_edge_1_resources = HardwareResources(cu=0.25, mu=512)
edge_1_device_link = LinkResources(bw=50)

cloud_edge_0_link = LinkResources(bw=10)
cloud_edge_1_link = LinkResources(bw=5)

cloud = exp.add_virtual_instance("cloud", cloud_resources)
edge_0 = exp.add_virtual_instance("edge_0", edge_0_resources)
edge_1 = exp.add_virtual_instance("edge_1", edge_1_resources)

server = exp.create_server("server", server_resources, server_link)

edge_0_devices = exp.create_devices(
    "edge_0_device", edge_0_device_resources, edge_0_device_link, edge_0_total_devices
)

edge_1_devices = exp.create_devices(
    "edge_1_device", device_edge_1_resources, edge_1_device_link, total_edge_1_devices
)

exp.add_docker(server, cloud)
for device in edge_0_devices: exp.add_docker(device, edge_0)
for device in edge_1_devices: exp.add_docker(device, edge_1)

worker = exp.add_worker("127.0.0.1", port=5000)

worker.add(cloud)
worker.add(edge_0)
worker.add(edge_1)

worker.add_link(cloud, edge_0, **cloud_edge_0_link.params)
worker.add_link(cloud, edge_1, **cloud_edge_1_link.params)

try:
    exp.start()
    input("Press enter to finish")
except Exception as ex: 
    print(ex)
finally:
    exp.stop()

Running a Simple Example with a Basic Network Topology Using Docker

1. Create the Task

In the project root directory, create or modify a NetFL Task and name the file task.py. Refer to the examples in the examples folder for guidance on task creation.

2. Create the Infrastructure

Use Docker Compose to set up the infrastructure, including the server and clients:

docker compose up -d

3. View Training Results

To check the server logs, run:

docker logs server

Training logs are also stored in the logs folder within the project root directory.

4. Shut Down the Infrastructure

To stop and remove all running containers, use the following command:

docker compose down

More information

• NetFL on PyPI

• NetFL Docker Images