2025-09-27 –, D2
IMUNES is an open-source network emulation and simulation tool, using FreeBSD's features we all love - like jails, netgraph, VNET, and unionfs. Originally created by Dr. Sc. Marko Zec at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), IMUNES has evolved into a key resource for testing and simulating real-world network topologies and protocols. IMUNES has been used in collaborations with companies like Boeing and Ericsson Nikola Tesla, providing a practical environment for testing network devices, applications, and configurations in different scenarios.
The project leverages FreeBSD's capabilities to create lightweight virtual nodes within the kernel, supporting detailed emulation of network components, and enabling the testing of unmodified user-level applications such as routing daemons and [insert your favourite FreeBSD/Linux tools here]. While relatively unknown, IMUNES is used globally in both research and educational settings, with a growing community of users.
Currently maintained by Denis, IMUNES continues to evolve and support the research community. The project is open-source, BSD-licensed, and still in active use for teaching network concepts and conducting simulations. With its support for multiprotocol environments, IMUNES is an invaluable tool for anyone working in networked and distributed systems research.
The talk will consist of these parts:
- IMUNES history and its present state.
- How IMUNES runs on FreeBSD.
- Future plans and goals for the project.
- Live demonstration.
- Discussion about FreeBSD features we would love to see.
Denis has been a FreeBSD user for more than 10 years and he likes it very much. :)
He spends most of his time at work and with his loved ones, but Tuesday afternoons are reserved for planning new IMUNES features with his friend Karlo, while his free weekends are dedicated to developing them himself.