title: Algorithmic mapping of software-defined networking pipelines

authors: Lorier, Christopher Martin

subjects: SDN

abstract: Networks with a consistent software stack reduce the complexity of monitoring, testing and automation, and reduce the mental burden on operators. However, when network software is bundled with the hardware, operators face being locked into a single vendor’s hardware, when they might otherwise be able to use cheaper or more suitable hardware from another vendor. 
Ostensibly, Software Defined Networking (SDN) gives operators the freedom to operate hardware from different vendors using the same software stack. However, producing SDN software that controls hardware from different vendors is hampered by differences in the packet processing pipelines of the ASICs each vendor uses. 
This thesis presents the design and evaluation of Shoehorn, a system for improving the portability of SDN control-plane software. Shoehorn finds mappings from virtual pipelines (defining the packet processing requirements of control-plane software), to physical pipelines (defining the packet processing pipeline of a physical device). Shoehorn improves on current approaches by ensuring that the mappings are suitable for real-time translation of controlchannel instructions, by ensuring a one-to-one mapping of virtual pipeline table entries to physical pipeline table entries. This also ensures that the mappings do not significantly increase the memory usage or power consumption of the pipelines.
This thesis evaluates Shoehorn by mapping 25 virtual pipelines, based on real SDN control-plane software for managing diverse networks, to a variety of physical pipelines, based on real hardware SDN implementations. The evaluation finds that all but 6 virtual pipelines are supported by multiple physical pipelines, and that in every case where Shoehorn could not find a mapping, it was due to a virtual table that no table in the physical pipeline could support.

text: Algorithmic mapping of software-defined networking pipelines Networks with a consistent software stack reduce the complexity of monitoring, testing and automation, and reduce the mental burden on operators. However, when network software is bundled with the hardware, operators face being locked into a single vendor’s hardware, when they might otherwise be able to use cheaper or more suitable hardware from another vendor. 
Ostensibly, Software Defined Networking (SDN) gives operators the freedom to operate hardware from different vendors using the same software stack. However, producing SDN software that controls hardware from different vendors is hampered by differences in the packet processing pipelines of the ASICs each vendor uses. 
This thesis presents the design and evaluation of Shoehorn, a system for improving the portability of SDN control-plane software. Shoehorn finds mappings from virtual pipelines (defining the packet processing requirements of control-plane software), to physical pipelines (defining the packet processing pipeline of a physical device). Shoehorn improves on current approaches by ensuring that the mappings are suitable for real-time translation of controlchannel instructions, by ensuring a one-to-one mapping of virtual pipeline table entries to physical pipeline table entries. This also ensures that the mappings do not significantly increase the memory usage or power consumption of the pipelines.
This thesis evaluates Shoehorn by mapping 25 virtual pipelines, based on real SDN control-plane software for managing diverse networks, to a variety of physical pipelines, based on real hardware SDN implementations. The evaluation finds that all but 6 virtual pipelines are supported by multiple physical pipelines, and that in every case where Shoehorn could not find a mapping, it was due to a virtual table that no table in the physical pipeline could support.

year: 2022

title: A comparative case study: Examining the organizational use of social networking sites

authors: Bowley, Rachel Claire

subjects: social media

abstract: The purpose of this research is to examine the way two New Zealand-based case study organizations, a tertiary institution and a primary industry organization, use the social networking site Bebo for communication.  Both organizations recruited young people aged 16-19, to work in the primary industry and to attend the tertiary institution.   This interpretive, qualitative comparative case study identifies why each organization decided to use Bebo, what it intended to achieve, whether Bebo helped each organization to achieve its goals and objectives, and the challenges and opportunities for developing authentic and interactive dialogue faced by each organization with its intended public.  Interviews were conducted with organizational members and spokespeople involved in each campaign.  A critical discourse analysis is applied to all transcripts and the Bebo profiles.  Other relevant organizational documents, including press releases and information brochures, provide contextual information for the analysis.

The findings indicate that both organizations have been misled by a taken-for-granted assumption about young people's use of the social networking site Bebo, with the research raising questions about whether the campaign reached the target audience or not.  Other findings highlight that the tertiary institution reframed the social media-influenced understanding of 'engagement', from a two-way collaborative interaction between an organization and its publics, to a one-way, direct marketing effort by the organization.  Questions are raised about the tertiary institutions use of Bebo as a marketing tool and harvesting users' personal information through a quiz.  Findings indicate that both organizations were concerned about threats to their reputation, choosing to monitor both the comments left on the spokespeople's profiles by Bebo users, and the spokespeople's behaviour on Bebo.  Evaluating success is identified as a challenge for both organizations, as well as issues associated with the production and distribution of the campaigns on Bebo.  

The findings identify opportunities for future research, to help organizations navigate the uncertainty associated with using social media applications and technologies for public relations and organizational communication.  The research also highlights opportunities for other organizations to improve on the case study organizations' current use of the social networking site Bebo, to ensure future use of the application embodies dialogue, interaction and collaboration between the organizations and their target publics.

text: A comparative case study: Examining the organizational use of social networking sites The purpose of this research is to examine the way two New Zealand-based case study organizations, a tertiary institution and a primary industry organization, use the social networking site Bebo for communication.  Both organizations recruited young people aged 16-19, to work in the primary industry and to attend the tertiary institution.   This interpretive, qualitative comparative case study identifies why each organization decided to use Bebo, what it intended to achieve, whether Bebo helped each organization to achieve its goals and objectives, and the challenges and opportunities for developing authentic and interactive dialogue faced by each organization with its intended public.  Interviews were conducted with organizational members and spokespeople involved in each campaign.  A critical discourse analysis is applied to all transcripts and the Bebo profiles.  Other relevant organizational documents, including press releases and information brochures, provide contextual information for the analysis.

The findings indicate that both organizations have been misled by a taken-for-granted assumption about young people's use of the social networking site Bebo, with the research raising questions about whether the campaign reached the target audience or not.  Other findings highlight that the tertiary institution reframed the social media-influenced understanding of 'engagement', from a two-way collaborative interaction between an organization and its publics, to a one-way, direct marketing effort by the organization.  Questions are raised about the tertiary institutions use of Bebo as a marketing tool and harvesting users' personal information through a quiz.  Findings indicate that both organizations were concerned about threats to their reputation, choosing to monitor both the comments left on the spokespeople's profiles by Bebo users, and the spokespeople's behaviour on Bebo.  Evaluating success is identified as a challenge for both organizations, as well as issues associated with the production and distribution of the campaigns on Bebo.  

The findings identify opportunities for future research, to help organizations navigate the uncertainty associated with using social media applications and technologies for public relations and organizational communication.  The research also highlights opportunities for other organizations to improve on the case study organizations' current use of the social networking site Bebo, to ensure future use of the application embodies dialogue, interaction and collaboration between the organizations and their target publics.

year: 2009

title: Effective Pākehā teachers of Māori Students

authors: Lang, Catherine Margaret

subjects: primary teaching

abstract: To teach in primary schools in Aotearoa-New Zealand means to encounter students from diverse backgrounds.  A significant proportion of those students are Māori and a significant proportion of Māori students are not achieving to their potential in school.  There are several reasons for this under-achievement, which this thesis explores, and there is substantial research evidence as to what will turn this situation around, which is also explored.  Some argue that the answer is for Māori learners to be taught by Māori teachers, and in Māori medium contexts.  This approach has achieved considerable success for a small number of Māori learners; however, the demographic data tell us that for now, the significant majority of Māori learners are in English language medium classrooms, taught by non-Māori teachers.  At present, there are not enough Māori teachers to teach all Māori learners.
The New Zealand Ministry of Education has goals for improving the achievement of Māori learners through providing “high-quality, culturally responsive education that incorporates the identity, language and culture of Māori students, and engages their parents, families and whānau” (Ministry of Education, 2008).  The Ministry and the New Zealand Teachers Council expect all teachers to be ‘culturally competent’, that is, to teach in culturally responsive ways.
The Ministry of Education’s research and development project, Te Kōtahitanga, continues to provide evidence of ‘what works’ for Māori learners in New Zealand secondary schools.  The effective teaching profile that was developed as part of this project informs this thesis.

The thesis describes qualitative, social justice-based, case study research undertaken between late 2004 and 2006 with four effective Pākehā primary teachers of Māori children, and with children from those classes and their parents/whānau.  The study sought to glean insights about what characterises effective Pākehā primary teachers of Māori students.

text: Effective Pākehā teachers of Māori Students To teach in primary schools in Aotearoa-New Zealand means to encounter students from diverse backgrounds.  A significant proportion of those students are Māori and a significant proportion of Māori students are not achieving to their potential in school.  There are several reasons for this under-achievement, which this thesis explores, and there is substantial research evidence as to what will turn this situation around, which is also explored.  Some argue that the answer is for Māori learners to be taught by Māori teachers, and in Māori medium contexts.  This approach has achieved considerable success for a small number of Māori learners; however, the demographic data tell us that for now, the significant majority of Māori learners are in English language medium classrooms, taught by non-Māori teachers.  At present, there are not enough Māori teachers to teach all Māori learners.
The New Zealand Ministry of Education has goals for improving the achievement of Māori learners through providing “high-quality, culturally responsive education that incorporates the identity, language and culture of Māori students, and engages their parents, families and whānau” (Ministry of Education, 2008).  The Ministry and the New Zealand Teachers Council expect all teachers to be ‘culturally competent’, that is, to teach in culturally responsive ways.
The Ministry of Education’s research and development project, Te Kōtahitanga, continues to provide evidence of ‘what works’ for Māori learners in New Zealand secondary schools.  The effective teaching profile that was developed as part of this project informs this thesis.

The thesis describes qualitative, social justice-based, case study research undertaken between late 2004 and 2006 with four effective Pākehā primary teachers of Māori children, and with children from those classes and their parents/whānau.  The study sought to glean insights about what characterises effective Pākehā primary teachers of Māori students.

year: 2013