Next Generation Abilene

1. Next Generation Abilene Steve Cotter Director of Network Services, Internet2 June 21, 2005 Ann Arbor, MI

2. Internet2’s Advanced Networking Goals • Provide high-performance, cost-effective network infrastructure for the U.S. research universities and the affiliated community • Advance the state of network capabilities - architecture, end-to-end performance, and innovative services • Contribute to the concurrent evolution of advanced regional and campus networking • Facilitate network research through infrastructure access and collaborations with computer science faculty • Support national and international R&E collaboration

3. Abilene Next-Gen Network Futures • October 2007 - End of recent 1-year Abilene transport MoU extension • Sets next-generation network planning timeline • Architecture definition: 1/1/2006 • Transport selection: 4/1/2006 • Equipment selection: 7/1/2006 • Backbone deployed: 1/1/2007 • Connector transition: 2007 • Concurrently, review overall business plan and management model • Network design time frame: 2007-2012/2014 • Note that ESnet transport agreement with Qwest Federal is on similar time line - December 2007 • HOPI testbed is expected to be in place for 2-3 years, to experiment with future protocols • Refine and evolve next generation architecture

4. Next-Gen Abilene Architecture Requirements • Provide uncongested data transport via: • IP packet switching • Dedicated capacity • Duration, Reliability, Capacity • Provide simplified connectivity to: • Research and education community in the US • Other national networks • International research and education networks • Potential for commodity network peering • Work within architectural constraints • Standard hierarchy: national, regional, campus • Expansion to additional layers (4-7) if necessary • Must be capable of evolving to support new features • Dynamic provisioning to some degree • Hybrid models for data networking

5. HOPI Testbed Resources • The Abilene Network – MPLS tunnels and the packet switched network (BRUW project) • The Internet2 Wave on the NLR footprint • MAN LAN Exchange Facility • TYCO/IEEAF 10 Gbps lambda NYC – Amsterdam • Nortel and Cisco optical and Ethernet equipment • Collaborations with Regional Optical Networks (RONs) and other related efforts (GLIF, DRAGON, etc.) • A 10 Gbps circuit between NYC and London • Provides experimental capabilities between Internet2 and GEANT • Other facilities as they become available

6. Next-Gen Network Overview Looking at all options: • New business model, organizational structure • Believe the NLR infrastructure will play a significant role in the future network • Taking into consideration the RONs and their capabilities • Closely watching emerging technologies and their potential impact on the landscape

7. Next-Gen Network Requirements View • Initial backbone capacity requirement is expected to be at least 100Gb/s (10x10G) • 10G (OC-192, 10GE) services are of primary interest with some 2.5G connectivity, and a path forward to 40Gb/s • Plan to offer dynamic services to the R&E community • Community is asking for the network as a schedulable resource • Provide 1G to 10G services on a hourly, weekly or monthly basis • Offer large and flexible pipes between any Internet2 connector/member locations • Require 99.99% service availability • Also investigating 40G or 100G transport

8. The Basic Next-Gen Backbone Design In the beginning: • Provide a carrier-grade, IP packet-switched core • Provide dedicated capacity using accepted framing techniques Eventually: • Evolving to a network that provides dynamic capabilities and hybrid networking • Ability to create point-to-point dedicated data paths from deep within a campus to deep within another campus This dedicated capacity: • Might be a 1 to 10 GigE path • Might be OC-48, OC-192 or OC-768 SONET • Every effort will be made to use a framing technology that provides convenient connectivity to the regional optical networks or international networks that connects to the backbone • May eventually include raw analog waves

9. Generic Next-Gen Footprint Basic component will be ITU grid waves that interconnect nodes on a national fiber footprint • Expected to be at least 10 and as many as 40 • Bandwidth of each wave expected to be 10 Gbps (and possibly 40 Gbps)

10. Connections to the Next-Gen Backbone Through an optical interconnecting device that serves 3 purposes: • Provides a client interface • Provide access to waves on the network • Offer the ability to provide sub channels on a wave • i.e. Ethernet VLANs, SONET paths

11. The Next-Gen Abilene to RON Interface The interface to the backbone: • One or more client interfaces to the optical interconnects • It is expected that a router sit behind the optical interface within the RON’s optical infrastructure

12. Items Needing Further Investigation Verify all Internet2 service and network requirements • Bandwidth forecast – is 100G the right number? • Is dynamic provisioning and full routing flexibility still a critical requirement? • What interfaces are required for Day 1 operation? Network Availability • We’re assuming a core IP service will still need to be carrier class • What availability is required for the dynamic waves? What are the services the community will need in the future? • Group A Report • Are there others? Access Methodology • What locations has / should the community build into? Carrier-neutral hotels? NLR nodes? Both? • Can / how do we help extend the transport footprint to the RONs and eventually the campuses?

13. Details Needed Before Completing the Design Backbone • What is the footprint? • Where are the switching nodes located? • What provides the switching at the switching nodes? • What is the backhaul footprint the RONs can provide and how can we supplement that? • What is the framing? This determines the RON (and other networks) service offering. Interconnecting • Where are the optical interconnects located? The RONs and connectors will determine the sites. • What are the optical interconnection devices and how will they function. • What is the service offering? This is partly determined by framing – could use GFP, LCAS, and VCAT. • How will network security be handled?