1. Implementation Considerations in an On-Demand Switched Lightpath Network Adapting the Network to the Application
Rob Keates
Optical Architecture and PLM

2. What is SURFnet? Provides the Dutch National Research Network
150 connected organizations; 800,000 users
Production and research foci
Key point is that I have never written foci on a slide before
Similar in scope to US RON
Collaborative partner for ‘practical research’

3. Traffic Characterization
Nortel Corporate Presentation # u s e r
Lightweight users, browsing, mailing, home use
Need full Internet routing, one to many
Business apps, multicast, streaming, VPN’s, mostly LAN
Need VPN services and full Internet routing, several to several + uplink
Special scientific applications, computing, data grids, virtual-presence
Need very fat pipes, limited multiple Virtual Organizations, few to few
ΣB ≈ 40 Gb/s
ΣC >> 100 Gb/s A
ΣA ≈ 20 Gb/s B C
ADSL
GigE
BW requirements
Source: C.T. de Laat, University of Amsterdam
© 2004 Nortel

4. Dynamic Resource Allocation What if we fundamentally changed net eng’g
Change the paradigm of static ‘hard-wired’ networks
An application drives shares of network resources
Resources = {bandwidth, security, acceleration, …}
Within policy-allowed envelopes, end-to-end
No more point-and-click interfaces, no operators’ involved, etc.
Service-enable the network for greater control of such resources
Ex: JIT, TOD-schedulable control of bandwidth
Create alternatives to peak-provisioning across LAN/MAN/WAN
With a continuum of satisfaction vs. utilization fruition points
Tame and exploit network diversity
Heterogeneous and independently managed network clouds, e2e
Ex: Integrated Packet-Optical to best match traffic patterns
Network as a 1st class resource in Grid-like constructs
Joins CPU, DATA resources
Adapt the network to the application, not the application to the network

5. Initial Deployment Model
Nortel Corporate Presentation
Initial Deployment Model
Routed IP Network
DRAC
UNI
Control
Plane
Packet layer bypass for high bandwidth p2p apps over “virtual l’s”
Service activation initiated by user or app (subject to policy)
GbE services activated over v/c STS paths on a least cost route
Scheduled or on-demand
Layer 2/1/0 network
(Ethernet over l’s)
High-cap user
CustomerA
network
CustomerB
network
Initial deployment creates an on-demand (or scheduled) GbE service driven by customer or application input
© 2004 Nortel

6. Interacting with the service - management
Nortel Corporate Presentation
Function 1: Assign nodes, ports and backbone bandwidth to DRAC
DRAC only gets access to selected parts of the network (I-NNI versus NMS)
Clear separation from static production services
Function 2: Access management
Creation of groups, assigning group managers
Policy (allocating ports to groups, resource access limitations)
End users are added to groups by group managers
Function 3: Connection control
Schedule, query, edit, cancel connection
Function 4: Monitoring
State of DRAC-controlled network
Looks at DRAC service only => filtering of “state”
not a replacement for the network management system
Planning view
Usage per link (internal => network dimensioning)
Usage per port, connections
Accounting
Logs of usage
© 2004 Nortel

7. Interacting with the service - user
Nortel Corporate Presentation
Querying feasibility - before a service is established
Usable UNI and E-NNI ports
List depends on groups user belongs to => AA(A)
Ports and bandwidth available at time of service?
At what cost parameters can I get the service?
Block visibility of the details within the network cloud
Scheduling a service
Query => availability of specific connection
“cost” and other parameters returned
Reserve => confirmation + reference, and guarantee of parameters
Establish=> at requested time service is established automatically
Verifying a reservation
Status request of a reservation (existing, parameters)
Status request of an existing connection (up, down)
notification (start, end, failure)
Querying DRAC – before any service is established
Schedule a service
This is the moment to demo a few things in the web client
© 2004 Nortel

8. Nortel Corporate Presentation
End-user GUI snapshot
Nortel Corporate Presentation
© 2004 Nortel

9. Lessons Learned Scheduling is important…
And drives a hierarchical architecture
Layered software architecture required to future-proof design
Share the network, but strong isolation required
Allocation and segmentation of network resources
User access and policy management
Secure, simple user access
Flexible resource and group management
Delegate authority where it belongs
Open enough to stimulate initial uptake
Alarms (‘NOC noise’)
Flexibility in required granularity
The heavy lifting involves making this stuff deployable into real networks

10. Nortel Corporate Presentation
What’s Next?
Nortel Corporate Presentation
Extension to other networking technologies
Photonic
Packet (beginning with PBT/PBB)
wireless
Inter-domain
How and what do we standardize?
Workflow integration
Sensors
Compute resource manager interworking
Concept of laxity
© 2004 Nortel

11. Nortel Corporate Presentation
Summary
Nortel Corporate Presentation
Ever-increasing, need to provide network flexibility in addressing diverse applications
Clear role for a mediation device that sits between the network and applications
Nortel is investing in a commercial-grade solution
Targeted at production networks
Architected to evolve to more sophisticated compute/network models via computing partnerships
SURFnet work has proven invaluable in solving the practical deployment issues around user access, security, billing, alarming etc.
Work is being initiated on inter-domain definition
The cool stuff awaits in workflow engagement and cognitive networks
© 2004 Nortel