1. The GEANT Perspectives
Fernando Liello
NREN Policy Committee
Chairman

2. Learn the Lesson GEANT is a success
We have to plan for its development
What want we to keep ?
Where can we improve ?
What would be better to change ?
Which will be our next target ?

3. Europe as an Example More than 3100 Research Institutions
Many Countries (currently 31)
Different technological choices
Different requirements in terms of service level
Different funding and organizational schemes

4. GEANT Reach (in Europe)

5. The Key Elements A Layered Model Competent, Dedicated Organizations
Campus
National
International
Competent, Dedicated Organizations
The NREN Consortium
DANTE
Sound no-nonsense Model
Strategy and Control at the NREN level

6. Closing a Loop
Research Networking Started with Mission Oriented Networks
Economy of Scale lead to National (Multidisciplinary) Research Networks
Today’s Developments can Revive Mission (or Experiment) Oriented Networks ?
Is It only a Matter of Bandwidth ?

7. Infinite Bandwidth Can we afford to use ls as link unit ?
We have to face the implementation lifecycle
How long to have 40 Gbps on a l 
How long to have 256 ls (or more) on one fiber 
When a more efficient scheme of SDH for multiplexing/de-multiplexing capacity will be commercially available ?

8. Private Networks The Solution for Big Science
Require Complex Organization
Huge Investment
Does Big Science Really Exist ?
Who makes the Choice ?
The Chain Effect:
What happens if two Private Networks have a node in common ?

9. Virtual Private Networks
Share the same physical infrastructure among many virtual ones
Share of financial (and management) resources
Allow Test and Production Grade services to coexist
The Chain Problem is still there

10. Quality of Service
E-to-E QoS implies Coordination of (at least) three organizations + the last mile problem
The site A provider
The site B provider
The intermediate carrier
Negotiate the needed level of Coordination (and how to implement it).

11. Virtual Temporary Connection
Connect Computers to a Virtual Network on Request
At the Required Bandwidth
With Guaranteed QoS
… the next step beyond GRID …
… and far beyond l allocation

12. An Empty Network
Commercial Internet serves an huge number of relatively small capacity transactions
Average occupancy can be high to achieve profitability
Research Networks have a small number of large capacity users
Average level of usage must be low to guarantee availability

13. The Strategy
Expand the Capacity to keep the bandwidth available to the users
Create a VPN service to fulfill the request of mission oriented and development communities
Introduce automatic end-to-end bandwidth allocation and QoS

14. The Challenges Make the Structure more Hierarchical
Regional Networks
Encourage the creation of Pan-Continental networks outside Europe
Global Connectivity
Research is Global
Build the Global layer
Make Research Networks more Flexible

15. Some (incomplete) Answer
The Federal Model looks good
Better technical coordination is vital
The role of organizations like DANTE and TERENA is vital (but NRENs are essential)
NREN control is the only practical solution
Policy, Strategic, Financial and Technical Decisions

16. Some Constraints
The large Political and Financial Support, that research networking currently enjoys, brings Obligations as well
We must evolve the Research Network, not to destroy it to build a new one: flexibility must be the keyword
To set the requirements too far ahead of time will be foolish

17. The Good Network The services must be visible and accessible
The network you use to access them must be transparent hence invisible

18. Conclusions GEANT has proved its organization model
Keep the physical network Federal but Unique and evolve it
Implement technology and tools to allow the user to have a partitioned view of the network (if needed)
Keep in mind the whole (global) picture