The Research and Education Network: Platform for InnovationHeather Boyles, heather@internet2.edu

Next Generation Network SymposiumMalaysia2007-March-15

Outline

• Internet2 Background• Internet2 New Technology Development and Deployment Experiences

• Beyond the Network• Internet2 and Malaysia

Internet2 • Supports high-performance networking for U.S. research, universities

• Develops and deploys next-generation network technology

• Enables collaborations among the community that advance networking applications and protocols

Brief Background

• US National Science Foundation NSFnet– First ‘Internet’ connectivity for many US universities

– Decommissioned 1994/5– Universities to use commercial Internet connections

• NSF funds vBNS to interconnect supercomputer centers – 1995– Outsourced to MCI

• In parallel, meetings through 1995-6 resulting in Internet2

Why?

• Commercial Internet ‘working’ but not meeting specific needs of research, teaching, learning– Focused on buildout to residences, businesses

– Little control of service quality to support especially high-end needs of universities

• Recognition that vBNS needed to be expanded, but community had limited control

• Recreate innovation of NSFnet period

Internet2 - today• US-based membership organization

– 207 US University members – 66 Corporate members– 47 Affiliate members

•Including several US government research labs

– 2 Association members– 46 International partnerships– Budget more than $25 million per year

Internet2 Network• Hybrid optical and IP network• Dynamic and static wavelength services

• Fiber, equipment dedicated to Internet2; Level 3 maintains network and service level

• Platform supports production services and experimental projects

Internet2 Network - Layer 1

Internet2 Network - Layer 1

Internet2 Network Optical Switching Node

Level3 Regen Site

Internet2 Redundant Drop/Add Site

ESnet Drop/Add Site

Capabilities• Capacity and reliability to serve large scale projects – eVLBI, LHC, NEON, TeraGrid

• Flexibility to support smaller projects at lower bandwidths, for variable durations

• Lightpath provisioning to the campus

• Ideal platform for network research

Control

• Over years, level of control has evolved– Down the network layers– Now: control dedicated fiber pair, optical equipment

• Control of services provided– IPv6, multicast– Now: new hybrid circuit + packet services

• Ability to meet both goals– Meet day to day (“production”) needs of members

– Provide platform for development of new services, uses, applications

History of IPv6 in Internet2• Tunnel network deployed 2001

– First IPv6 tutorial at Lincoln joint-techs meeting

• Migration to native, dual stack implementation at end of 2001– Before upgrade began– Using Cisco GSR routers– Began migration of connectors

• Native dual stack was default for the upgrade to Juniper T640 routers

• Early testing– 8 gig tests from Sunnyvale to Washington DC– IPv4, IPv6, and mixed IPv4/IPv6– No distinguishable difference in performance

Still Working Well

• Our dual-stack IPv6 network continues to perform well

• Active testing shows no difference between IPv4 and IPv6 performance

• Changes: improving connectivity to others

IPv4/IPv6 Comparative Performance Graphics

Abilene IPv6 GrowthIPv6 Participant/Connector/Peer Growth

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Connectors

Peer Netw orks

Policy: Interconnection with other networks• Peering with commercial v6 networks in order to encourage adoption, deployment– With new Internet2 network, will also now peer with IPv4 commercial networks

IPv6 Activities

• Internet2 IPv6 Working Group– Refocusing from campus deployment effort to…..

– Working with middleware and applications working groups as resource

• Internet2 IPv6 Hands-on Workshops– Lesser in frequency, but still being held by request

– Next one in April: Merit (Michigan state network) hosting: IPv6 Multicast Hands-on Workshop

Technology Development and Deployment Experience• Internet2 has provided platform for deploying native IPv6 – On large scale– In production environment

• Other technologies– IP layer QoS (DiffServ)– Multicast– Dynamic circuit services

Beyond the Network Infrastructure

Motivate Enable

End-to-end

End-to-end

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anceP

erformanceNetworksNetworks

MiddlewareMiddleware

ApplicationsApplications

ServicesServices

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Beyond the network

• Common infrastructure needs above network layer to support members’ needs/use of network– Performance: measurement and monitoring infrastructure from end to end• perfSONAR infrastructure

– Cross-community collaboration needs inter-institutional authentication, authorization infrastructure• InCommon federation

Fine Arts Rehearsal and Performance

Health Science Research and Instruction

Images courtesy of NOAA

Weather Prediction and Disaster Recovery

Collaboration and Communication

MYREN and Internet2

• Memorandum of Understanding since July 2006

• Connectivity via MYREN connection to TEIN2 and onto US via NSF-funded TransPAC2 project

• Platform upon which build collaborations

Thank You!

• heather@internet2.edu