SURFnet6: the Dutch hybrid network initiative

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SURFnet6 the Dutch hybrid network initiative

• Kees Neggers
• Managing Director SURFnet
• Indianapolis, 13 October 2003

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SURFnet

• Provides the Dutch National Research Network
• Not for profit company, 50 employees
• 150 connected organisations, 500,000 users
• Turnover (2002) 30 million Euro
• Infrastructure services
• innovation paid for by government
• cost effective exploitation for higher education
  and research

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GigaPort

• Research networking is innovation engine between
  research and market introduction of new services
• GigaPort (1999-2003)
• government grant 70 million Euro
• contribution of industry more than 90 million
  Euro
• GigaPort Next Generation Network (2004-2007)
• consortium of 50 organizations
• government grant asked 50 million Euro
• contribution of industry and institutions 56
  million Euro

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GigaPort results (1999 - 2003)

• SURFnet5
• Fiber to the dormitories
• GigaMAN
• Access pilots
• NetherLight
• Playground

• 10 Gbit/s lambda based network up and running
  since mid 2001
• 20,000 students via 10/100 Mbit/s switched
  Ethernet
• development of market for managed dark fiber
• mobility and middleware
• international testbed for lambda networking
• for new applications

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SURFnet5

• Partners BT and Cisco
• 15 PoPs connected by thirty 10 Gbit/s lambdas
• Dual stack IPv4 and IPv6 since 2001
• More than 100 institutes connected at Gbit/s
  level
• 500,000 users

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NetherLight

• Optical Internet exchange point in Amsterdam
• Built and operated by SURFnet
• Experiments with light path provisioning in a
  multi domain environment

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What did we learn

• Lambdas form an excellent basis for IP networking
• Dark fiber and gigabit ethernet form excellent
  combination to connect customers
• Incumbent operators were reluctant to sell dark
  fiber
• Researchers are interested in lambdas

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What did we learn

• Point to point lambdas are a powerful service
• Current Optical-Electrical-Optical equipment can
  allocate sub-lambdas to individual applications
• Management is still cumbersome
• Hybrid network architecture seems to be the only
  valuable NREN option for the future
• Packet switched internet for regular many-to-many
  usage
• Light Paths for new high speed few-to-few usage

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Some recent events

• 5.4 Gbps PC to PC from CERN to Amsterdam via 10G
  WAN PHY interfaces
• 10G WAN PHY is now extended from CERN via
  NetherLIGHT and StarLight to Carleton in Canada
• Over 6 Gbps over the Abilene and SURFnet 10G
  routed network between to clusters from Bob
  Grossman in Amsterdam and Chicago

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Paradigm shift
Lambdas
SURFnet6 network
DWDM
SURFnet5 network
POS
SURFnet4 network
ATM
GigaPort Next Generation
SURFnet4 project
GigaPort
1995
2003
1999
2007
Next generation is not a simple extrapolation of
current networks
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SURFnet6 overview

• Realization of a next generation network with
  seamless end-to-end communication
• Native IPv4, IPv6 and Lambda Services over a
  single transmission infrastructure managed via a
  single control plane
• Multi-domain networking
• Ethernet services as part of the WANs
• Intelligence of networks and the associated
  responsibilities at the edges
• Paving the way to a ubiquitous and scalable
  Services Grid

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SURFnet6 will be based on dark fiber

• Over 3000 km fiber pairs already available,
  average price paid for 15 year IRUs is 7 Euro/m
  per pair
• More than 25 co-location facilities in use
• Managed dark fiber infrastructure will be
  extended with new routes

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Provisioning of IP Services
SURFnet6 Border Routers
External IP connectivity
SURFnet6 Core Routers
SURFnet6 Layer 2 / Layer 1 network
Layer 3 functionality
Customer Router
Non-SURFnet
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Light Path Provisioning
Operations Management
OGSA Applications
Web service
Broker
Layer 3 flowdata collectionand analysis
Light Path Provisioning via Control Plane
SURFnet6 Routers
SURFnet6 Layer 2 / Layer 1 network
Light Path
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In search of an Industry Partner

• Participates in realization GigaPort NG Network
• Supplies, implements, maintains and supports
  transmission, switching and routing equipment
• Provides a major own contribution in the project
• Selection via European procurement procedure

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Timelines SURFnet6
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Conclusion

• NREN users need new services that current
  networks cannot support
• Telecommunication infrastructures will become
  part of the Grid and will be integrated in
  scientific instruments
• Hybrid networks delivering IP and Lambda Services
  can meet user demand within budget constraints
• SURFnet6 will be a showcase for hybrid networks

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• Kees.Neggers_at_SURFnet.nl
• www.surfnet.nl
• www.gigaport.nl

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NetherLight network 2003
Stockholm Northern Light
New York MANLAN
10 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
2.5 Gbit/s
2.5 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
Amsterdam NetherLight
Dwingeloo ASTRON/JIVE
Chicago StarLight
Tokyo WIDE
CAnet4
DWDM SURFnet
10 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
10 Gbit/s
2.5 Gbit/s
2.5 Gbit/s
Geneva CERN
Prague CzechLight
London UKLight
Expected 2H03
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Example of Grid applications in astronomy
www.lofar.org
A joint Dutch - US initiative