NASA Research and Engineering Network NREN ONT2

1
NASA Research and Engineering Network (NREN) ONT2
Panel D NREN Engineering Group Lead Kevin
Jones nren-ops_at_nren.nasa.gov www.nren.nasa.gov

• September 2005

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NREN Overview
NRENs primary focus is delivering end-to-end
distributed data to/from the Columbia computing
facilities

• Goals of the WAN
• Enable large data-distribution, real-time
  interactive applications, and grid applications
  over a wide area, high-speed network
• Enable distributed access to NASA research and
  engineering communities
• Provide access to federal and academic entities
  via peering with High-Performance Research and
  Engineering Networks (HPRENs)

3
Overview

• Scope
• Supporting Columbia applications
• Network technology research
• Science and engineering application
  demonstrations
• Remote field experiments
• Status
• Transition from ATM to lambda services
• ARC link to JPL is up _at_ 500 Mbps
• NLR contract was signed 8/31/05
• ARC-GSFC link is next priority

NISN/IOnet
Operations
NISN/PIP/SIP
HECC/NREN (Current)
Prototype
CICT/NREN (2002 - 2004)
Research
CICT Computing, Information and Communications
Technologies (NREN funding for FY02 -
FY04 HECC High End Computing and Communications
(Current NREN funding) IOnet (NISN Mission
Critical Routed Data Service) NISN NASA
Integrated Services Network PIP Premium Internet
Protocol (NISN Premium Routed Data
Service) SIP Standard Internet Protocol (NISN
Standard Routed Data Service)
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Requirements
Columbia

• Columbia, dedicated in October 2004, is one of
  the fastest operational supercomputer in the
  world
• High fidelity integrated modeling and simulation
  applications running on Columbia will generate
  terabyte sized data sets.

• Customers
• all NASA Missions
• 7 NASA centers
• gt30 NASA-external PI institutions
• Application requirements
• Real-time distribution of terabyte data sets
• Real-time visualization data analysis
  information products
• Ubiquitous network access
• International visibility and largesystem
  capacity require aggressive security

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Requirements
Bandwidth for Specific Applications
SEN Science and Engineering Network (GSFC) NAS
NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division (ARC) JPL
Jet Propulsion Laboratory ARC Ames Research
Center GSFC Goddard Space Flight Center LRC
Langley Research Center
CENIC Corporation for Education Networking
Initiatives in California HECN High End
Computing Network (GSFC) NERSC National Energy
Research Scientific Computing Center ECCO
Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the
Ocean fvGCM Finite Volume General Circulation
Model
6
Schedule
Scheduled NLR Upgrades
StarLight
NGIX-East
ARC/NGIX-West
GSFC
NLR Chicago
NLR McLean
NLR Sunnyvale
JPL
NLR Los Angeles
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Schedule
Future NLR Upgrades
GRC
StarLight
NLR Cleveland
NGIX-East
NLR Chicago
ARC/NGIX-West
GSFC
NLR McLean
NLR Sunnyvale
LRC
JPL
MSFC
NLR Los Angeles
NLR Atlanta
NLR Jacksonville
SSC
KSC
JSC
NLR Baton Rouge
NLR Houston
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Architecture
Peering External NASA Access
CAnet
ANL Abilene MREN
DREN APAN
NISN Abilene DREN CENIC
NGIX-East
ESnet
StarLight
NGIX-West
USGS
NREN WAN
Abilene
DREN
Peering Locations Key Direct Peers GigE
OC-12

• NREN Peering locations
• Three Next Generation Internet eXchange (NGIX)
  Points
• Potential for additional peering in other
  co-located sites

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Optical Services

• NLR will enable NASA to use lambda services
• Private lambda ring between NLR nodes
• Local loops to NASA end sites are either
• Dark fiber
• Managed services - 10 GigE lambdas
• NREN upgrades currently underway
• 2005 Shared 1 Gbps connection between ARC-JPL
• 2005 10 Gbps connection between ARC-GSFC
• 2006-2008 More connections over the 2-3 years
• Enhancements under consideration
• 2006 InfiniBand over WAN
• 2006 Flexible lambda selection
• 2007 Full 10 Gbps intrusion detection
• 2007-2010 Dynamic light-path allocation

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Optical Technologies

• NREN has chosen Ciscos 6500 as a core connection
  platform for L2/L3 connectivity with LAN PHY
  hand-offs
• NREN interfaces to NLRs Cisco optical network
  switching platforms ONS 15808 and 15454
• NASA will be connected to various RONs, which use
  different vendors and different technologies
• NASA will selectively use WDM electronics to
  interface to RONs and directly light dark fiber
  segments

Timeline
Bandwidth
40 G
1 G
10 G
2005
2007
2010
Agile ? switching
Features
Dedicated ?s
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Interoperability Issues

• Interoperability between vendor optical equipment
• Interoperability between testbeds and RONS
• Availability of wavelengths for dedicated
  light-paths
• Ability to change wavelengths
• Interfaces and distance limitations
• End-2-End performance troubleshooting issues
  LAN, desktop, applications

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Challenges to establishing the network

• End-to-end performance
• LAN upgrades
• Desktop configurations and optimizations
  (buffers, TCP tuning, etc.)
• applications (e.g., BBFTP)
• Operational support
• Funding
• Vendors
• Long lead time for equipment orders
• Shortages of components
• Monitoring
• Network performance
• Application performance

13
Contract Issues

• Time-frame for completing contracts
• Which contract vehicle is the best to pursue?
• No process for contract vehicle selection
• More contracts
• NLR for core
• RONs, consortiums, ISPs for local loops
• NISN and Indiana University for Out-of-Band
• Increase in complexity, often requires HQ
  approval
• Longer terms gt 5 years
• Pre-pay discounts
• Government contract limitations
• Agreements vs. contracts

14
Security

• Security Guidelines
• Interpretation many of the documents
• NIST Special Publication 800-18 - Guide for
  Developing Security Plans for Information
  Technology Systems
• Computer Security Act 1987
• OMB Circular A-130, Management of Federal
  Information Resources
• OMB Circular A-130 Appendix III, Security of
  Federal Information Resources
• Federal Information Security Management Act 2002
• NASA Policy Directives Ames Procedures and
  Guidelines
• OMB pressure for compliance
• How do you provide end-to-end secure
  communications at 10 Gbps?
• Firewall limitations
• Crossing network boundaries
• Unable to see individual packets at wire speeds
• Need 10 Gbps intrusion detection