LightPath Management

1. LightPath Management LightPath – A dedicated point-point communication channel, or QoS-supported virtual circuit, or the concatenation of several sections of these to form an end-end LightPath, providing effective guaranteed bandwidth.

2. LightPath Management Objectives • Allocate network resources efficiently • Schedule LP service implementations • Extend LPs from the WAN through RAN and to campus servers and desks • Manage a heterogeneous network environment and equipment • Practical fault management tools • Consistency across multiple management and administration domains

3. LP Process Overview • Request • Approval • Implementation • Operations • Maintenance & Testing

4. Typical Research Example • Research design requires a very high speed dedicated network ( ~ 1 Gbps sustained traffic) • Project budget may have to cover some LP costs • National/international: discuss with funding organizations, including CANARIE • Provincial project: discuss with ORAN • Also check on available Campus IT resources • Concise project description required

5. LP Request Process • The originating organization is generally a university, and is the primary Researcher for the project • The primary Researcher contacts the local campus IT service • Campus IT service contacts the ORAN rep • ORAN rep contacts CANARIE • CANARIE contacts International partners as required • After consultations, the LP request is submitted to CANARIE

6. LP Request Submission • CAnet4 LPs should require ~ 1 Gbps • GbE port(s) mapped to OC-24 SONET channels, 1244 Mbps each • 10GbE ports mapped to OC-192, 9953 Mbps • Primary Researcher contact info • Location & contact info for LP endpoints • Project schedule: LP delivery & release dates • See CANARIE site: www.canarie.ca/canet4/connected/lightpath_policy.html

7. LP Approval • A LP may reside wholly within a RAN • Request is submitted to RAN • Approval is from RAN • Notifications to campus IT and Project • LP requiring CA*NET (national or international requirements) • Request is submitted to CANARIE • Approval is from CANARIE • Notifications given to RAN, local IT, and Project

8. LP Implementation • LAN • Depends on endpoint institution • Dedicated fibre circuit to ORAN demarcation • VLAN on Ethernet infrastructure • RAN • Ethernet infrastructure • Netera – LPs are access VLANs or CWDM colours • BCNET – access VLANs or dedicated fibre circuit to CANARIE demarcation • WAN • SONET transport infrastructure • Access on GbE, 10GbE, or SONET interfaces

9. LP Operations • SLA – LP services are provided and maintained on a “best efforts” basis • Single point of contact for fault mgmtSame hierarchy as approval process • International and national LPs – CA*NET NOC • Provincial LPs – RAN NOC • Local university IT NOC • Escalation • Priority for production and critical services • Response times are generally within 4 hours during business hours

10. LP Fault Management • Common WAN network faults • Fibre cuts: layer 0 • Transport equipment failures: layer 1 • Alarm & failover via SONET gear • Many LP faults are difficult to isolate • Bad LAN fibre jumpers, Ethernet duplex etc • WAN SONET alarms stay quiet • Ping and traceroute don’t help • SolutionsUse the hierarchy and LP segments • Divide and conquer: segment the circuit • Dedicated test nodes at strategic points • Layer 2 diagnostics like NDT and NetDisco