Pan-European Research Networks: Past, Present & Future

1. Pan-European Research Networks:Past, Present & Future Michael Enrico Network Engineering & Planning DANTE Ltd Workshop on “The Internet Protocol & Optical Networking” Grasmere, Cunbria, UK 23-25 September 2002

2. Agenda • DANTE in Context • Who? What? Where? How? • Who pays? • History (of pan-Euro backbone R&E Networks) • The early days (EuropaNET) • TEN-34 & TEN-155 • Today • The GN1 project and GÉANT • Tomorrow • What place for Optical Networking?

3. Who is ? • Delivery of • Advanced • Networking • Technology to • Europe

4. Who is ? • Legal status: “not-for-profit” Limited Company registered in the UK • Governance: • Board of Directors • NREN Policy Committee • Started in 1993 • Based in Cambridge, UK • Currently ~ 22 people (most in Cambridge) • Broad European makeup of staff • 11 non-UK

5. A Brief History...

6. NorduNET DFN GARR • Some links to EARN (BitNet) RENATER JANET EARN RedIRIS In the Beginning (pre 1992)... • There were NRENs &... • Ad hoc bilateral links

7. EuropaNET (1992) • RARE contracted EuropaNET from Unisource • Not subsidised by the EC • “Competition” with fledgling E-Bone • E-Bone later followed the commercial route • Some suspicion from commercial providers • Would EuropaNET restrict itself to R&E? • Typical backbone circuits ~E1 • Used Telebit routers • Offered a datagram service (X.25, IP & CLNS) • Finished in October 1995

8. IBDNS (1995) • International Backbone Data Network Service • Contracted from BT • Used Cisco routers • Typical NREN accesses ~few M • JANET access was 8M at the end • Finished early 1997

9. TEN-34 & TEN-155 (1997-2001) • IP Backbone built on managed ATM network • DANTE owned (Cisco) routers • TEN-34 (Early 1997) • Typical backbone circuit ~16M (e.g. London-Paris) • Odd 34M circuit in backbone • TEN-155 (Late 1998) • Started with single ring of STM-1 • Finished up with main ring at 4 x STM-1 • Typical NREN accesses at STM-1 • Finished end of 2001

10. January 2000 Topology http://www.dante.net/ten-155/ten155net.gif

11. TEN-155 Services • IP transit service for European NRENs • Connectivity to North American R&E Networks • Abilene, ESnet & Canarie • via DANTE POP in New York • DANTE World Service • Connectivity to UUnet in NY (by additional subscription) • European Commodity Service • “Peerings” with InfoNet • Managed Bandwidth Service (MBS): • end-to-end ATM CBR & UBR PVCs • Advanced IP services: e.g. Multicast

12. GN1 Project: A pan-European R&E network with a dual remit: • To provide production network services to the European R&E community • To provide a platform for networking research

13. GN1 Project: • Planned & procured during 2001 • Switched on Nov/Dec 2001 • 10 Gbps in 8 locations, 9 circuits • 2.5 Gbps in 7 locations, 12 circuits • 3 main providers: COLT, T-Systems & Telia • Connects 31 NRENs • Connectivity to North America: • 3 x 2.5Gbps • Connects Abilene, Canarie & ESnet • GTR(E)N POP in New York

14. GÉANT Topology(Today) • PLUS: • (not shown) • 3 x 2.5G to NY • STM-1 to Japan • DWS peerings • NREN Accesses

15. How so BIG? • Generous funding of Research Networks by the EC & ...

16. Typical GÉANT POP • A single Juniper M160 router • (except Frankfurt which needs two!) • Ancillary management/monitoring equipment: • In-POP (switched) FE & GE LAN • Terminal server router (with ISDN & POTS access) • Two Sun workstations • Housed in 3 or 4 racks or a small suite in (mostly) carrier-neutral datacentres • Most POPs in capital city • Exceptions: DE (Frankfurt), IT (Milan), CH (Geneva),PL (Poznan)

17. A POP(underconstruction!)

18. Network Management Service • NMS & NOC outsourced to a company in Paris • “Second Line” support performed by DANTE Operations team (based in Cambridge) • Each NREN has an Access Port Manager (APM)

19. Customer Services on GÉANT • (Best effort) IP transit for European NRENs • DANTE World Service (chargeable extra) • Native Multicast • Premium IP • L2 VPN (using MPLS)

20. DANTE World Service • Commodity IP Transit service for NRENs • Chargeable extra • Not all NRENs make use of it • Some use it as a back-up to their own commodity access • 2 providers: Global Crossing & Telia (was KPNQ!) • Numerous “peering” points around Europe • Each at STM-16 • Routing policy: “hot potato” • Subscription levels allowed: up to half of access

21. New Services • Less than Best Effort (Scavanger) • Currently undergoing tests • MBS Replacement? • Need to be able to provide support for projects(e.g. GRIDs, 6net, testbeds, etc) • Could use Premium IP but what about traffic isolation? • Could use MPLS L2 VPN but what about BW guarantees?

22. Extending the Reach of GÉANT • EUMEDCONNECT • Providing IP connectivity to EUMEDIS NRENs • Phase 1 (feasibility study) now complete • Phase 2 (procurement, implementation & operation) to start shortly • Lifetime up to summer 2006 • CAESAR • Extending IP connectivity to Latin America • Still in feasibility stages

23. A Bit about IP Routing • IGP is OSPF • TE performed via OSPF metrics • Plan to migrate to IS-IS (to allow for IPv6 support) • EGP is BGP4 • Full mesh of iBGP peerings (no Route Reflectors) • eBGP peerings with all external peers • Multicast extensions (MBGP) • Each router maintains a full Internet routing table

24. IP Multicast Service • Access to the service: • Via primary access port • Another possibility is via a GRE tunnel (currently nobody!) • Support PIM-SM v2 only • 3 Rendezvous Points (RPs) in network • Source distribution via MSDP peerings • Looking at SSM • Operational procedures(rolling out now) • Goal: fully supported service as for unicast • Plus specific monitoring • Troubleshooting • Extension of the trouble ticket systems to multicast incidents

25. More information on Multicast Setup http://www.dante.net/nep/GEANT-MULTICAST

26. Premium IP Service • Aims to provide international Virtual Leased Line based on DiffServ • The Premium IP service is an end-to-end service (site to site) crossing multiple administrative domains • Defined on the basis of the DiffServ EF PHB which is required to offer: • Bandwidth, low loss, upper bounded delay and jitter

27.  streams < 5 % of the BW access Premium IP: VLL Service SE NREN Janet UK AS786 AS20965 Rate limitation is applied on the NREN access Regional Network DE GÉANT backbone A DFN AS680 FR • Premium IP packets are tagged with DSCP code =46. • Rate Limitation is applied per aggregate on the NREN’s access, based on the total demanded bandwidth towards the destination. • Admission Control is made manually based on the Sum of bandwidth already booked on the destination access. Regional Network B

28. The Optical Networking bit... Random Thoughts

29. GÉANT’s Optical Networking Today • DANTE does not operate it’s own transmission infrastructure • GÉANT Connectivity: • International Leased Lines • Unprotected SDH circuits for 622M or less • Unprotected “lambdas” for 2.5G and 10G • Often 2.5G “lambdas” are really SDH circuits • “White light” (G.957/691) “Thin SDH” interfaces • Use SR or IR POS interfaces on routers

30. GÉANT’s Optical Networking Tomorrow? • Two drivers: • Support for higher bandwidths:what happens when NRENs start to subscribe to 10G? • Support for projects/user groups:how do we extract arbitrary bandwidth “channels” from 2.5/10/40G core circuits?

31. Support for Higher Bandwidths • Will router vendors offer 40G interfaces (soon)? • Next generation “40G capable” • What will be the form of these interfaces? • STM-256 on white light? • Will xWDM interfaces become incorporated into routers? • Already appearing in SDH switches • Does this help us at all? • Will operators offer coloured interfaces?

32. Support for Projects/User Groups • Just use Layer 3 Techniques? (some say yes!) • Simplify L2 • Use 40G if possible • Are the routers really up to it (2.5G or 10G tunnels?) Operator Network

33. STM-m(<n) Support for Projects/User Groups • Add L2 switch/mux capability ourselves? POS STM-n i/f Channelized mode Keep POS i/f  STM-n Operator Network

34. Evolution of GÉANT? • Add L1 capability ourselves? • Offer BoD? (some say no - leave it to operators!) Light channel, λ bundle or even managed fibre? Operator Network Nature of i/f?

35. Optical Testbed Possibilities • Some European NRENs now have access to dark fibre: • CESNET (Czech Republic) • PSNC (Poland) • SWITCH (Switzerland) • PSNC has been trying out Alcatel DWDM equipment

36. Optical Testbeds

37. Optical Testbed Possibilities II • ASTON Project EoI (FP6): • AStep Towards the provision of Optical Networking • Has come out of TF-NGN activity on optical networks • Information gathering, knowledge distribution • Find partners to do Europe-wide testing of technologies & methodologies • Create feedback loops with manufacturers & providers • Results used for engineering new network architectures & provisioning models

38. Conclusions • Research Networking Community has High Demands • Early Adopters • Some European NRENs are starting to do their own transmission • Probably not going to happen on pan-European scale (at least for foreseeable future) • However, feeling is that GÉANT and European NRENs will go more optical… • …we’re just not quite sure how!

39. Thank You&Questions?