Internet2 and AbileneAdvanced Networking in Higher Education

Greg WoodDirector of Communications

Internet2 Project Goals

Enable new generation of applications

Re-create leading edge R&E network

capability

Transfer capability to the global

production Internet

Research andDevelopment

Commercialization

Partnerships

Privatization

NSFNET

Abilene, vBNSAdvanced US Govt Networks

ARPAnet

gigabittestbeds

ActiveNets

Broadband Wireless

SprintLinkMCI/Worldcom US Govt

NetworksANS

InteroperableHigh PerformanceResearch &Education

Networks

21st CenturyNetworking

Quality of Service(QoS)

Source: Ivan Moura Campos

Current Internet2 Priorities

Identify and develop first phase applications

Establish nationwide high performance end-to-end connectivity

Facilitate middleware implementation Support network research Build international collaboration

opportunities

Internet2 Universities133 as of September 1998

University of Puerto Rico not shown

Internet2 Corporate Partners

3Com

Advanced Network & Services, Inc.

AT&T

Cabletron Systems

Cisco Systems

FORE

IBM

3Com

Advanced Network & Services, Inc.

AT&T

Cabletron Systems

Cisco Systems

FORE

IBM

Lucent Technologies

MCI Worldcom

Newbridge Networks

Nortel Networks

Qwest Communications

StarBurst Communications

Lucent Technologies

MCI Worldcom

Newbridge Networks

Nortel Networks

Qwest Communications

StarBurst Communications

Internet2 Corporate Sponsors

Bell South Packet Engines SBC Technology

Resources StorageTek Torrent

Technologies

Internet2 Corporate Members Alcatel Telecom Ameritech Apple Computers AppliedTheory Bell Atlantic Bellcore British Telecom Deutsche Telekom GTE Internetworking Hitachi IXC Communications KDD Nexabit Networks Nokia Research Center

Alcatel Telecom Ameritech Apple Computers AppliedTheory Bell Atlantic Bellcore British Telecom Deutsche Telekom GTE Internetworking Hitachi IXC Communications KDD Nexabit Networks Nokia Research Center

Novell Pacific Bell RR Donnelley Siemens Sprint StorageTek Sun Microsystems Sylvan

Learning Telebeam Williams

Communications

Novell Pacific Bell RR Donnelley Siemens Sprint StorageTek Sun Microsystems Sylvan

Learning Telebeam Williams

Communications

Advanced Internet Benefits

Richer content through higher bandwidth•Video, audio•Virtual reality•Dynamic, not static

More interactivity via minimal delay Reliable content delivery through

quality of service (QoS) model

Internet2 Applications

Deliver qualitative and quantitative improvements in the conduct of:• Research• Teaching• Learning

Require advanced networking

Many Disciplines and Contexts

Sciences Arts Humanities Health care Business/Law Administration …

Instruction Collaboration Streaming video Distributed

computation Data mining Virtual reality Digital libraries …

Application Attributes

Interactive research collaboration and instruction

Real-time access to remote scientific instruments

Images courtesy of theUniversity of Michigan

Attributes, cont.

Large-scale, multi-site computation and database processing

Shared virtual reality

Any combination of the above

Images courtesy of Old Dominion Universityand Univ of Illinois-Chicago

Middleware Challenges

Identify technologies that are scalable and interoperable

Increase deployment of middleware technologies as part of a pre-commercial production environment

Examples:• Quality of Service• Multicast• Audio/Video Frameworks

Recent Initiatives

Qbone• Quality of service testbed

I2-DVN• Internet2 Digital Video Network

I2-DSI• Internet2 Distributed Storage Infrastructure

DoGBone• Digital video over GigaPoP

Applications

Engineering

Motivate Enables

Applications and Engineering

Deploy a production network to support applications R&D

Establish quality of service (QoS)

Support native multicast

Establish gigaPoPs as effective service points

Engineering Objectives

I2 InterconnectCloud

GigaPoPOne

GigaPoPFour

GigaPoPTwo

GigaPoPThree

“Gigabit capacity point of presence” anaggregation point for regional connectivity

Network Architecture

I2 InterconnectCloud

GigaPoPs, cont.

GigaPoPOne

University A

University B University C

Regional NetworkCommodityInternetConnections

GigaPoPs

Variety of services and styles•Technical and organizational

differences•Mixture of technologies

Some things must be the same• IP as common bearer service• Inter-gigaPoP routing policy and design•Measurement•Trouble tickets among network

operations centers

Internet2 GigaPoPs

Interconnect

vBNS (very high speed Backbone Network Service)•NSF and MCI cooperative

agreement•Operating at OC12•Peers with other federally

sponsored networks•www.vbns.net

Abilene Network (January 1999)

Abilene Project Goals

Support Internet2 applications development

Demonstrate next generation networking capabilities

Create facilities for network research

Abilene Project Participants

UCAID

Qwest Communications

Cisco Systems

Nortel Networks

Indiana University

Abilene Project Timeline

April 1998: Project Announced

September 1998: Prototype demonstration

January 1999: Operations begin

Abilene NetworkJanuary 1999

Cleve

land

New York

Atlanta

Indianapolis

Kansas City

Houston

Denver

Los Angeles

Sacramento

Seattle

Abilene Router Node

Abilene Access Node

Operational January 1999

Planned 1999

Abilene Characteristics

2.4 Gbps (OC48) among gigaPoPs, increasing to 9.6 Gbps (OC192)

Connections at 622 Mbps (OC12) or 155 Mbps (OC3)

IP over Sonet technology Access PoPs very close to university

gigaPoPs

For more information...

On the Web• www.internet2.edu

Internet2 Applications• apps.internet2.edu

Abilene Project• www.ucaid.edu/abilene/

Questions?• ghwood@internet2.edu