# Presentation: 446273

## Abilene UpdateSpring Member Meeting ’05Arlington, VA

- Steve Cotter
- Director, Network Services
- scotter@internet2.edu

## Welcome

- Organizational Update
- The Abilene Network
- Advanced Services Across Abilene
- Network Research Across Abilene
- Other Network Services
- Abilene Network Futures

## Organizational Update

## Organizational Update

- Last year’s reorganization created:
- 4 Organizations
- Organizational Infrastructure (OI)
- Member & Partner Relations (MPR)
- Technology Direction & Development (TDD)
**Deployment & Infrastructure Delivery (DID)**

**Notes:**
OI led by:
MPR led by Laurie Burns
TDD interim director Steve Corbato
DID led by Cheryl Munn-Freeman

## Deployment & Infrastructure Delivery (DID)

- Departments within DID:
- Core Services
- Technical support
- Knowledge & information management
- Member Services
- Meeting services, Education & training
- InCommon, Internet2 Commons
- Billing, Customer support
**Network Services**

## Network Services

- Provides operational support for:
- Abilene
- FiberCo
- MAN LAN
- Support for the emerging Regional Optical Networks (RONs)
- Responsible for:
- Ensuring network meets the current needs of the community
- Managing the integration of evolving network services
- Program finances and business model
- Fostering strong regional and international collaborations

## Staff

- Steve Cotter – Director
- Heather Bruning – Program Manager, Business Operations
- Andrea Blome – Asst. Prog. Manager, Business Operations
- Bill Cerveny – Internet Engineer
- Christian Todorov – Network Engineer
- Ana Preston – Program Manager, International Relations and RONs
- And other Internet2 and member resources as necessary

**Notes:**
Other resources include Matt Zekauskas  and Chris Heermann

## Foci for 2005/6

- Building upon the long-term work already begun in network security
- Collaboration with REN-ISAC and the Cyber Trust effort
- Improve internal business processes
- Greater engagement with the gigaPoPs, RONs and international partners
- Supporting network research
- The Abilene Observatory
- Providing for experimental capabilities on top of a production network
- Assisting with HOPI and the roll out of the next generation of Abilene

## The Abilene Network

## Abilene Partnerships

- Indiana University
- Juniper Networks
- Nortel Networks
- Qwest Communications
- ITECs
- NC ITEC
- Ohio ITEC
- San Diego ITEC
- Texas ITEC
- Internet2

## Abilene Network Topology

**Notes:**
Abilene has members in all 50 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico

## Abilene Network Topology

**Notes:**
Juniper T640s deployed at the 11 core router nodes

## Abilene Network Topology

**Notes:**
Core router nodes are connected by OC-192c circuits provided by Qwest using Nortel optronics in a partial mesh configuration.  This configuration has provided our community with an extremely reliable network that has achieved nearly 5 9’s reliability over the past 12 months.   

## Abilene Network Topology

**Notes:**
We have 40 connectors, gigaPoPs, and RONs connected to our network at speeds varying from OC-3 to OC-192 and 10 GE.  This is down from 44 connectors as recently as last year’s fall member meeting.  The reason for this decrease in connectors is because of the aggregation that is occurring as a result of the capabilities of the emerging regional optical networks.

## Abilene Network Topology

**Notes:**
Behind these forty connectors are 235 participants and 125 sponsored participants

## Abilene Network Topology

**Notes:**
We also peer with numerous other research and education and federal networks, as well as several commercial networks with their experimental services (such as IPv6). 

## Abilene Network Topology

**Notes:**
Lastly, when you throw in our peerings with the international R&E networks, you get the full picture of our network topology.

## Abilene Community

- IP-over-DWDM (OC-192c) backbone
- 40 direct connections (OC-3c  10 Gbps)
- 3 10 Gbps (10 GE) connections
- OC-192c SONET also supported
- 7 OC-48c connections & 3 GE connectors
- 25 connected at OC-12c (622 Mbps) or higher
- 235 Primary Participants – research universities and labs
- Library of Congress and U.S. Holocaust Museum most recent additions
- Expanded Access
- 125 Sponsored Participants - Individual institutions, K-12 schools, museums, libraries, research institutes
- 34 Sponsored Educational Group Participants - state-based education networks
- See:  http://abilene.internet2.edu/

**Notes:**
Note these are Abilene-specific, second two not members.  We peer with XXX

## Abilene Peering

## Abilene International Network Peerings

## Aggregate Abilene Usage

- Growth in the use of the network has been significant

## Abilene Value

**87% reduction in 4 years!**

**Notes:**
87% reduction in Abilene Revenue per Gigabit traffic

## Abilene Connector Fees

|  | Original Fee | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| OC-3c 
(155 Mbps) | $110k (1998) | ($110k) | ($110k) | ($110k) |
| OC-12c
(622 Mpbs) | $320k (1998) | $270k | $240k | $220k |
| Gig E
(1 Gbps) | $325k (2001) | $325k | $280k | $250k |
| OC-48c
(2.5 Gbps) | $495k
(2000) | $430k | $360k | $340k |
| 10 Gbps
(SONET/ Ethernet) |  | $490k | $480k | $480k |

**Notes:**
Because the current Abilene pricing model is a flat rate for bandwidth in order to create incentives for participation and network utilization, by design we do not receive additional revenue as institutional utilization increases.  Unfortunately, this means we do not receive additional revenue as network utilization has increased.  In order to ensure adequate reserves for investment in the next generation, we must rely on other means such as this fee increase.  Abilene continues to out-perform other point-to-point lit services and we are committed to maintaining that advantage with the next network upgrade while still meeting projected future demand. 

## Abilene Participation Fees

- Effective January 1, 2006:
- Abilene Primary Participation - $21,000
- Effective January 1, 2007:
- Abilene Primary Participation - $22,000
- First increase since Abilene was launched in 1998

## Abilene Network Security

- Security is a critical element of any high-performance network.  Appropriate levels of security are required:
- To protect infrastructure
- Ensure backbone and connected systems performance
- Assist the community in the detection and mitigation of active threats.
- Our focus will be on:
- Improving Abilene’s ability to detect and recover from security incidents as well as coordination with the campuses
- The development of a set of tools for campuses that provide better capabilities to manage security incidents

## Abilene Network Security

- Actions underway/planned:
- Overall review of the current security practices which includes a revision of the Abilene Security Plan
- Making more security information available via the Abilene website
- Work more closely with the REN-ISAC on investigating, validating, and resolving ongoing security issues
- Be a leader in security within the community and share what we learn with the Gigapops and campus network operators
- Work with industry and researchers who can help glean information about threats and attacks using the information available from the network and disseminate it to the community

## Advanced Services Across Abilene

## IPv6 Peerings 

- IPv6 Deployment
- Significant number of peers and connectors now have native connections:
- Roughly 2/3 of the connectors are IPv6 enabled
- Roughly 1/2 of the peers are IPv6 enabled
- Connected to Palo Alto PAIX peering fabric at 333Mbps for IPv6 and IPv4-Multicast experimental, non-production peering
- 10 new experimental, non-production IPv6 peerings at the PAIX so far in 2005
- Connecting to MCI MAE-West for IPv6-only experimental, non-production peering

## IPv6 Security 

- Abilene NOC activities:
- Limiting the v6 prefixes connectors send us (as we do for IPv4)
- Limited filtering for peer networks
- _[v6-security@internet2.edu](mailto:v6-security@internet2.edu)__ is a new mailing list for v6 security topics_

## Internet2 Involvement with the NAv6TF 

- Internet2 is active in the North American IPv6 Task Force (NAv6TF).
- Rick Summerhill is on NAv6TF advisory committee
- Abilene is key network component of the NAv6TF's Moonv6 nationwide test network

## IPv6 Addressing 

- Abilene has /32 that it can distribute to its members
- However, a number of connectors and members have or are acquiring their own address space:
- 2001:4e0::/32 Wiscnet
- 2001:5e8::/32 Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
- 2001:1860::/32 Pacific Northwest Gigapop
- 2001:18e8::/32 Indiana University

## Internet2 IPv6 Presentations: 

- IPv6 Summit, Reston, VA, December 2004
- Coalition for IPv6, Reston, VA, May 2005

## Internet2 IPv6 Member Activities 

- North Carolina State University and Centaur Labs -- IPv6 streaming audio feeds from radio stations WCPE and WZYC
- IPv6 H.323 at Georgia Tech
- NYSERnet experimenting with IPv6 Multicast via the international M6bone effort
- Abilene IPv6-enabled hosts
- _[http://ipv6.internet2.edu/ipv6hosts.shtml](http://ipv6.internet2.edu/ipv6hosts.shtml)_

## Internet2 IPv6 Working Group 

- Having accomplished many of their objectives, the working group is planning to re-charter later in 2005.

## IPv6 Network Traffic

## Abilene IPv6 Growth 

## Internet2 Member Multicast Activities 

- DVGuide - _[http://](http://db.arts.usf.edu/dvguide/listings.asp)__[db.arts.usf.edu/dvguide/listings.asp](http://db.arts.usf.edu/dvguide/listings.asp)_
- Several campus radio stations multicasting across Abilene
- ConferenceXP, a Microsoft Research initiative, relies on multicast and has been deployed at several schools
- Access Grid continues to grow
- More activity requiring "bridging" to multicast in challenged environments, using the rcBridge software from ANU

## Multicast Security 

- Basic measures on Abilene:
- Not allowing multicast streams with RFC1918 source addresses
- Not allowing multicast streams to "site local" group addresses (239.0.0.0/8) which is a similar idea to RFC1918 addresses, but for group addresses.
- Blocking  group addresses which are used for application which only have local significance.   A good example of this is Norton Ghost.
- Other measures are under consideration, such as:
- Blocking all IANA reserved multicast group addresses
- Place a limit on the number of MSDP SAs each Abilene Connector/Peer can originate

## Internet2 Hands-on Multicast Workshops 

- OARnet/Ohio State University, July 2004
- Joint workshop with Canarie, Halifax, Nova Scotia, November 2004
- NCNI/MCNC, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, January 2005
- Upcoming multicast workshop at University of Alaska - Fairbanks, May 24-26 (DVTS workshop being conducted May 23, also in Fairbanks)
- _[http://multicast.internet2.edu/workshops/](http://multicast.internet2.edu/workshops/)_

## Dedicated Capabilities

- MPLS VPN testing – NC-ITEC experimenting (with ITEC Ohio) with creating a multipoint Layer 2 VPN using inter-domain MPLS tunnels and Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS).  Working in both a lab environment and between the ITECs using Abilene.
- The goal is to examine multipoint alternatives for a possible Abilene private network service offering.

## Network Research Across Abilene

## Network Research Philosophy

- Internet2 today does not do network research *per se*, but seeks to facilitate and support research projects led by faculty at member institutions
- Make accessible network resources readily available to this community
- Participate in research collaborations and provide support for proposals
- Integrate research findings into the evolution of Internet2 network initiatives and services

## Resources for Network Research 

- Resources
- Abilene Observatory
- MAN LAN exchange point & optical facility in New York City
- HOPI testbed
- Collaboration with NLR

## Abilene Observatory

- The Abilene Observatory is a program that supports the collection and dissemination of network data associated with the Abilene Network.
- Provides researchers:
- Operational data associated with a large-scale network
- Data associated with the fundamental properties of basic network protocols.
- Two components of the Observatory:
- Data collected by Abilene engineers using equipment located in the router nodes and operated by the Abilene NOC
- Data collected by separate research projects using equipment collocated in the Abilene racks

## Abilene Observatory

- There are 20 research projects currently using Observatory data.  Some of the more recent additions are:
**Intelligent Methods for Computer Network Management, **Electronic Information College, Wuhan University, China
**The Interaction Between Intradomain and Interdomain Routing, **University of California at San Diego, AT&T, and University of Cambridge
**MIND: Multidimensional Indices for Network Diagnosis**, University of Southern California and Intel Research
**A Study of Traffic on Large Scale Networks to Identify Normal and Abnormal Behavioral Patterns**, Narus Inc.
**The Use of Sketches to Analyze Measurement Data**, Princeton University
**Detection and Recognition of Network Traffic Anomaly**, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
- For a more comprehensive list, see: _[http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory/research-projects.html](http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory/research-projects.html)_

## Other Network Services:  FiberCo & MAN LAN

## FiberCo Overview

- Tool designed to support optical initiatives in the regions or nationally
- Spun off from NLR governance discussions
- Internet2 took responsibility for forming the LLC
- Operates on behalf of U.S. higher education and affiliates – Internet2 and NLR membership
- Not an operating entity
- Will not light the fiber – only a holding company
- Functions
- Market maker
- Assignment vehicle for both national & regional optical initiatives
- Current agreement with Level 3 only extends to March ‘06

## FiberCo and Dark Fiber 

- Aggregate dark fiber assets acquired by U.S. R&E optical initiatives (segment-miles)
- CENIC (for CalREN & NLR)                           	6,200
- FiberCo (via Level 3 for NLR & RONs)           	6,560
- SURA (via AT&T)                                     	6,000
- Plus 2,000 route-miles for research
- NLR Phase 2 (WilTel & Qwest)                       	4,000
- OARnet                                                     	1,600
- ORNL (via Qwest)                                      	   900
- NEREN                                                        	   670
- Other projects (IN,IL,MI,OR, ...)                  	2,200+
***Total (conservative estimate)   ******	******	******28,130+***
- Over 60% of these assets are now outside NLR
- NLR holds ~11,250 route-miles

## MAN LAN Exchange Point

- Manhattan Landing in New York City - partnership with NYSERNet, Indiana University, and the IEEAF
- Provides a high performance exchange facility for research and education networks
- Located at 32 AoA in NYC - easy interconnection to many national and international carriers and other research and education networks
- Peering model is open and bilateral
- Cost recovery model - minimal connection charges for layer 2 facility, none for layer 1 connections
- Working with **AtlanticWave **on future distributed exchange point along U.S. East Coast (NYC↔Miami)

## MAN LAN Services

- Layer 2 - Ethernet switch for IPv4/v6 peering with 1GigE and 10 GigE interfaces
- Layer 1 - TDM based optical equipment (SONET / Ethernet interfaces)
- Cisco 15454
- Nortel OME 6500
- Nortel HDXc
- Layer 0 equipment to be installed soon
- Optical cross connect to facilitate changes

## Abilene Network Futures

## Next Generation Abilene

- Mission of Internet2:  To build leading-edge R&E networking capabilities.
- The mission rests on belief that evolving new technologies will drive new network architecture with a broader set of services and capabilities.

## Next Generation Abilene

- Internet2 is focused on integrating and rapidly deploying innovative new capabilities
- In the process of designing the next generation network
- Starting with a clean slate
- Looking at new models
- Continue to engage the GigaPoPs, state/regional networks and campus environments
- Opportunity for engagement in the design process between now and end of year

**Notes:**
7. We are in process of designing the next generation, anticipate end of year for first version.  8. We’re looking at everything, and new models.  We see this as a new thing, starting with a blank sheet with no assumptions about what must be kept in place9. We have been and have plans to continue engaging the S/RONs and campus environments; these are essential parts of this "services-rich" network environment
10. There will be opportunities for engagement in the design process for the next generation R&E network between now and end of year. 
We have a few ideas about these opportunities and want to hear from you about where there might be others.
.   

## HOPI Project - Summary

- Question:  How will the next generation architecture evolve over a 5-7 year timeframe?
- Objective:  Examine a **hybrid** of shared IP packet switching and dynamically provisioned optical lambdas
- HOPI Project – _H_ybrid _O_ptical and _P_acket _I_nfrastructure
- 3 year project to look at answers to this question
- Whitepaper – see http://hopi.internet2.edu
- Immediate Goals
- Implement testbed over the next year
- Coordinate and experiment with other similar projects
- Design Team, Corporate Advisory Team

## Abilene / NLR Map

## HOPI Resources

- Resources available to the HOPI team:
- The Abilene Network – 10 Gbps IPv4/IPv6 + MPLS tunnels
- The Internet2 10-Gbps  on the NLR footprint
- MAN LAN Exchange Facility
- TYCO/IEEAF 10 Gbps lambda NYC – Amsterdam
- Layers 1 and 2 switching gear
- Collaborations with Regional Optical Networks (RONs) and other related efforts (GLIF, UltraLight, DRAGON, etc.)

## Next Generation Abilene Design Considerations

- Critical factors
- NLR, RON and international integration
- Advanced service support
- (Multicast, v6), High Performance Throughput, Measurement
- Enhanced network research facilitation
- Network and end-user security
- Options for increased reliability and additional services
- Process
- Hybrid architecture evaluation (HOPI)
- IP core using 40?/10 Gbps transport
- Dedicated capabilities (’s, MPLS tunnels)
- Evaluation of optical transport capabilities
- NLR, commercial providers & RONs
- Design & planning collaboration
- U.S. & int’l partners (ESNet, TeraGrid, SURFnet, GEANT-2)

## Next Generation Abilene Timeline

- October 2007 – End of recent 1-year extension to Abilene transport MoU with Qwest
- Provides 3rd-generation network timeline
- Architecture: end 4Q05
- Transport provider(s): end 1Q06
- Router and other equipment selection: end 2Q06
- Backbone deployed: end 4Q06
- Connector transition: 2007
- Concurrently, review business and management model
- Coincidentally...
- Late 2007 – expiration of ESnet transport agreement with Qwest

**Notes:**
Why between now and the end of the year?
Partly driven by existing Abilene lifetime
BUT, 
This is NOT about just an incremental improvement of the Abilene backbone network; or even a massive improvement of the Abilene network
	- look at whole new architecture
	- look at whole new cost model
	- take into account the major state, regional network buildout, NLR, etc.

## Current and Near Term Engagement

- Internet2 governance
- Board
- Advisory Councils (NPPAC, ASC, ISC, NRLC)
- Campus Expectations Task Force
- Internet2 technical advisory groups
- Abilene TAC (Core IP service)
- HOPI Design Team (Hybrid network)
- SALSA (Security)
- E2E TAG (Performance)
- MACE (Middleware)
- National LambdaRail (NLR)
- Board
- Community
- The Quilt and its membership
- Abilene Community (campuses, connectors, partners)
- Emerging State and Regional Optical Networks

**Notes:**
CETF – formed by ASC and NPPAC to reexamine expectations for the community, in light of the community's accomplishments since Internet2's inception, to facilitate the adoption of advanced applications and technologies in support of research and instruction 

## Planned Engagement Opportunities

- QUILT Fiber Workshop: 1-3 June
- Joint Techs Workshop:  17-21 July
- Side workshop for Abilene technical community
- Fall Member Meeting:  19 – 22 September
- Campus-focused workshop or workshops: October and November
- Other ideas?

**Notes:**
Engage to help design architEngagement opps: - SMM (see below) - 1st week June:  QUILT Fiber workshop 
	Cotter, Preston there to talk – side meetings
 - 3rd week July:  Joint Techs workshop (Connectors' meeting on Thursday?) - July sometime:  NPPAC meeting on network infrastructure? - August:  NPPAC meeting (if not July)  CETF?  Internet2 Board?  Snowmass - 3rd week September: FMM - October: ? - November: ? - December: ? ecture

## What Feedback Can You Provide?

- The Regional Optical Networks and GigaPoPs
- How can we assist with the evolution to the next-gen Abilene?
- Are you sufficiently funded/staffed for the long term?
- Future services across next-gen Abilene
- What are the key point-to-point services to develop and emphasize?
- The development of new business and service models that are complementary to those in the RONs
- How do we incent propagation of new services into the regionals and the campuses?
- What new factors are needed in the interface between national and regional networking?
- Service definitions, interconnection & performance standards?

## Abilene Information

- For more Information:
- _[http://abilene.internet2.edu](http://abilene.internet2.edu/)_
- _[http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory/](http://abilene.internet2.edu/observatory/)_
- _[http://](http://www.nationallambdarail.org/)__[www.nationallambdarail.org](http://www.nationallambdarail.org/)_
- _[http://hopi.internet2.edu](http://hopi.internet2.edu/)_
- Or contact us at:
- _[scotter@internet2.edu](mailto:scotter@internet2.edu)_
- _[heather.bruning@internet2.edu](mailto:heather.bruning@internet2.edu)_
- _[abilene@internet2.edu](mailto:abilene@internet2.edu)_

## Questions / Comments?

**Questions / Comments?**
**Thank you for coming.**