Future Internet testbeds/experimentation between BRazil and Europe - EU (FIBRE-EU)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Destination: International Cooperation
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Spain,Italy,France,United Kingdom,Greece,Australia,United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-ICT-2011-EU-Brazil, 2011)
Start date: 2011-06-01
End date: 2014-07-31
Duration (months): 38.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1560459.0
EU funding (EUR): 1099965.0
Participants: 7
Project status: CLOSED

In the last two decades networks, and especially the Internet, have become part of the critical infrastructure of governments, businesses, homes and schools. The current Internet architecture, designed about 30 years ago, has suffered many extensions in recent years, to include new functionalities, which were unforeseen in the original design. Many network experts now consider it is necessary to undertake the study of alternative architectures for the Future Internet as a truly effective way to resolve many of the pressing problems that currently afflict the Internet. However, one serious obstacle to effective adoption of such innovations has been the inability to validate them convincingly. The reduction in real-world impact of any given network innovation is due to the enormous installed base of equipment and protocols, and the reluctance to experiment with production traffic, which have created an exceedingly high barrier to entry for new ideas. The result is that most new ideas from the networking research community go untried and untested, leading to the commonly held belief that the Internet infrastructure has “ossified”. Having recognized the problem, the network research community is developing alternative solutions for experimental FI research, using programmable testbed networks such as those of GENI in the USA, AKARI in Japan and FIRE in Europe. The main goal of the FIBRE project is the design, implementation and validation of a shared Future Internet research facility between Brazil and Europe, supporting the joint Future Internet experimentation of European and Brazilian researchers. In order to achieve this goal the project will carry out four main activities: • The development and operation of a new experimental facility in Brazil, including the setup of equipment to support experimentation with various technologies (fixed layer 2 and layer 3, wireless, optical) as well as the design and implementation of a control framework to automate the use and operation of the testbed. • The development and operation of a Future Internet facility in Europe based on enhancements and the federation (interoperability) of two existing FIRE infrastructures: OFELIA and OneLab. Two of the OFELIA testbeds (i2CAT and UEssex) and the UTH's NITOS testbed will be enhanced by i) adding more physical resources to be able to cope with a bigger number of users and different use cases, ii) improving its respective control frameworks and iii) adding more manpower to operate the facilities. • The federation of the Brazilian and European experimental facilities, both at the physical connectivity and control framework level, to support the provisioning of slices using resources from both testbeds. This work will allow FIBRE experimenters to use the FIBRE facility as a unified, intercontinental testbed. • The design and implementation of pilot applications of public utility that showcase the power of a shared Europe-Brazil Future Internet experimental facility.

Keywords: future internet experimental facility,openflow,omf,wireless,europe-brazil collaboration,experimental research,onelab,ofelia,ofelia control framework.