Internet2 and Level 3 Communications unveiled plans for a new nationwide network that will offer Internet2 members 100 Gbps of capacity, more than 10 times that of the current Internet2 backbone network, and will be designed to easily scale to add capacity as Internet2 members’ requirements evolve.
The network will support a full range of production IP services as well as new on-demand, dedicated optical wavelength services.
Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Level 3 will provide dedicated facilities enabling multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths, high-speed IP transit and colocation services with options for private line, metro and long-haul dark fiber services to interconnect the backbone with academic institutions and support growth and changes in member requirements over time.
Level 3 will deploy digital optical technologies for Internet2 to provide multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths and enable rapid bandwidth provisioning across the entire footprint for its members. These new optical services will allow network users to obtain dedicated one Gbps sub-wavelengths or entire 10 Gbps wavelengths through advanced network scheduling or on-demand. It will also enable users to provision circuits dynamically for short or long-term use. Additionally, using this optical system, the new Internet2 network will provide production IP capabilities and bundled access to the Internet.
The new network infrastructure’s capabilities build on the successes of Internet2’s Hybrid Optical Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) testbed, an initiative examining a hybrid of packet and circuit switched optical infrastructures to understand next generation architectures.
Internet2 said it is working with its members and regional networking organizations to finalize deployment details with the new network becoming operational during 2007. In the interim, Internet2’s relationship with Level 3 will enable optical circuit services for the community using Level 3’s existing facilities. Internet2 is also working closely with its current network partners and network connectors to ensure a smooth and seamless transition of traffic from its current backbone network onto the new infrastructure.http://networks.internet2.eduhttp://www.level3.com
- The Internet2 Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) is a national network testbed that allows researchers to experiment with new optical technologies, including dynamically provisioned wavelengths, circuit switched environments, and new transport protocols. The HOPI testbed uses facilities from Internet2’s Abilene Network, the National Lambda Rail (NLR) network, the MANLAN exchange point, and regional optical networks. Each HOPI node consists of an Ethernet switch with 10GigE capabilities, a fiber cross connect switch, and servers to control HOPI’s network infrastructure and measure network performance, all designed to model future optical infrastructures.
The HOPI testbed is using HP’s ProLiant DL360 G4 servers to provide monitoring and control plane capabilities.
Force10 Networks is supplying its Force10 E-Series family of switch/routers for Internet2’s Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) project.
- In February 2006, National LambdaRail (NLR), a consortium of leading U.S. research universities and private sector technology companies, reached fully-operational status, providing advanced optical, Ethernet and IP connectivity over more than 15,000 miles of fiber across the United States. NLR has deployed nine Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing Systems across the country. The project is also using Cisco Systems’ 15808 and 15454 optical transmission platforms.