Future R&E networks: Technology challenges Roberto Sabatino CTO DANTE

A SoA R&E network : GEANT 10 Gbps in 8 locations, 2.5Gbps in 9 locations + some traditional SDH 130Gbps in backbone 30Gbps access, max 2.5Gbps per NREN shared IP infrastructure, with differentiated IP services

Great Expectations…….. 40+Gbps, single channel IP/optical integration end-2-end wavelengths, to the user sites, spread over Europe driven by increased user demand for bw GRIDs enabled by advances in opto-electronics advances in all-optical solutions reductions of transmission and equipment costs desire of carriers and vendors to work with R&E networks

…….Or Hard Times ?? Are user’s needs for 40G real or are we dreaming? What’s the truth on carrier’s adoption of 40Gbps? What are the realistic developments of opto-electronics needed to support IP/optical integration and the real economies behind it? wavelengths to users, on an end-to-end basis, all over Europe? Multi-domain operation and management?

User needs for 40Gbps Each GRID application requires several Gbps “common mortals” use more and more bw, for peer-2- peer computing today (never mind for what…) YES, 40+Gbps aggregate in backbones is needed, and soon

What flavour of 40Gbps ? 4x10Gbps or single channel, what’s the economic reality ? Technology and operations costs ? Shared IP infrastructure or mixed IP/layer-2 environment Cost of bigger routers/cards for shared IP vs. cost of smaller routers and switches for mixed solution. Management costs ?

Our perception of Carrier’s views on 40Gbps Interested but wary of: demand investments required technical challenges To date, nobody intends to offer it 4x10Gbps makes more sense

IP/Optical integration To assist an environment where thousands of low capacity flows co-exist with a few high capacity streams and make more effective use of available capacity Shared IP is simple ! but relative costs of IP routing equipment are increasing Is it the right approach anyway? Use GMPLS ! a mixed environment might be technically more appealing, but what about costs of optical equipment and management, all on the up! who operates it? RENs or carriers? Authentication? Multidomain challenge, again….!

End-2-End ? European Access to Wavelengths Easy in UK, FR, NL, DE, BE Accessible in AT, CH, ES, IT, CZ, HU, SK, PL, SE Too difficult in GR, PT, SI Virtually impossible elsewhere Europe is still not uniform! Especially in the access how can technology enable end-to-end ?

A new model ? Today’s reality, for long distance, is based on procurement of p2p circuits, based on lambda’s with SONET framing/presentation. Dark fibre for short distance scenarios Can we reach a model where RENs procure managed dark fibre (dim fibre) for long distance ? At acceptable costs? Routing, switching, regeneration, amplification ? Per-domain management ? end-2-end management? Role of REN vs. role of carriers?

For discussion 40Gbps feasibility, costs, hidden problems shared IP or hybrid solution GE vs. SONET framing protection vs. redundancy dim fibre service in each and every case: multidomain service management