1. SURFnet6: the Dutch hybrid network initiative
Kees Neggers
Managing Director SURFnet
Indianapolis, 13 October 2003

2. Provides the Dutch National Research Network
SURFnet
Provides the Dutch National Research Network
Not for profit company, 50 employees
150 connected organisations, 500,000 users
Turnover (2002): 30 million Euro
Infrastructure services:
innovation paid for by government
cost effective exploitation for higher education and research

3. GigaPort
Research networking is innovation engine between research and market introduction of new services
GigaPort ( ):
government grant: 70 million Euro
contribution of industry : more than 90 million Euro
GigaPort Next Generation Network ( ):
consortium of 50 organizations
government grant asked: ~ 50 million Euro
contribution of industry and institutions: ~ 56 million Euro

4. GigaPort results (1999 - 2003) SURFnet5 Fiber to the dormitories
GigaMAN
Access pilots
NetherLight
Playground
10 Gbit/s lambda based network up and running since mid 2001
20,000 students via 10/100 Mbit/s switched Ethernet
development of market for managed dark fiber
mobility and middleware
international testbed for lambda networking
for new applications

5. SURFnet5 Partners BT and Cisco
15 PoPs connected by thirty 10 Gbit/s lambdas
Dual stack IPv4 and IPv6 since 2001
More than 100 institutes connected at Gbit/s level
500,000 users

6. NetherLight
Optical Internet exchange point in Amsterdam
Built and operated by SURFnet
Experiments with light path provisioning in a multi domain environment

7. What did we learn
Lambdas form an excellent basis for IP networking
Dark fiber and gigabit ethernet form excellent combination to connect customers
Incumbent operators were reluctant to sell dark fiber
Researchers are interested in lambdas

8. Point to point lambdas are a powerful service
What did we learn
Point to point lambdas are a powerful service
Current Optical-Electrical-Optical equipment can allocate sub-lambdas to individual applications
Management is still cumbersome
Hybrid network architecture seems to be the only valuable NREN option for the future:
Packet switched internet for regular many-to-many usage
Light Paths for new high speed few-to-few usage

9. Some recent events
5.4 Gbps PC to PC from CERN to Amsterdam via 10G WAN PHY interfaces
10G WAN PHY is now extended from CERN via NetherLIGHT and StarLight to Carleton in Canada
Over 6 Gbps over the Abilene and SURFnet 10G routed network between to clusters from Bob Grossman in Amsterdam and Chicago

10. Paradigm shift
Lambdas
SURFnet6 network
DWDM
SURFnet5 network
POS
SURFnet4 network
ATM
GigaPort
Next Generation
SURFnet4 project
GigaPort
1995
1999
2003
2007
Next generation is not a simple extrapolation of current networks

11. Paving the way to a ubiquitous and scalable Services Grid
SURFnet6 overview
Realization of a next generation network with seamless end-to-end communication:
Native IPv4, IPv6 and Lambda Services over a single transmission infrastructure managed via a single control plane
Multi-domain networking
Ethernet services as part of the WANs
Intelligence of networks and the associated responsibilities at the edges
Paving the way to a ubiquitous and scalable Services Grid

12. SURFnet6 will be based on dark fiber
Over 3000 km fiber pairs already available, average price paid for 15 year IRUs is 7 Euro/m per pair
More than 25 co-location facilities in use
Managed dark fiber infrastructure will be extended with new routes

13. Provisioning of IP Services
SURFnet6
Border Routers
External
IP connectivity
SURFnet6
Core Routers
SURFnet6
Layer 2 / Layer 1 network
Layer 3 functionality
Non-SURFnet
Customer Router

14. Light Path Provisioning
Operations
Management
Broker
OGSA
Applications
Web
service
Layer 3 flow data collection and analysis
Light Path Provisioning
via Control Plane
SURFnet6
Routers
SURFnet6
Layer 2 / Layer 1 network
Light Path

15. In search of an Industry Partner
Participates in realization GigaPort NG Network
Supplies, implements, maintains and supports transmission, switching and routing equipment
Provides a major own contribution in the project
Selection via European procurement procedure

16. Timelines SURFnet6

17. Conclusion
NREN users need new services that current networks cannot support
Telecommunication infrastructures will become part of the Grid and will be integrated in scientific instruments
Hybrid networks delivering IP and Lambda Services can meet user demand within budget constraints
SURFnet6 will be a showcase for hybrid networks

18. Kees.Neggers@SURFnet.nl www.surfnet.nl www.gigaport.nl