High Performance Networks, GigaPoPs, and the Local Impact of Networks

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High Performance Networks, GigaPoPs, and the
Local Impact of Networks

• Donald F. McMullen
• James G. Williams
• Indiana University
• Tsukuba WAN Conference
• March 15, 2001

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Outline

• US high performance network infrastructure
• Internet2 and the Abilene network
• GigaPoPs
• Impact of high performance networking on local
  communities
• The Tsukuba WAN and E-Japan initiative

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Terminology

• GigaPoP gigabit-per-second network point of
  presence or exchange point between regional and
  national networks
• AUP acceptable use policy
• NREN national research and education network
  (as contrasted with commercial internet service)

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US High Performance Networking
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Drivers for Network Evolution

• Congestion and lack of bandwidth on commodity
  networks
• Application requirements for new services
• bounded bandwidth and latency
• multicast
• security
• Science and engineering community demands for new
  infrastructure
• Need testbeds for users to try out emerging
  network services

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Traffic Characteristics vBNS vs. Commodity
Internet
From W. Decker, http//www.internet2.edu/presentat
ions/990428-Decker/index.htm
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(No Transcript)
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The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Initiative

• Multi-agency Federal RD program to
• Develop new networking technologies for agency
  missions
• Develop infrastructure for the 21st century
• Develop partnerships with industry and academia
  to keep the U.S. at the leading edge of
  communications
• Introduce new networking services that will
  benefit schools, businesses and homes

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NGI Goals

• Increased Capability
• Networking technologies for improved reliability,
  security, Quality of Service, manageability
• Increased Capacity
• 100 sites at 100x current end-to-end speeds
• 10 sites at 1000x current end-to-end speeds
• Built on current Federal agency RE networks

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SuperNet Testbed, 1000x sites
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The Need for Global High Performance Networks
(HPNs)

• The tools of research and education are
  increasingly based on applications of advanced
  information technology which require access to
  distributed deep computing and data resources.
• The outputs of advanced research and education
  tools increasingly rely on advanced
  visualization.
• Advanced, unique scientific instruments must be
  available to global research communities.
• The emergence of the global research community
  requires advanced methods for supporting the
  collaboration of geographically distributed
  researchers.

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HPN application examples

• Access to high performance computing and
  large-scale information resources
• Distributed computation and visualization
• Access to world-class instruments
• Advanced collaboration techniques and
  telepresence

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Distributed Deep Computing and Data ResourcesThe
GIOD Project
A Caltech, CERN and HP joint project addressing
data storage and access problems posed by next
generation particle collider experiments which
will start at CERN in 2005. Data rates from
online systems will be of order 100 MBytes/sec
yearly accumulation of several PetaBytes. Raw
data will be reconstructed for particle tracks,
energy clusters, etc. in near-real time by large
processor farms (107 MIPS) based on commodity
hardware. http//pcbunn.cithep.caltech.edu/
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Distributed Deep Computing and Data
ResourcesMaximum Likelihood Analysis Of
Phylogenetic Data
DNA data has accumulated more rapidly than
compute power so researchers must often exclude
potentially infor-mative data to make statistical
analysis practical. Utilizing the computationally
intensive maximum-likelihood method of
phylogenetic inference in a globally distributed
collection of computational nodes, Indiana
University, National University of Singapore and
ACSys CRC in Australia have analyzed the DNA of
cytoplasmic coat proteins, micro-sporidia, and
cyanobacteria.
http//www.indiana.edu/rac/hpc/cp.html
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Advanced VisualizationVirtual Pelvic Floor
Supported in part by the National Library of
Medicine and developed by researchers at
University of Illinois Chicago and Cook County
Hospital, the Virtual Pelvic Floor is a new
method of teaching the complex anatomy of the
pelvic region utilizing virtual reality and
advanced networking technology. The stereoscopic
collaborative environment is used to teach
residents and students the highly complex anatomy
and physiology of the pelvic floor.
http//www.amia.org/pubs/symposia/D005507.PDF
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Advanced VisualizationHigh Brilliance X-ray
Crystallography for Macromolecular Structure
Determination
Virtual Reality Cave
ImmersaDesk2
Advanced Photon Source

http//www.cs.indiana.edu/ngi
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Scientific InstrumentsTrans-Pacific
Telemicroscopy
Scientists at the Osaka University Research
Center for Ultra High Voltage Electron Microscopy
(UHVEM) and University of California San Diego
National Center for Microscopy and Imaging
Research (NCMIR) successfully use international
advanced research networks to couple the world's
largest and most powerful (3 million volt)
transmission electron microscope at UHVEM to a
remote-use computer pavilion set up at NCMIR.
http//www.npaci.edu/online/v3.10/telemicroscopy.h
tml
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Scientific InstrumentsThe Subaru Telescope,
Mauna Kea, Hawaii
During INET2000/iGrid 2000 the Subaru Telescope
in Hawaii was connected via a high-speed link to
the conference site in Yokohama, and
high-definition astronomical images were quickly
retrieved from the telescope. Real-time
interactive classes and discussions with
researchers also took place between Hawaii and
Yokohama via TransPAC using high-quality
multimedia communication tools.
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Advanced CollaborationSpace Physics and Aeronomy
Research Collaboratory
The Space Physics and Aeronomy Research
Collaboratory (SPARC) is an NSF-sponsored
community resource for the upper atmospheric and
space sciences operating 24 hours a day for
scientific collaboration and access to real-time
and archival data.
http//sparc-1.si.umich.edu/sparc/central
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Advanced CollaborationNational Tele-immersion
Initiative
A telecubicle has a stereo-immersive desk surface
as well as at least two stereo-immersive walls.
These three display surfaces meet in the
formation of a desk against a corner. When linked
to others on the net, the telecubicle forms a
virtual collaborative environment.
http//io.advanced.org/tele-immersion/
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Advanced CollaborationAccess Grid
The US Dept of Energy-sponsored Access Grid
supports human interaction across the Grid. It
consists of multimedia displays, presentation and
interaction environments, interfaces to Grid
middleware and interfaces to visualization
environments. The Access Grid supports
large-scale distributed meetings, collaborative
work sessions, seminars, lectures, tutorials and
training. The Access Grid design point is group
to group communication, complementing the
Computational Grid.
http//www-fp.mcs.anl.gov/fl/accessgrid/
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U.S. Government and University High Performance
Networks for RE

• Abilene, Internet2 Project/UCAID (1998)
• Inter-university communication
• ESNet, Department of Energy (1980s)
• Energy research
• NREN, NASA (1997)
• Space exploration
• DREN, Department of Defense (1996)
• Defense research
• vBNS, National Science Foundation (1995, 2000)
• General science research and education
• Now a commercial service

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Internet2

• Project of the University Corporation for
  Advanced Internet Development (UCAID)
• Started October 1996
• Consortium of 150 Universities developing next
  generation networks and network based
  applications for education and research
• Physical network is Abilene
• Supports development of regional GigaPoPs

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Abilene Network

• Announced 14 April 1998 by then-VP Al Gore
• Most advanced and far reaching research and
  education network in the world
• support advanced research applications
• integrated advanced network services
• Developed by UCAID in partnership with Qwest,
  Nortel, Cisco and Indiana University
• Advanced native IP backbone network available to
  Internet2 universities

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Abilene Goals

• Advanced Network Testbed
• New network capabilities (QoS, Multicast)
• Advanced Research Applications Development
• Peer with other research and education networks
  (ESNet, NREN, iDREN, etc.)
• Facilitate transfer of capabilities expertise
  from partners to member university
• Academic network in federal government's Next
  Generation Internet initiative

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Abilene Network Backbone
http//hydra.uits.iu.edu/abilene/traffic/
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Abilene Network Characteristics

• 20,000 Km of national backbone operating at OC48
  (2.4Gbps), protected SONET Ring
• Packet over SONET (POS)
• Access to Backbone at OC12 (622Mbps) or OC3
  (155Mbps)
• Broad geographic coverage - 120 Qwest Access
  Points across the U.S.
• OC192 (9.6Gbps) in the future

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Abilene Management Services

• Network operational functions
• problem, configuration, change, security and
  performance management
• quality assurance
• documentation and reporting
• Advanced technical services
• education and training
• network engineering
• support for research and development projects

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Abilene Peer Networks

• National Research Networks
• vBNS, Esnet, NREN, iDREN
• International Research Networks
• Most connectors at the STAR TAP including
  APAN/TransPAC, CAnet3, NORDUnet, EuroLink (see
  www.startap.net)
• Commercial research affiliates

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Abilene model Institutions make connections
through a regional GigaPoP

• Aggregation points for regional networks and
  individual institutions
• OC-3c and OC-12 connections to backbone
• Locally configured for flexibility

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Regional networking and GigaPoPs
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What are GigaPoPs?

• GigaPoPs are aggregation points for shared use of
  scarce resources such as
• wide area network services
• technical expertise (people)
• money
• GigaPoPs act as mediators between networks with
  different Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs)

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Acceptable Use Policies

• Backbone networks have restrictive access
  policies (AUPs) based on requirements of
  sponsoring agencys mission
• Funding for a particular network may be from a
  single agency in support of a specific community
• Regional networks run by universities may have
  conflicting AUPs
• Traffic segregation can be done at the regional
  level through a GigaPoP

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GigaPoPs as AUP Brokers

• Gigapops provide local connectivity to a variety
  of network services
• Gigapops are AUP-light providing access to
  multiple AUP-full networks
• Allow the collapse of campus connectivity to
  multiple NRENs to a single link
• Eliminates the need for multiple campus
  connections to government networks

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The GigaPoP Model

• Make the most of relationships and partnerships
• Take advantage of the many different funding
  sources for participants (state, federal,
  corporate)
• Provide AUP-free regional connectivity
• Manage AUP constraints from multiple providers
• Local access to regional and national services
  research nets, ISPs, voice, video, VPN
• Enhances regional economies of scale
• Increases leverage with vendors and service
  providers
• Efficient use of scarce human resources (tech
  experts)
• Create a focal point for regional and national
  competition by vendors

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Some representative Internet2/Abilene GigaPoPs

• Indiana (state)
• Merit (state/regional)
• Southern Crossroads (regional)

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Indiana GigaPoP
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Indiana GigaPoP
Chicago
Notre
Cleveland
Dame
Purdue
IHETS
State universities
and colleges
Indianapolis
Abilene
IUPUI
Core
Giga
Government
Node
POP
and commercial
partners
Kansas City
Commercial
Partners
IUB
Crane
Louisville
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The CyberBelt Initiative
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Merit GigaPoP
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Southern Crossroads
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Southern Crossroads (SOX)
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Southern Crossroads GigaPoP

• SURA Region collaboration in Internet2, but, more
  than high performance network aggregation, more
  than Internet2 interconnection point
• Common minimal Acceptable Use Policy and enabling
  equipment, member-owned
• Research, Education, Economic Development for a
  community larger than just Internet2 and HPC
• Provide extended technical services for
  participants
• Help define standards for international
  interconnections and collaborations

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SOX Services

• Connection to nationwide high speed networks
• 24x7 monitoring - one hop into campus network
• 16x5 technical support (more on special request)
  - configuration and problem resolution today
• Special purpose technology support
• Applications and middleware coordination -
  multicast, security, web caching, measurement,
  etc.
• Buying power expansion

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GigaPoP Functions

• Aggregation - bring customers and networks
  together at an AUP-light location
• Regional focus for competition among multiple
  backbone networks (buying power)
• Middleware coordination - Security, QoS
• Applications coordination institutional
  resource sharing, application testing and problem
  solving
• Focus for shared technical and administrative
  expertise
• Regional support for applications as drivers and
  middleware as glue

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Abilene GigaPoP Futures

• Continued Internet2 collaboration and
  participation
• Develop regional production and research agendas
• Technology and skills transfer to commercial
  sector
• Expand K-12, adult technical training connections
• Develop regional and inter-regional resource
  sharing
• Expand local/regional support infrastructure for
  application development and refinement
• Propagate to regional connectors appropriate
  network and middleware technologies from
  Internet2/Abilene

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GigaPoPs and Daily Life

• Nothing to prevent GigaPoPs from generally
  supporting a regions high performance networking
  needs
• National-scale vendors can not accommodate all
  regional interests
• GigaPoPs are a regional focal point for
  infrastructure and expertise to support social
  functions through
• Distance education
• Telemedicine
• E-Government
• E-social-services

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Example services

• Telemedicine
• Indianapolis pathology network central Indiana
  inter-hospital consulting program with
  connections to other research hospitals through
  national networks
• E-Government
• Merit/Michnet Qualified Voter File is a
  computerized voter registration and election
  management system that links election officials
  throughout the State of Michigan to a fully
  automated, interactive voter registration
  database

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Reflections on the network scene here in Japan

• With multiple sources of support available at the
  national and Prefecture level, the Abilene
  GigaPoP model seems applicable
• E-Japan Initiative offers a great opportunity to
  build regional networks and national backbones
  along the GigaPoP model
• The Tsukuba WAN could take on the role of a
  GigaPoP for science and industry intereste in
  Ibaraki

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Questions?

• Rick McMullen
• mcmullen_at_indiana.edu