Page III: Forget Internet2. The National LambdaRail is the most ambitious network research project going. But can it save the optical networking industry?
In exchange for its US$10 million contribution, Internet2 is using a 10gpbs wavelength to design a hybrid network that uses both IP packet switching and dynamically provisioned lambdas. The project, called HOPI, or hybrid optical and packet infrastructure, will use wide-area lambdas with IP routers and lambda switches capable of high capacity and dynamic provisioning.
To date, the NLR consortium has raised more than US$80 million. West said US$30 million of that money is earmarked for building out the optical infrastructure.
While NLR has leased fiber from a number of service providers, including Level 3, Qwest, AT&T and WilTel Communications, it's using equipment to build the infrastructure from only one company: Cisco.
Through its exclusive partnership, Cisco is supplying NLR with optical DWDM multiplexers, Ethernet switches and IP routers.
Cisco said its involvement in NLR goes beyond simply providing researchers with equipment. The company is a strategic participant in NLR and holds two board seats, which have been filled by prominent researchers outside of Cisco's organisation. The company also plans to fund individual projects that use LambdaRail through its University Research Program.
"NLR can serve as the testbed for so many new projects involving networking," said Javad Boroumand, a senior manager in Cisco's academic research and technology group. "If you use history as a basis, the Internet and Napster didn't come from technology companies but from the research community. We want to help drive this innovation."
Moving forward
NLR provides the fiber network across the country, but universities that want to use the infrastructure still have to find a way to hook into the network. As a result, universities in the same geographic region are banding together to purchase their own local or regional fiber.
"There is still a serious last-mile problem," Colburn said. "It's great we have this nationwide infrastructure, but it can only be used if you have the fiber to connect to it."
Internet2 has established the National Research and Education Fiber Company (FiberCo) to help these groups acquire regional fiber. Specifically, FiberCo acts as the middleman between universities and carriers that own the rights to the fiber.
"In many ways, telecom carriers weren't set up to sell to higher education," said Greg Wood, a spokesman for Internet2. "FiberCo helps negotiate some of these terms to make the process much easier."
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