November 9, 2006 Dear Colleagues, In the few short months ...

November 9, 2006 Dear Colleagues, In the few short months since signing a ground-breaking contract to enable the new Internet2 Network, the first elements of the network are rapidly being built and the first Internet2 connectors will begin transitioning to it before the end of this year. In anticipation of an aggressive build-out of the new network over the next 10 months, we are beginning today with an extensive update on the network progress and transition. From this point forward, a shorter, monthly update will be sent to you approximately the third week of each month. As necessary, a bi-weekly or regional update will also be provided. (Your feedback is welcome and can be sent to CDW@internet2.edu) By the start of the next academic year in September 2007, we expect completion of the new Internet2 Network to significantly raise the bar for leading-edge research and education networks by adding immediate provisioning, hybrid capabilities, an optical layer research capability, and enormous scalability to Internet2's network portfolio. Most of the key services, including dedicated waves, will be provided under the umbrella of industry-standard service level agreements for the purpose of protecting our members’ research and financial investments. Building a revolutionary 13,000+-mile, 100+ Gigabit hybrid circuit and packet network in 12 months is a significant undertaking. Since the Community Design Workshop in June, Internet2 and its partners’ activities have been focused not only on network deployment, but also on community coordination, business model completion, network management integration, service level assurance, research observation capabilities and technology evaluation and compatibility testing. In this first update on the new network, we'll take you through each of these areas. We'll also provide the preliminary schedule for the deployment over the upcoming nine months. Community Design Workshop Follow-up Calls with Connectors Following the Community Design Workshop in June, a team of Internet2 staff have reached out to every current Abilene connector to discuss the new network, transition of connections and to collect additional feedback on Internet2's business model and network services. Conference calls and face-to-face meetings continue and will dovetail with network deployment schedules to detail the transition from the Abilene connections to the new network. Through these discussions, we have learned that many connectors are choosing to connect to the new Internet2 Network using the standard 2x10 Gbps Ethernet connections, which allows for one 10Gbps connection to the IP backbone and one 10Gbps connection to the wavelength and dynamic wave services offered through the new hybrid infrastructure. A smaller number 1

of connectors are opting for slower speed commitment levels on 10G interfaces to allow for transition to higher bandwidth commitments in the coming years. A number of connectors and partners have also signed up for dedicated wave services at 1Gbps and 10Gbps, in anticipation of their availability once the network is completed. During these community conversations, we also heard feedback on business and organizational issues. We are using this input, along with other discussions, to integrate the diverse interests and comments into the overall network business model. Some of Internet2’s response was highlighted in August with the release of a network fee schedule that allowed additional connection levels, backup services and planning estimates for new services like commodity access and peering. We heard clearly that some members of the community want additional details about the components that make up the cost structure on all of the services. We continue to share those details through one-on-one conversations, through the cover letter sent with the fee schedule and in forums like the Quilt’s RON business model workshop. We will continue this discussion at upcoming meetings, such as the Internet2 Fall Member Meeting taking place in Chicago next month. The CDW follow-up communication process is ongoing and we are continuing to refine design and business issues with each connector. Given the focus on turning up the network, individual conversations from Internet2’s network services team will continue in advance of the network transition schedule and broad communications like this will be sent to the whole community. Questions also can be directed to Ana Preston, apreston@internet2.edu, who has accepted her new role as Regional Coordinator. ESnet Partnership Integration with Network Transition Internet2 is very pleased that the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) for the Department of Energy chose the Internet2 Network over other alternatives as its backbone for its next generation network. Internet2 is working closely with ESnet in a full partnership that will not only meet ESnet’s network needs, but also enhance the links between ESnet and the Internet2 community for network planning, operation and performance. ESnet is actively involved in the planning discussions with Level(3) and Internet2. We are also working closely with ESnet to share colocation, network monitoring, real time provisioning and NOC redundancy capabilities to strengthen the network and its capabilities while at the same time realizing synergies and cost savings. We expect this partnership to increasingly benefit the research community as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN comes online over the coming months. Shared Colocation Opportunities One of the items we were asked to look at was sharing our colocation suites for the new networks with our members and the regional networks. In response, Internet2 is working closely with a number of connectors and RONs to build shared colocation suites in major carrier facilities throughout the new network. These shared facilities allow Internet2, ESnet, connectors and RONs to leverage a shared space for reduced operating costs, facilitating community-controlled cross connects, and simplifying future collaboration. Connectors, RONs or community members who would like to share space with Internet2 should notify cdw@internet2.edu as soon as possible. (Final deadlines for colocation orders in each region 2

are shown at the end of this letter. We’d like to know in advance of those to avoid a last day scramble.) In New York, Internet2 has expanded its partnership with NYSERnet, initiated with the MANLAN project, to include the construction of a dedicated colocation facility at 32 Avenue of the Americas in New York City. The new suite expands a critical and premier international peering point for NYSERnet, ESnet and the Internet2 Network participants. Ciena Selected for Grooming Box / Dynamic Services Development Continues In September, Internet2 announced its selection of the Ciena Core Director as a critical component of the new network’s hybrid capabilities. The Core Director will allow allocations of 50 mbps through 10Gbps of bandwidth to be dynamically or statically assigned throughout the network. When integrated with the Infinera optical transport system, the Core Directors will allow Ethernet and SONET circuits to be seamlessly allocated and reallocated throughout the network. Installation of the Ciena Core Director also provides a critical bridge between sometimes disparate or overlapping technologies and numbering schemes among the Regional Optical Networks, thus assuring internationally scalable hybrid capabilities to U.S. based researchers. Internet2, CIENA, ESnet and others are already working with Canadian and European partners to integrate the hybrid capabilities internationally. Network Technical Advisory Committee Begins At the Community Design Workshop, Paul Schopis of OARnet volunteered to lead a series of discussions about new community advisory structures for the new network. With the introduction of hybrid capabilities, a new optical transport capability and new production services, it was felt that the existing network advisory structure needed expansion and regeneration. In a series of meetings that took place June through August, the Network Advisory Group (NAG) produced a report recommending a framework for a new Network Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC). The NAG felt that a transition advisory committee should be established to provide immediate counsel and advice on technology issues related to the evolving network. Through consultation with Internet2 staff, and approved by the NAG, members of the established Abilene Technical Advisory Committee were asked to serve on the transition NTAC. While functioning as a consultative body for the design and deployment of the new Internet2 Network, the transition committee also will lay the foundation for a sustainable NTAC consistent with the NAG recommendations. NTAC has already begun forming subcommittees on key aspects of the new network and is actively seeking participation from the community on a variety of topics including layer1 and 2 services, commodity transit and commercial peering. Interest in the NTAC should be directed to: NTAC@internet2.edu or please visit <https://wiki.internet2.edu/confluence/display/ntac/Home> Research Observatory Expansion The deployment of the new infrastructure and the evolution of the new Internet2 Network to add wavelength and sub-wavelength services along with the existing enhanced IP capabilities provide new challenges for observation and network research. As part of the deployment, 3

Internet2 is investing in a complete upgrade and expansion of the current observatory to include 10 Gigabit test capabilities for IP and wavelength services. The observatory will also be upgraded to include global positioning based timing at key points across the country to increase the accuracy of time-sensitive observations. Researchers interested in the capabilities on the new observatory should contact Rick Summerhill at rrsum@internet2.edu. Network Management Integration, Service Level Assurance, Rapid Delivery of Service A defining characteristic of the new Internet2 network is the Level(3) backed service-level agreement on all 10G backbone waves on the network. With 100% nationwide availability over the last few months on its existing Infinera based network, and a contractual obligation to provide an industry leading SLA to the Internet2 community, the new Internet2 network can offer its connectors and users world-class reliability. In the event of a failure, the same resources and staff that Level(3) uses to support its own network will be leveraged to support the Internet2 Network’s dedicated wave system. A second defining characteristic of the new Internet2 Network is the ability to provision 10 Gigabit waves to any connector in a matter of minutes or hours. Internet2 has worked closely with Level(3) through the summer to assure that it will have the ability to provision waves anywhere in the network and have them available in its colocation suites initially within hours – and by July 2007, within seconds of issuing remote provisioning commands at the Internet2 Network Operating Center. As the network comes online, Internet2 and Level(3) will schedule regular capacity planning sessions to assure that optical capacity is available in advance of demand. Commodity Transit (Commercial IP) Services Upon recommendation from the Group A report and the Abilene TAC Report that Internet2 should add production services to its network portfolio, Internet2 negotiated with Level(3) the ability to provide commodity Internet services to its connectors and members at a reduced rate. To ensure that this agreement didn’t undermine the significant progress the Quilt has made in this area, Level(3) agreed that purchases by Internet2 will count towards the Quilt’s aggregate purchase levels. They will also allow some existing 1G Ethernet ports to be transitioned to the new rate as direct connections from the Level(3) backbone to the members or connectors. At the CDW, members of the community expressed concerns about Internet2’s potential deployment of commodity services. Commodity transit would be extended as an optional service to Internet2 connectors first, respecting the preference that regional connectors are the primary access points to the network for community participants. Internet2 would consider providing commodity transit directly to member institutions whose connector declines the service, or where there otherwise is agreement between a member and connector. The need to examine options for provisioning and using commodity services through Internet2 is underway and to that end, Rob Vietzke will facilitate the startup of a working group on commodity services to seek input from campus and RON/connector representatives to identify issues and develop recommendations. The group will pick a chair among its community members as it forms. Requests to join this group should be sent to: NTAC@internet2.edu. 4

Commercial Peering Services As announced at the CDW, Internet2 was considering creating a content peering exchange fabric as a benefit to its members. A beta trial is currently underway to help us understand the implications prior to deploying this across a national infrastructure. The intent is to gauge potential cost-savings in leveraging the community’s existing investment in a national backbone by allowing direct access to content providers and small internet service providers over the Internet2 backbone. At present, Indiana University and the Northern Crossroads (NOX) are participating in the trial. Early results with a few number of peers show a 20-30% traffic offload to settlement-free peering (no additional charge beyond Internet2 connector fees). The potential savings to the entire community could be significant. As configured for the trial, the service is a separate peering between Internet2 and the participating connectors, allowing the connectors to control how the peering service is distributed to their members. The NTAC and Internet2 staff will be seeking community input on how this service should be expanded to additional connectors and rolled out to the entire Internet2 community. Deployment and Transition Approach The deployment and transition approach takes advantage of the flexibility and capacity of the new network, by essentially building the new network in parallel with the existing Abilene network. Internet2 and the Indiana University Global NOC are working aggressively to leap- frog new routers into the nine new network router nodes as each section of the national backbone becomes available. In every case, the new network router and wave capabilities will be in place with connections to at least two other network points of presence before any connector traffic is cut over. Level(3) is deploying the Internet2 dedicated wave system to deliver the national backbone in four stages, moving east to west. As the network roll out moves west, Level(3) will be focusing on closing each of the six network rings sequentially one after another. Colocation for each stage will be deployed in advance of the dedicated wave system. As Level(3) completes colocation, the NOC will install the routers, grooming components and observatory equipment. Then Level(3) will certify and turn over the Infinera based waves throughout each ring. Working with Internet2, the NOC will then contact each connector and schedule a time to move the connection from the Abilene network to the new Internet2 network. In many cases, Internet2 will be able to offer connectors the new network as a second connection prior to turning down the Abilene connection. In instances where the connector can accommodate dual connections, this may be the preferred way to roll traffic over during transition. Finally, as all traffic rolls off a router, it will be decommissioned and sent to the next location. Connector Responsibilities for Transition In order to connect to the new Internet2 network, connectors are responsible for getting from their network to the Internet2 connection site. In all but a few cases, this will simply require the connector to order one or more cross connects to the Internet2 suite or colocation rack in a given facility. Internet2 is actively working with the few connectors who are not colocated near a network node for the new network. Approximately 60 days before the transition 5

window opens for a given connector, Internet2 and the NOC will be in contact with the connector with specific tie-down information about cross connects. For connectors who expect to use a large number of dedicated waves or sub-wavelengths on the new network, Internet2 would encourage the connector to consider a bulk cable to the Internet2 suite. A bulk cable with spare cross-connect capacity assures a connector can benefit from the rapid provisioning available on the new Internet2 Network and can be a cost effective alternative to ordering multiple cross-connects. Connectors should also be aware that a new network participation agreement is being developed that includes the relaxed Acceptable Use Policy and consideration for the new capabilities on the new network. Internet2 will be in contact with connectors about completing the new agreement as part of transition. Deployment Schedule Deployment of the network is already under way. At present, the New York to Washington, DC to Chicago segments are near completion. During the next several weeks and months, new routers will be turned up in Chicago, Washington and New York, and then the connectors along these paths will be moved to the new network infrastructure. As this is completed, the existing Abilene routers in New York, Chicago and Washington will move to Atlanta, Houston and Kansas City to continue the next phase of the deployment. The tentative schedule for the network deployment is as follows: Stage 1: New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago Boston and Buffalo Colocation Planning, Connector Coordination Complete Colocation Availability and Equipment Installation Oct. 17 to Dec. 4, 2006 Wave Availability and Backbone Turn Up Nov. 17, 2006 Connector Cutover and Abilene Node Turn Down Nov. 27, 2006 to Jan 17, 2007 Stage 2: Raleigh, Atlanta, Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis, Colocation Planning, Connector Coordination Final design due Nov. 22, 2006 Colocation Availability and Equipment Installation Jan. 30 to Mar. 2, 2007 Wave Availability and Backbone Turn Up Mar. 2, 2007 Connector Cutover and Abilene Node Turn Down Mar. 2 to Apr. 15, 2007 Stage 3: Kansas City, Tulsa, Houston, Baton Rouge, Jacksonville, Albuquerque, Denver Colocation Planning, Connector Coordination Final design due Jan. 9, 2007 Colocation Availability and Equipment Installation Mar. 19 to Apr. 19, 2007 Wave Availability and Backbone Turn Up Apr. 19, 2007 Connector Cutover and Abilene Node Turn Down Apr. 19 to May 20, 2007 Stage 4: Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles Colocation Planning, Connector Coordination Final design due Feb. 13, 2007 Colocation Availability and Equipment Installation April 23 to May 24, 2007 Wave Availability and Backbone Turn Up May 24 & June 12, 2007 Connector Cutover and Abilene Node Turn Down May 24 to July 15, 2007 6

In the coming months, we will share additional details with you about the transition and the status of our shared endeavor. As always, please share your input and feedback as often as you are able. We look forward to the discussion! Best Regards, Steve Cotter Rick Summerhill 7

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November 9, 2006 Dear Colleagues, In the few short months ... Document Transcript