GENI provides a programmable infrastructure for network experimentation, allowing multiple experiments to run concurrently in isolated 'slices' with shared resources. The platform supports deep programmability through customizable software installation and control via OpenFlow. Key features include federation of resources across multiple domains, short-lived deployments, and a focus on fostering innovation in network research.

1. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation
GENI
Exploring Networks of the Future
Niky Riga, GENI Project Office
US Ignite ONF Joint Workshop
www.geni.net

2. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 2GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
GENI: Infrastructure for Experimentation
GENI provides compute resources that can be connected in
experimenter specified Layer 2 topologies.

3. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 3GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
GENI: Infrastructure for Experimentation
GENI provides compute resources that can be connected in
experimenter specified Layer 2 topologies.

4. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 4GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
Multiple GENI Experiments run Concurrently
Resources can be shared between slices
Experiments
live in isolated
“slices”

5. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 5GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
GENI is “Deeply Programmable”
I install software I want
throughout my network slice (into
routers, switches, …) or control
switches using OpenFlow
OpenFlow part of the experiment not only the infrastructure

6. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 6GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
Envisioned architecture
Metro
Research
Backbones
InternetISP
U N I V E R S I T YU N I V E R S I T Y
U N I V E R S I T YU N I V E R S I T Y
Regional Networks Campus
g
g
gLegend
GENI-enabled
hardware
Layer 3
Control Plane
Layer 2
Data Plane
Federation of GENI-enabled resources

7. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 7GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
Key GENI differences
1. Shareable deep-programmability
• multi-purpose
2. Federation of resources
• no single administrative domain
• plug-and-play
3. Timescale of deployments
• mostly short-lived experiments
4. Network Innovation

8. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 8GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
Current GENI OpenFlow deployment
 Share OpenFlow resources with
FlowVisor
 Hardware switches running
OpenFlow 1.0
 Most switches run in hybrid
mode

9. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 9GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
Slice Support …
• Native isolation between
“slices”
• Better performance
• Faster adoption of new
standards
• Run different OF versions in
the same HW switch
Natively share the same physical OpenFlow switch
Image from: http://www.goodfon.com/wallpaper/165816.html

10. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 10GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
Enable innovation …
OpenFlow as the means:
• robust underlying platform for developing/running
simple controllers
• similar OpenFlow devices similar core support
• well documented behavior
OpenFlow research:
• ability to write OpenFlow extensions
• experimenters not infrastructure owners
Ability to quickly innovate across diverse infrastructure

11. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation 11GENI – 8 Oct 2013 www.geni.net
… “out of the box”
Cutting-edge network research:
• Functionality needed might not be
supported by current hardware
switches
• In-network ability to:
• store packets
• manipulate packets (e.g. encode/decode)
• Easy transition to production
GENI Racks serve as
programmable routers,
distributed clouds, etc
OpenFlow + general purpose compute =>
Push networking to the future