Special Report: Network Provisioning
Recommendation 3: Dynamically Reconfigured Channels: Provisioning of dynamically specified end-to-end quality paths must be supported so that channels can be dynamically reconfigured. In support of operations such as computational steering (for example, in genomics applications) and time-constrained experimental data analysis (for example, in fusion energy applications), multiple traffic streams may have to be supported for different periods of execution. Recommendation 4: Multi-Resolution Quality of Service: Channels with various types of Quality of Service (QoS) parameters must be supported at various resolutions using GMPLS, service provisioning and channel sharing technologies. The resolution levels could be quite varied and qualitatively different such as lambda, sub-lambda, various levels of OC-X, and IP-shared channels with specified total data rates. For example, pools of dynamically provisioned channels might be needed to support the collaborative visualization and steering operations in reconfigurable logical topologies.
Recommendation 5: Experimental Test-Beds: Experimental research networks are needed to validate new ultra high-speed protocols and dynamic provisioning technologies. These aspects are discussed more in greater detail in Section 6.3. Due to the leading edge nature of several dynamic provisioning components (as opposed to IP infrastructure components), the above recommendations are valid for the short term of next five years and a long term of ten years. Typically, the application users will send their channel requests along with the performance parameters. These requests will be granted by a resource scheduler, which hands over the schedule to a signaling system. This system will then setup the paths as per the schedule by sending the signals to various switches and provisioning platforms, and will tear them down at the end of the allocated periods. The provisioning technologies must be developed in close coordination with the developers of transport methods, middleware, applications and operating systems. They must be gracefully integrated with applications and middleware, and interoperate with legacy and evolutionary networks in appropriates cases; the latter is particularly important in IP connections. The required provisioning technologies must be developed under realistic test conditions and in close interaction with applications developers. Such efforts must be supported by a developer- scale test-bed which is application-centric and is capable of dedicated cross country bandwidth pipes. A similar test-bed has also been recommended by the protocols working group, and hence is discussed separately in Section 6.3, where the ideas of both groups are integrated into one recommendation.
4.2 Barriers to Provisioning In addition to the technological issues, there are financial and organizational barriers to the development and deployment of provisioning technologies. These are listed as follows: . . Limited deployment of ultra-long haul DWDM links; . . Lack of support for striped/parallel transport (that utilize multiple data streams to fill the available link bandwidths) both at the core and application levels; . . Lack of high-speed circuit-switched infrastructure with network control-plane design and synchronous NICs with high-speed and on-demand reconfigurability; and . . Lack of well-developed methods and application interfaces for scheduling/reserving, allocation, initiation.
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