Researchers often require more flexibility, desiring entire portions of the network to be in their control. This project develops the theory, algorithms, and testbed to design and implement an optical infrastructure based on virtualizing the optical layer equipment itself. The research addresses the virtualization of physical network elements to form VN as horizontal slices of physical networks that can span multiple physical and management domains. The framework follows the proposed 4D (decision, dissemination, discovery, and data planes) architecture that maintains a high level of centralized control yet ensures flexibility, multi-domain connectivity, and network scalability. Novel algorithms are developed, tested, and shared with the research community. The objectives of the research are the following:
- Develop new virtualizatin technology based on virtual network elements utilizing a 4D network architecture.
- Extend IA RWA (routing and wavelength assignment) and lightpath restoration algorithms to apply to these VNs for both single and multi-domain environments.
- Demonstrate these new technologies in the NSF-supported MAX testbed at the University of Maryland, with VNs controlled remotely by University of Virginia and George Washington University PIs.
- Solicit other optical networkers to conduct research in the MAX testbed remotely using this technology.
- Make our virtualization software available to the research community.
The result of this work is a novel architecture and tools for composing virtual optical infrastructures and an enhanced control plane architecture that will be made available to GENI users on the MAX Research Network, one of the GENI optical substrates.
