Internet2 Support for GENI

The Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) is an important National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative to support clean-slate thinking and testing of new networking technologies and protocols. The NSF has funded BBN Technologies to run the GENI Projects Office (GPO) and provides system engineering and project management expertise to guide the planning and prototyping efforts for the project.

Internet2 and its member organizations are heavily involved in the GENI initiative. Not only are many of the researchers working on GENI based at Internet2 member organizations, but Internet2 also provides a range of services and infrastructure in support of the project. In addition, Internet2 is a collaborator on a number of GENI-specific research projects. A guide to these resources is provided below. For help understanding or connecting your project to GENI using Internet2 resources, email rs@internet2.edu.

Using Internet2 to Connect to GENI

Researchers can use Internet2's IP network or advanced Layer 2 services to connect to any of the GENI backbone services. In many cases, use of these services is transparent to the researcher. Advanced Layer 2 services provide a flexible set of services that allow the researcher to choose dynamic or persistent VLANs with dedicated or best-effort bandwidth. Additional information on basic Internet2 Network services can be found at http://www.internet2.edu/network/services.

GENI Backbone Resources

  • Advanced Layer 2 Services – GENI experimenters have access to 1Gbps of dedicated bandwidth, burstable to 10 Gbps on Internet2's existing backbone. Researchers can use this to connect to the GPO OpenFlow Core backbone or to create their own topologies using advanced Layer 2 services.
  • GENI OpenFlow Core – GENI network core is a set of OpenFlow-capable switches in Internet2 and NLR.
    • There are currently two standing VLANs (3715 and 3716) carried on ten switches in the core. Experimenters may use these standing VLANs within the GENI core network without having to coordinate with either network provider.
    • Experimenters will, however, have to coordinate with their campuses and/or regional networks to connect to the GENI core. The two standing VLANS in the network core also bridge between the Internet2 and NLR networks.
  • HP "RackLan" or "Observatory" switch – Provides Internet2 IP access for management as well as an off/on ramp for GENI projects.

Collaborative Projects

Internet2 is involved in six GENI projects, including the GENI OpenFlow core mentioned above. Two of the six projects are for the development of new GENI associated services.

General GENI Information

The GENI Wiki is the definitive source of information on the GENI backbone, connection options and projects associate with the GENI project. It is a living repository for information relating to the GENI design and GPO-led design process.

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