Topology WG: Interconnect Technology

In both domestic US peering and international peering, the Internet2 infrastructure interconnects with other advanced networks. Such interconnection, however, is valuable only if it preserves the advanced performance and functionality of the interconnected networks. In contrast to the connections between Internet2 gigaPoPs and backbones, where simple packet-over-Sonet connections are so effective, connections between Internet2 backbones and domestic/international peer networks are often done using some form of multilateral interconnect fabric. There is a need to understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of several possible technology bases for such an interconnect fabric, including:

• ATM switches, as with the current NGIXes and the StarTap project;
• gigabit Ethernet, as with the interconnect among Abilene, CA*net3, and the Pacific Northwest GigaPoP;
• agressive use of packet-over-Sonet interfaces, as with the new interconnection between Abilene and DANTE in New York City; and
• the future use of optical switching.

Of concern here are avoidance of head-of-line blocking and other possible sources of end-to-end performance problems and avoidance of problems that might inhibit the use of advanced services such as native IP multicast.

Both Internet2 staff and other WG members can contribute to these.