Bingli Guo

Multi-Tenant Software-Defined Hybrid Optical Switched Data Centre

We introduce a holistic solution for software-defined optical data centres (DC). Hybrid optical circuit/packet switching technologies are employed in the data plane, while a software-defined networking (SDN) controller based on OpenDaylight with significant extensions is adopted for the data centre network (DCN) control and management. Novel functional modules in the SDN controller together with its northbound (NBI) and southbound interfaces (SBI) are designed and developed. The OpenFlow protocol is extended at the SBI to support communication between the extended OpenDaylight SDN controller and the optical DCN devices. Over the NBIs, DC applications and the cloud management system directly interact with the optical DCN. A virtual data centre (VDC) application is designed and developed that dynamically creates and provisions multiple coexisting but isolated VDCs. An optical network-aware virtual machine (VM) placement method is proposed and implemented for a single-step deployment of both network and IT (VM) resources to accommodate the VDC requests. The VDC deployment process is extensively simulated and experimentally demonstrated.

Lightness: A Function-Virtualizable Software Defined Data Center Network With All-Optical Circuit/Packet Switching

Modern high-performance data centers are responsible for delivering a huge variety of cloud applications to the end-users, which are increasingly pushing the limits of the currently deployed computing and network infrastructure. All-optical dynamic data center network (DCN) architectures are strong candidates to overcome those adversities, especially when they are combined with an intelligent software defined control plane. In this paper, we report the first harmonious integration of an optical flexible hardware framework operated by an agile software and virtualization platform. The LIGHTNESS deeply programmable all-optical circuit and packet switched data plane is able to perform unicast/multicast switch-over on-demand, while the powerful software defined networking (SDN) control plane enables the virtualization of computing and network resources creating a virtual data center and virtual network functions (VNF) on top of the data plane. We experimentally demonstrate realistic intra DCN with deterministic latencies for both unicast and multicast, showcasing monitoring, and database migration scenarios each of which is enabled by an associated network function virtualization element. Results demonstrate a fully functional complete unification of an advanced optical data plane with an SDN control plane, promising more efficient management of the next-generation data center compute and network resources.

SDN and NFV convergence a technology enabler for abstracting and virtualising hardware and control of optical networks (invited)

A new architecture utilizing combination of SDN and NFV for deeply programmable optical Internet infrastructure is proposed where network devices can be sliced, interconnected and programmed on demand for specific transport and network computing tasks.

Enabling multi-tenancy in hybrid optical packet/circuit switched data center networks

In a flattened optical data center network employing hybrid technologies, multi-tenancy is enabled by a new virtual data center embedding method that is equipped with network-aware VM placement exploiting the advanced but complex characteristics of diverse optical technologies.

Demonstration of Virtualizeable and Software-Defined Optical Transceiver

In order to serve the future high-performance network-based Internet applications, optical network virtualization is proposed to offer each application type a dedicated virtual optical network (VON). Virtualizeable bandwidth variable transceiver (V-BVT) is a key enabler in supporting the creation of multiple VONs. In this paper, we present a feasible V-BVT architecture that can be a part of a software-defined optical network. The proposed V-BVT has a novelty to offer independent operation, control, and management abilities to the clients or higher level network controllers. In addition, a specific V-BVT virtualization algorithm is proposed, in order to enable the efficient creation of multiple coexisting, but independent virtual transceivers that share the same V-BVT physical resources. The virtual transceiver can provide specific bit rate, subcarrier, modulation format, and a corresponding baud rate to each VON, based on the requirement of the VON demand, V-BVT resources availability, and optical network status. We further realize the proposed V-VBT architecture on an experimental platform with a software-defined network controller. The V-BVT resource allocation through the proposed virtualization algorithm is also performed using the extended OpenFlow protocol. The proposed and experimentally demonstrated V-BVT achieves independence in virtual transceivers control and management in the control plane, while maintaining the coexisting and isolation features in the physical layer.

First demonstration of multi-vendor and multi-domain EON with S-BVT and control interoperability over Pan-European testbed

The operation of multi-domain and multi-vendor EONs can be achieved by interoperable Sliceable Bandwidth Variable Transponders, a GMPLS/BGP-LS-based control plane and a planning tool. This paper reports the first full demonstration and validation this end-to-end architecture.

LIGHTNESS: A deeply-programmable SDN-enabled data centre network with OCS/OPS multicast/unicast switch-over

We demonstrate an all-optical dynamic DCN utilizing a fully SDN-enabled data-plane including programmable FPGA-based NICs, offering Network Function Virtualization OCS/OPS driven multicasting for Virtual DC applications enabling link recovery and VM migration.

Demonstration of optical virtualize-able transceiver using extended OpenFlow control

A feasible optical virtualize-able transceiver is proposed to support virtual optical networks by creating multiple co-existing virtual transceivers controlled by SDN. This solution is experimentally demonstrated, showing on-demand selection of subcarriers, channel spacing and modulation formats.

Synchronization in a Random Length Ring Network for SDN-Controlled Optical TDM Switching

In this paper we focus on optical time division multiplexed (TDM) switching and its main distinguishing characteristics compared with other optical subwavelength switching technologies.We review and discuss in detail the synchronization requirements that allow for proper switching operation. In addition, we propose a novel synchronization algorithm that enables automatic synchronization of software defined networking controlled all-optical TDM switching nodes connected in a ring network. Besides providing synchronization, the algorithmalso can facilitate dynamic slot size change and failure detection. We experimentally validate the algorithm behavior and achieve correct operation for three different ring lengths. Moreover,we experimentally demonstrate data plane connectivity in a ring network composed of three nodes and show successful wavelength division multiplexing space division multiplexing transmission and switching of data bursts when using the proposed algorithm to provide synchronization.

Optical network virtualization using multi-technology monitoring and optical virtualize-able transceiver

We introduce multi-technology transport layer monitoring to facilitate coordinated virtualization of optical and packet networks supported by optical virtualize-able transceivers. The scheme is experimentally demonstrated to show a holistic configuration across both layers.