Joint Demonstration with IBM and Marist College Uses VMotion as Real-Life Use Case for Application-Driven Virtualization
New York, New York, USA. September, 16 2013. ADVA Optical Networking announced today that it has successfully demonstrated a virtualized optical transmission network using Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and OpenFlow-based control. Developed in partnership with IBM and Marist College, this demonstration represents an industry first. While virtualization within data center walls is standard practice, extending the virtualization to the physical network that interconnects data centers has not been possible – until now. The demonstration took place in Marist College’s lab facilities within its New York campus.
“Bandwidth patterns in cloud environments are constantly changing, creating dynamic bandwidth bottlenecks in static transport networks. SDN and related software finally give us the tools and all-layer access to write applications to create agile and flexible data flows,” said Robert Cannistra, senior professional lecturer, Computer Science and Information Technology, Marist College. “The only way to meet the fierce bandwidth demand while improving the end user experience is to make the network more dynamic and responsive. With the technology in our test bed, you only need to setup the network once. Afterwards, everything else is handled automatically in response to real-time performance metrics.”
In the SDN demonstration, three geographically diverse data centers with switching, server and storage technology from IBM are interconnected by a fully reconfigurable and OpenFlow-enabled optical network based upon the ADVA FSP 3000. An open-source SDN application, developed by Marist College, dynamically provisions the optical circuits and monitors, manages and manipulates (create, modify, delete) end-to-end flows across all layers of the network.
In the first stage of the project, a web interface running on an open sourced OpenFlow controller was developed to enable on-the-fly provisioning as well as downloading of pre-defined traffic profiles to quickly reconfigure optical traffic patterns. In a second stage, the OpenFlow-enabled Layer 2 switching fabric from IBM was added to the network highlighting full network virtualization across both Layers 1 and 2. In the final stage, the fully automated movement of Virtual Machines (VMs) between data centers was achieved in response to alarms triggered by VM monitoring software, including the provisioning of completely new optical circuits, thus demonstrating how relevant data center applications can benefit from a virtualized network approach.
Cloud computing and data center virtualization are creating a more volatile environment than ever before. VM loads are constantly being balanced across geographically diverse clusters and locations to use compute resources more efficiently. It is no longer economically viable or physically feasible to overprovision transport networks for peak demand. The answer is flexibility and scalability on all network layers enabling an end-to-end, all-layer provisioning of flows.
“This demonstration reveals how resources can be cost-effectively pooled among data centers by automating wavelength provisioning, commissioning and assignment, while equipping the network to dynamically respond to on-the-fly changes in application workload and traffic patterns,” commented Casimer DeCusatis, distinguished engineer, IBM.
“When end-to-end provisioning of an “application” aware network becomes automated and therefore instantaneous, a whole new paradigm in network orchestration arrives,” said Todd Bundy, business development director, ADVA Optical Networking. “In addition to load balancing across data centers, dynamic functions such as bandwidth calendaring, “follow-the-sun” applications and new more cost effective disaster recovery mechanisms become possible as well. I can now push a button and instantly accomplish what used to take dozens of people across multiple departments weeks to months to do. The possibilities are profound.”
About ADVA Optical Networking
ADVA Optical Networking is a global provider of intelligent telecommunications infrastructure solutions. With software-automated Optical+Ethernet transmission technology, the Company builds the foundation for high-speed, next-generation networks. The Company’s FSP product family adds scalability and intelligence to customers’ networks while removing complexity and cost. With a flexible and fast-moving organization, ADVA Optical Networking forges close partnerships with its customers to meet the growing demand for data, storage, voice and video services. Thanks to reliable performance for two decades, the Company has become a trusted partner for more than 250 carriers and 10,000 enterprises across the globe. For more information, please visit us at www.advaoptical.com.
About IBM
IBM is a globally integrated technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. With operations in more than 170 countries, IBM develops and sells software and systems hardware and a broad range of infrastructure, cloud, and consulting services. For more information on IBM, visit www.ibm.com.
About Marist College
Marist College is a comprehensive, independent institution grounded in the liberal arts. Its mission is to “help students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century.” Marist is consistently recognized for excellence by U.S. News & World Report (8th Best Regional University), The Princeton Review (“The Best 377 Colleges”), Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (“Best value”), and others. Though now independent, Marist remains committed to the ideals handed down from its founders, the Marist Brothers: excellence in education, a sense of community, and a commitment to service. Marist educates 4,500 traditional-age undergraduate students and over 1,400 adult and graduate students in 44 undergraduate majors and 12 graduate programs, including fully online MBA, MPA, MS, and MA degrees. Marist is a long-time higher education leader in using technology to support teaching, learning, scholarship, and institutional effectiveness. The College’s advanced technology infrastructure is at the level of sophistication of those typically found only at advanced research institutions. In January, Marist received a $3 million state grant to establish the New York State Cloud Computing and Analytics Center. Please visit us at www.marist.edu
