GÉANT Project (GN4-3)​ white papers

Published date | 9 February 2023

This white paper reports on network performance tests carried out in the GÉANT GN4-3 project in late 2021 and early 2022 over the newly established 100G BELLA research and education network link between Europe and South America. The tests, conducted to minimise impact on production traffic, demonstrated throughput of up to 96.9 Gbit/s using iperf2 with optimised TCP parameters.

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Published date | 30 January 2023

This white paper presents the results of a development of a low-cost open-source flow monitoring system which leverages Netronome Agilio CX programmable network interface cards. The developed system is capable of non-sampled line-rate flow monitoring at 10 Gbps. In addition to giving a detailed system description, the white paper describes a set of challenges encountered while working on the system implementation, providing a realistic view of the capabilities of programming such devices.
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Published date | 17 January 2023

This white paper describes a methodology for testing the performance of white box network devices through the presentation of a use case, the Private Peering Node.
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Published date | 11 January 2023

This document provides a list of terms and abbreviations in the context of orchestration, automation and virtualisation. Definitions were provided based on standardisation documents whenever possible; some have also been extended to reflect the understanding of the terms as used by a large number of NRENs in the GÉANT community. As of version 1.1, the document has also been adopted by the GNA-G Network Automation working group as their reference terminology.
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Published date | 31 December 2022

This white paper describes the assessment of the quality of optical frequency signal transfer in an unmodified (unidirectional) DWDM network with a range of more than 2000 km. It also covers a description of the necessary modifications to the Optical Carrier signal transfer system required to realise this type of transmission using a pair of optical fibres.
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Published date | 28 November 2022

This document analyses the mapping of the GÉANT network architecture to the TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA). This analysis is one of a series of such documents aiming to provide a standardised view of the components and implementations of orchestration, automation and virtualisation (OAV) within the community.
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Published date | 31 October 2022

This white paper describes how various European National Research and Education Networks manage and monitor production time and frequency (T&F) services implemented over optical fibres. It covers T&F transfer techniques, management areas, consistent monitoring of T&F equipment, and optical considerations for the successful operation of T&F services.
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Published date | 08 September 2022

This white paper investigates the capabilities of current P4-programmable platforms in terms of timestamps and clock synchronisation, and evaluates their readiness for emerging In-band Network Telemetry (INT) monitoring applications. It provides a summary of INT, introduces the concepts of time synchronisation, and presents a review of current P4 platforms’ capabilities, including the practical implications for INT.
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Published date | 04 February 2022

This document analyses the mapping of the network architecture of the Polish Optical Internet (PIONIER) - a nationwide broadband optical network for e-science to the TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA). This analysis is one of a series of such documents aiming to provide a standardised view of the components and implementations of orchestration, automation and virtualisation (OAV) within the NRENs.
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Published date | 24 January 2022

This document analyses the mapping of the GRNET (Greek Research and Technology Network) architecture to the TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture aiming to provide a standardised view of the components and implementations of orchestration, automation, and virtualisation for network management services.
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Published date | 05 January 2022

The document analyses the mapping of the NMaaS (Network Management as a Service) architecture to the TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture aiming to provide a standardised view of the components and implementations of orchestration, automation and virtualisation for network management services.
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Published date | 20 October 2021

The document analyses the mapping of the HEAnet architecture to the TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture, aiming to provide a standardised view of the components and implementations of orchestration, automation, and virtualisation within the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs).
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Published date | 13 September 2021

This document describes a use case and a testbed implementation of the Funet customer-premises equipment (CPE) edge router, which is based on disaggregated network operating system and router hardware. The results of feature and performance tests are presented.
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Published date | 07 September 2021

Frequency dissemination in phase-stabilised optical fibre networks for metrological frequency comparisons and precision measurements are promising candidates to overcome the limitations imposed by satellite techniques. However, in an architecture shared with telecommunication data traffic, network constraints may restrict the availability of dedicated channels in the commonly used C-band. Here, SWITCH and its partners demonstrate the dissemination of an SI-traceable ultrastable optical frequency in the L-band over a 456 km fibre network with ring topology, in which data traffic occupies the full C-band.
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Published date | 06 September 2021

This document presents how white box can be used as a switch or a router to implement a data centre network in Greece by the Greek NREN GRNET, providing the results of the first implementation in production.
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Published date | 16 June 2021

This document analyses the mapping of the CARNET architecture to the TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture, aiming to provide a standardised view of the components and implementations of orchestration, automation and virtualisation within the NRENs.
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Published date | 16 June 2021

This document describes the GeoLab testbed service which offers an opportunity to create a partnership between EllaLink, EMACOM, FCT, and GÉANT in order to provide an infrastructure for the benefit of the global scientific community.
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Published date | 27 May 2021

This document describes the implementation of a Global Internet Exchange point (GIX) based on white box hardware and a commercial network operating system, OcNOS. The objectives of the project were to renew the GIX with the same set of features, reduce the Total Cost of Ownership, increase independence from traditional network vendors, and provide flexibility with regard to future Layer 2 core architecture options, which were successfully met.
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Published date | 26 May 2021

The advancement of orchestration, automation and virtualisation (OAV) technologies drives the transition from traditional architectures to agile solutions that can respond to the digital transformation demands. The GN4-3 Network Technologies and Services Development Work Package (WP6), Network Services Evolution and Development Task (T2) has analysed the requirements for building collaborative digital services and proposes a high-level reference architecture that can help the community design and implement their digital platforms in an interoperable way. The flexibility of the proposed blueprint architecture is presented by mapping it against different architectural solutions proposed by standardisation bodies and research projects.
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Published date | 28 April 2021

This document describes how NRENs can test the performance of white boxes, and specifically their control plane (i.e. number of routes) and forwarding performance.
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Published date | 25 February 2021

This document reports the conclusions drawn and lessons learned from the study and implementation of In-Band Network Telemetry (INT) carried out by the DPP sub-task of WP6 T1.
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Published date | 20 January 2021

This document provides a list of terms and abbreviations in the context of orchestration, automation and virtualisation. Definitions were provided based on standardisation documents whenever possible, some also extended to reflect the understanding of the terms as used by a large number of NRENs in the GÉANT community. As of version 1.1, the document has also been adopted by the GNA-G Network Automation working group as their reference terminology.
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Published date | 19 January 2021

This document presents an overview and principles of current quantum technologies: services, use cases (including Quantum Key Distribution), projects, initiatives and challenges. It also covers technology testing opportunities, initiatives and strategies for the GÉANT and NREN communities.
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Published date | 09 December 2020

This document analyses the mapping of the SURFnet architecture to the TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture, as part of the GN4-3 project’s ongoing activity in the Network Technologies and Service Development’s work package to provide a standardised view of the components and implementations of orchestration, automation and virtualisation within the NRENs. Overall, it can be concluded that the SURFnet OAV architecture, although independently developed, is very much aligned to the ODA’s core principles and design concepts.
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Published date | 09 December 2020

This document undertakes an analysis of CYNET’s network architecture components. It does so by comparing the current status to the TMForum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA), which is the reference architecture selected by the GN4-3 project’s Orchestration, Automation and Virtualisation (OAV) focus group within the Network Technologies and Services Development Work Package. The analysis can help to further develop the potential for CYNET to be compatible with future OAV multi-domain processes and workflows throughout Europe.
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Published date | 09 December 2020

Many research projects need to transfer large amounts of data and use specialised Data Transfer Nodes (DTNs) to optimise the efficiency of these transfers. In order to help NRENs to better support user communities who seek to move large volumes of data across their network, a DTN Focus Group was set up in the Network Technologies and Services Development work package (WP6) of the GN4-3 project, which has performed several activities around DTN deployment, the results of which are summarised in this document.
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Published date | 10 August 2020

This document presents the distribution of time and frequency services and existing projects in several European national research and education networks, which are members of the GÉANT 4-3 project.
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Published date | 24 April 2020

This document describes a white box technology pilot run for a high-school network in Normandy, France. It shows how a white box x86 server can be used as a CPE router, including the requirements, design and results obtained from the devices installed in the production network. It also explores the concept of NFV for potential future implementations.
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Published date | 20 April 2020

White box technology offers an opportunity for network operators in the NREN and R&E community to gain a certain level of independence from vendors as it prevents lock-in to a specific hardware or software vendor or platform. Beyond the strategic interest in a white box approach, there is an expectation of a reduction in the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a white box router or network device. This document describes the different components of that cost and gives guidance on how to calculate the TCO.

Published date | 08 April 2020

This document provides a list of terms and abbreviations in the context of orchestration, automation and virtualisation. Definitions were provided based on standardisation documents whenever possible, some also extended to reflect the understanding of the terms as used by a large number of NRENs in the GÉANT community.
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