OnDemand Provisioning of Ethernet Services over Multiple Network Domains by Using OIF UNIENNI InterD

1

• On-Demand Provisioning of Ethernet Services over
  Multiple Network Domains by Using OIF UNI/E-NNI
  Inter-Domain Interfaces
• Ursula Eisenblätter, Ferdinand Hommes
• Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and
  Information Systems, Schloss Birlinghoven, 53754
  Sankt Augustin, Germany
• Hans-Martin Foisel, Axel Weber
• T-Systems, Goslarer Ufer 35, 10589 Berlin,
  Germany
• TNC 2007, 21 to 24 May 2007 Copenhagen, Denmark

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Outline

• UNI 2.0 (Ethernet) Overview
• Test Scenarios
• Test Results
• This presentation is based on experimental
  evaluations performed
• within the VIOLA test bed (German Project, partly
  funded by the German Federal Ministry of
  Education and Research, BMBF)
• the MUPBED test bed (European FP-6 Project)
• joint activities between these two projects

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ASON Model

• SPC Soft Permanent Connections
• initiated by management system
• path is created via signaling
• SC Switched Connections
• initiated via UNI by a client network instance
• path is created via signaling

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OIF UNI 2.0 for Provisioning Ethernet Services
Ethernet switched connection
Carrier A Domain
Ethernet Client
Ethernet Client
Carrier C Domain
Carrier B Domain
OIF E-NNI
OIF E-NNI
OIF UNI
OIF UNI
NE
NE
NE
NE
Ethernet
Ethernet
SDH
GbE
GbE
Virtual Concatenation Group (up to 21 STS-1 or 7
VC-4)
Data plane
. . .
. . .
. . .
UNI-N
UNI-N
UNI-C
UNI-C
Ethernet Layer Call/Connection Flow
Control plane
SONET/SDH Layer Call/Connection Flow
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Setup of Ethernet Switched Connection (SC)
(picture OIF 2005.088.07)
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Joint MUPBED-VIOLA E-NNI and UNI 2.0 TestsUNI
2.0 Clients and Cross Connects
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Tests Performed

• Connection Create
• Graceful Deletion
• from Originating Client
• from Destination Client
• Forced Deletion
• from Originating Client
• from Destination Client

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Test Equipment Cross Connects

• Alcatel 1678 MCC
• Siemens hiT 7070
• Sycamore SN16000
• Ericsson OMS3240
• Note
• OIF UNI 2.0 not finalized
• Prototype implementations of UNI 2.0 based on
  intermediate versions of the OIF UNI 2.0
  specification

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UNI Clients

• Alcatel Proxy UNI Client, developed within VIOLA
• Configuration SNMP, GUI, CLI
• System HP workstation with LINUX
• Features
• One client can signal traffic for different
  interfaces of UNI-N
• Only one instance of UNI-C can run on the HP
  workstation
• Navtel InterEmulator UNI Client
• Configuration GUI
• System Navtel InterEmulator running on SUN
  Workstation using Solaris Operation System
• Features
• Multiple Instances of Clients

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Test Scenarios Protocol Analysis, Visualisation
of Paths

• WIRESHARK Clearpond

but also Command Line Interfaces,
Management-Systems etc.
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Test Results - Overview

• The inter-domain interworking experimental
  evaluations were accomplished successfully!
• All possible, control plane based, on-demand SDH
  and Ethernet connection configuration could be
  achieved, bridging multiple vendor domains
• SDH soft permanent and switched connections
• Ethernet soft permanent and switched connections
• Most of the issues arising due to the prototype
  implementation status of the control plane
  functions could be solved by close and fruitful
  cooperation with the vendors.
• These experimental evaluations turn out to be a
  very successful cooperation between the VIOLA and
  MUPBED projects

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Test Results - SCN Issues

• During the tests a lot of errors and
  interoperability issues occurred, but error
  analysis was very complicated
• Packet sniffing via Wireshark software or vendor
  related debugging tools
• A complex flat signaling network (SCN) had to be
  set up in order to monitor all packets belonging
  to one connection
• Some network elements mandate a flat SCN network,
  otherwise they could not communicate with each
  other (e.g. OSPF multicast)
• In some cases the networks for control plane
  (signaling) and management had to be different,
  i.e. two separate SCN and DCN networks required

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Test Scenarios SCN and DCN Network
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Test Results Configuration Issues

• Different configuration interfaces
• Command line interface
• Alcatel 1678 GMRE
• SNMP interfaces
• Alcatel UNI-C Proxy, Siemens hiT 7070
• Graphical User Interfaces
• Alcatel UNI-C Proxy, Navtel UNI Client,Siemens
  hiT 7070 Craft Terminal, Sycamore SN16000
• Only partial integration into existing management
  systems until now ? ongoing work at vendor sites

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Test Results - Interworking

• Signaling works fine between network elements of
  one vendor
• Interworking between different vendors
• Vendors have implemented different sub-sets of
  standards
• Optional protocol elements were sometimes not
  ignored but rejected
• Various control flows for creating, keeping and
  deleting connections
• Confirmation, no confirmation, handling of
  refresh messages, graceful and forced deletion,
  values for timers
• Different state of implementations of add-ons
  were found
• ? Most of the problems could be solved during the
  tests

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Example for Interoperability Problems concerning
Parameters in RSVP Messages
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Test Results TNA Issues

• TNA Transport Network Assigned Address
• IPv4 address, IPv6 address, NSAP address
• In reality only IPv4 addresses used
• Problems / restrictions
• Distribution of TNAs via OSPF-TE
• Static routing entries for TNAs on one system
  (OSPF-TE within I-NNI does not distribute TNAs)
• Summarization of TNAs at E-NNI borders currently
  not included in the specification and therefore
  not supported
• No global addressing scheme for TNAs (use of
  private IP addresses)

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Test Results Error Handling

• Error messages shown during connection create
  are often not helpful
• Generic error messages like RSVP system error
  or Routing Error
• Besides protocol analysis via Wireshark different
  management interfaces must be consulted to locate
  an error(CLI, SNMP, craft terminal)
• Sometimes real error reason could only be found
  by experts using undocumented debugging commands
• Errors based on different interpretation of
  protocol standards could be easier found and
  overcome by direct vendor to vendor communication

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Test Results - Supported Ethernet Bandwidth at
UNI Interfaces

• During the tests preliminary standards did not
  contain T-Specs for Ethernet Connections
• Only reference OIF specification for
  interoperability tests 2005 (OIF 2005.088.07)
• 150, 250, 350 and 500 Mbit/s, 1 Gbit/s
• Alcatel 1678 MCC
• OIF 2005.088.07 values, additionally 650 and 800
  Mbit/s
• Siemens hiT 7070
• only 500 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s from the OIF
  2005.088.07 values
• Behaviour when using other than the supported
  values
• GbE LSP created with one VC4 connection
• GbE LSP not created, but several VC4 connections
  were created

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Test Results - Requirements

• Requirements towards the OIF
• UNI 2.0 specification completion takes too long
  final Implementation Agreement strongly needed
• Auto-discovery mechanisms would ease
  configuration and operation of control plane
  enabled networks significantly specifications
  and interoperable implementations highly
  desirable
• Basic SCN design guidelines would be helpful
• Requirements towards vendors
• Support auto-discovery and auto-configuration
  wherever possible
• Provide more and detailed information in case of
  errors
• Provide homogeneous management systems with
  standardized interfaces (SNMP, XML) for third
  party management systems

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Future Activities

• VIOLA ended in April 2007
• Drafts for new projects
• Focus on bandwidth-on-demand services for GRID
  users
• Hybrid (Ethernet/SDH) and all-optical switching
  based on ASON/GMPLS
• MUPBED will end in September 2007
• Based on the experiences in the MUPBED project a
  project proposal was submitted in the frame of
  1st Call on eInfrastructures in FP7
• OIF Worldwide Interoperability Demonstrations of
  On-Demand Ethernet Services on global scale are
  planned in September 2007
• European IST project Phosphorus started in
  October 2006
• GRID enabled GMPLS control plane
• Advance reservation
• Distribution and allocation of GRID and network
  resources
• Interworking between different Network Resource
  Provisioning Systems(Argon, DRAG, UCLP)

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References

• VIOLA
• www.viola-testbed.de
• MUPBED
• www.ist-mupbed.eu
• Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF)
• www.oiforum.com
• Phosphorus
• www.ist-phosphorus.eu

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Summary

• Inter-domain interworking in a heterogeneous
  multi-domain network environment could be
  accomplished successfully.
• Thanks to the close and fruitful cooperation with
  vendors, in most cases the interoperability
  problems could be solved.
• But, achieving interoperability is a very time
  consuming process.
• Questions?