FP6 IST Broadband for all

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• FP6 IST Broadband for all
• Network of Excellence
• Project 001933
• e-Photon/ONe Optical Networks Towards
  Bandwidth Manageability and Cost Efficiency
• COST 279 Final Seminar
• Lisbon, June 29th, 2005

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FP6 Instruments

• Generation, demonstration and validation of new
  knowledge through research and development
• Integrated Projects (IPs 10M)
• Specific Tergeted Research Projects (STRePs
  2M)
• Durable integration of the participants
  activities and capacities
• Networks of Excellence (NoEs 7M)
• Support to collaboration and coordination, and to
  other activities
• Coordination Actions (CAs 1M)
• Specific Support Actions (SSAs 0.5M)

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6FP First IST Call

• Costly paperwork and proposal preparation
• Relatively little funding to ICT
• Strong competition among several NoEs and IPs for
  strategic objective Broadband for All
• The ranking of e-Photon/ONe was 22/25 (best in
  Broadband for all among NoEs and IPs)
• The EC proposed (and final) grant was 2.9 M? for
  2 years ?

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What is a Network of Excellence?

• From Marimon report on EC IST projects
  Networks of Excellence should be designed as an
  instrument to cover different forms of
  collaboration and different sizes of
  partnerships
• Difficulties
• Consensus in the selection of a small number of
  excellent partners to build a NoE
• Durable integration across a large number of NoE
  partners
• Preferred approach
• Provide various levels of integration in a large
  trans-national network with a significant
  consensus in the scientific community
• The participation of institutions not belonging
  to the consortium may be allowed considering
  different models of involvement
• e-Photon/ONe aims at integrating and focusing
  the rich know-how available in Europe on optical
  communication and networks, both in universities
  and in research centres of major telecom
  manufacturers and operators using the following
  structure
• strong integration of a core membership (WP
  leaders)
• active involvement of all partners in the NoE
• involvement of external institutions
  (Collaborating Institutions)

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Consortium composition - I

• Politecnico di Torino, Italy
• Università di Bologna, Italy
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy
• Fondazione Ugo Bordoni, Rome, Italy
• Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
• INTEC - Ghent University - IMEC, Gent, Belgium
• Technical University of Eindhoven, The
  Netherlands
• Faculté Polytechnique de Mons, Mons, Belgium
• COM - Technical University of Denmark,
  Copenhagen, Denmark
• Kista Photonics Research Centre, Kista, Sweden
• Fraunhofer Gesellschaft - Heinrich Hertz
  Institute, Germany
• Duisburg University, Germany
• University of Stuttgart - Institute of
  Communication Networks and Computer Engineering,
  Germany
• Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• Vienna University of Technology, Austria
• Groupe des Ecoles de Telecommunications, France

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Consortium composition - II

• University of Essex, UK
• University College London (UCL), London, UK
• University of Cambridge, UK
• University of Southampton, UK
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain
• Universdad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
• Universidad Pública de Navarra, Spain
• Polytecnic of Valencia, Spain
• Instituto de Telecomunicações, Aveiro, Portugal
• National Technical University of Athens, Greece
• University of Athens, Greece
• University of Patras, Greece
• Budapest University of Technology and Economics,
  Budapest, Hungary
• Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
• University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
• University of Mining and Metallurgy (AGH), Poland

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Consortium composition - III

• Industrial partners
• Telefónica Investigación y Desarrollo, Spain
• T-Systems Nova GmbH, Germany
• Siemens, Germany
• Telenor RD, Oslo, Norway
• France Telecom, France
• Alcatel RI, France
• 38 partner institutions
• 32 academic institutions
• 4 telecom operators
• 2 manufacturers
• with broad European coverage (from Portugal to
  Turkey)
• 400 researchers actively involved in the NoE
• Coordinator Fabio Neri (Politecnico di Torino)

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Some comments

• A large number of partners raises project
  management issues
• The EC grant must be efficiently utilized
• A strong and well-defined project structure is
  required
• Hierarchy of responsibilities
• Several committees and boards to steer and
  promote activities
• Efficient project office
• NoEs bring new and unusual goals
• EC grant not for funding individual research
• Partners must learn to work towards integration
• Results should come in the medium to long term
• But the e-Photon/ONe duration was cut from 5 to 2
  years
• raising issues on effectiveness of the activities
• downsizing of final objectives

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Funding limited to two years

• Same for all IPs and NoEs in Broadband for All
• Two years is too short several activities
  require a longer time span (e.g., PhD students
  should be financed for three years)
• The project will have to stop its activities at
  the end of the initial warm-up transient
• Limiting NoEs to two years appears as a symptom
  of little trust from the Commission in this new
  instrument
• A significant part of the 2nd year was devoted to
  writing a new proposal

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Objectives of e-Photon/ONe

• e-Photon/ONe is focused on optical networks
• Its main goals are
• integrate and focus the rich technical know-how
  available in Europe on optical networking
• favour a consensus on the engineering choices
  towards the deployment of optical networks
• understand how to exploit the unique
  characteristics of the optical domain for
  networking applications
• promote and organize activities to disseminate
  knowledge on optical networks

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Broad technical topics list - I

• End-to-end performance and QoS management in
• optical burst switched (OBS) networks
• optical packet switched (OPS) networks
• optical metro networks
• Design of resilience mechanisms in optical metro
  and backbone networks
• Design of wavelength routing mechanisms in
  optical networks
• Differentiated reliability in a GMPLS
  hierarchical optical network
• Architectures and protocols for metro and access
  networks
• New services and applications in optical networks
• QoS optical-routing and traffic scheduling in
  edge nodes

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Broad technical topics list - II

• Assessment of the feasibility and performance of
  Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols (including
  signalling, matching, scheduling and buffering
  requirements) for optical metro and access
  networks
• Optical packet/circuit switching architectures
• Interfacing issues between photonic and
  electronic domains, with a view to simplifying
  the core network
• Transmission techniques for core and metro
  networks (including new modulation formats,
  robust amplification, signal monitoring
  techniques, ...)
• Assessment and comparison of system options such
  as fiber-wireless, FTTH, fiber-coax, wireless
  optics, ... for access and in-building networks
• Assessment and comparison of physical options for
  optical packet switching

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Joint Program of Activities (JPA)

• The JPA provides a description of the broad scope
  of the NoE
• For e-Photon/ONe it was planned for a 5-years
  time span, and it is articulated into 15
  WorkPackages (WPs)
• JPA activities are classified into four
  categories
• Integrating activities
• Joint research activities
• Spreading of excellence activities
• Management activities

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Activities in the JPA

• Integrating activities
• A1.1 Coordination of research
• A1.2 Researcher and student mobility
• A1.3 Knowledge and innovation management
• A1.4 Integrated dissemination
• A1.5 Sharing research facilities
• A1.6 Educational programs
• Joint research activities
• A2.1 Virtual Department 1 Core networks
  technologies, architectures and protocols
• A2.2 Virtual Department 2 Metro and access
  networks technologies, architectures and
  protocols
• A2.3 Virtual Department 3 Home networks and
  other short-reach networks
• A2.4 Virtual Department 4 Optical switching
  systems
• A2.5 Virtual Department 5 Transmission
  techniques for broadband networks
• Spreading of excellence activities
• A3.1 On-line dissemination
• A3.2 Publications and conferences
• A3.3 External relations
• A3.4 Schools and continuing education
• A3.5 Hosting students and researchers

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Integration goals

• Strengthen contacts between partners
• Focus research on optical networking
• Stimulate exchanges of researchers and lecturers
• Support knowledge management and circulation of
  information
• Sharing of research topics and activities
• Sharing of lab infrastructures
• Develop common educational programs
• Support innovation management

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Virtual Departments

• Integration activities were organized in thematic
  structures called Virtual Departments (VDs)
• Viewing e-Photon/ONe as a large virtual European
  research structure (e.g. a university), it is
  possible to envisage different departments to
  which people affiliate according to topics.
  Departments have chairpersons who decide on the
  activities and the internal organization. People
  of a department do research, but also organize
  projects, interact with people external to the
  departments, have teaching activities etc.

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Major technical areas in optical networks

• Wavelength routing (core) networks
• Exploit large bandwidth on fiber links
• Reduce time-domain operations, buffering
  requirements, and information processing
• Innovative architectures for metro and access
• Broadcast-and-select networks
• WDM rings
• PONs
• Home and short-reach networks
• Low cost
• Easy deployment
• Optics in switching and optical switching
• Large switching fabrics
• Lower footprint and power requirements
• Optical transmission
• Improving the best
• Higher manageability

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e-Photon/ONe VDs
VD1
VD2
VD3
Metro Access Networks technologies,
architectures, protocols
Core Networks technologies, architectures,
protocols
Home Networks other Short-Reach Networks
Transmission Techniques for Broadband Networks
Optical Switching Systems
VD4
VD5
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Virtual Departments

• VD1 (F. Callegati) Core Networks Technologies,
  Architectures, and Protocols
• VD2 (E. Zouganeli) Metro and Access Networks
  Technologies, Architectures, and Protocols
• VD3 (D. Jäger) Home Networks and Other
  Short-Reach Networks
• VD4 (L. Dittman) Optical Switching Systems
• VD5 (P. Poggiolini) Transmission Techniques for
  Broadband Networks

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Joint Projects

• Although it is stated that funding research is
  not a primary goal of a NoE (!), four joint
  research projects (JPs) have been defined, so
  that the different partners can work together
  towards a few common goals
• JPs are specific, short-term research activities,
  that may involve people from a single or multiple
  departments, just like the many research projects
  in which university staff people are often
  involved
• JPs are serving as an important step toward
  integration inside the NoE, providing to a large
  number of partners an opportunity for interaction
  and accomplishment of common goals
• Research activities in JPs are decided and
  coordinated by WP leaders

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Joint Projects

• JP1 (A. Stavdas) New designs for optical packet
  switching nodes. It aims both at designing
  optical switching devices (OXCs, optical packet
  switches), and at identifying the role of optics
  in traditional packet/circuit switches (e.g.,
  switching fabrics in IP routers, or optical
  backplanes)
• JP2 (T. Koonen) Flexible broadband fiber in the
  loop networks and in home networks, including
  fiber in the access and FTTH, hybrid
  fiber-wireless and fiber-coax, very-low-cost
  optics, plastic fibers, wireless optics
• JP3 (M. Pickavet) Protocols for the control
  plane in WDM core networks (ASONs, G-MPLS, etc.)
• JP4 (R. Killey) Robust transmission techniques
  for core and metro networks

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Spreading excellence activities

• Dissemination activities it is important to
  convert the international reputation of
  individual partners in a quality label for the
  network
• Training activities must help improve the skills
  and knowledge of the future young workforce and
  indirectly help to establish a competitive and
  knowledge economy

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Training

• The NoE aims to establish a significant influence
  on the training in the area of optical
  communication
• Initiatives will be taken to complement the
  currently on-going uniformisation of the
  university degrees within Europe, in the
  framework of the Sorbonne-Bologna declarations,
  and specific attention will be paid to
  improvements of the quality
• Specific objectives
• improve and uniformize the undergraduate and
  graduate programs in the domain of optical
  communication throughout Europe
• draw guidelines for the curricula and, in
  particular for degrees in electrical and/or
  telecommunications engineering, as well as
  photonics
• to improve the PhD training, a.o. by including
  hands-on training in a broader field
• to organize specialized post-graduate programs
  for PhD students, post-docs and industrial
  researchers and technicians

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15 WorkPackages

• WP1 (VD on Core Networks) F. Callegati
  DEIS-UniBo
• WP2 (VD on Metro and Access Networks) E.
  Zouganeli Telenor
• WP3 (VD on Home and Other Short-Reach Networks)
  D. Jaeger - UniDu
• WP4 (VD on Optical Switching Systems) L. Dittman
  DTU
• WP5 (VD on Transmission) P. Poggiolini PoliTO
• WP6 (NoE Management) L. Fulci PoliTO
• WP7 (JP on Optical Switches) A. Stavdas NTUA
• WP8 (JP on Reconfigurable Access) T. Koonen
  Tu/E
• WP9 (JP on Protocols for WDM Network) M.
  Pickavet UGent
• WP10 (JP on Robust Transmission) R. Killey UCL
• WP11 (Mobility) G. Morthier UGent
• WP12 (Teaching Activities) B. Mikac TELFER
• WP13 (Joint Laboratories) A. Seeds UCL
• WP14 (Dissemination) M. OMahony UEssex
• WP15 (International Collaborations) S. Tomic
  TUW

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Internal e-Photon/ONe organization

• Coordinator Fabio Neri
• Steering Committee
• Management and Administrative Board and Project
  Office _at_ Polito
• JPA Committee, comprising the following boards
• Integrating Activities Board
• Joint Research Project Board
• Exchange and Mobility Board
• Dissemination and Training Board
• and panels
• Gender Issue Panel
• Socio-economic Panel
• Innovation and IPR Panel
• Ethical Issues Panel
• Quality Assurance Committee
• Partners grouped in geographical areas with Area
  Administrative Leaders

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e-Photon/ONe organization
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Project management and administration

• The Project Office was established at Politecnico
  di Torino to deal with project management and
  administrative issues (two full-time persons)
• The Consortium Agreement was negotiated and
  signed
• Difficult integration of diffrent rules in
  different countries for cost eligibility
• Quarterly (!) Management Reports were prepared
  and submitted to the European Commission
• The role of Collaborating Institutions,
  participating to e-Photon/One with no budget
  allocation, was established, and several
  application were received (this is a recognition
  of the project quality)

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Some achievements

• e-Photon/ONe web site http//www.e-photon-one.org
  
• Support to the organization of conferences,
  including ONDM, and ECOC
• Workshop presenting e-Photon/ONe to the
  international community at ECOC in Stockholm
  (Sweden) on September 7th, 2004
• Events and workshops at NOC (Holland), OECC
  (Japan), WOBS/Broadnets (USA), Broadband Summit
  (Belgium), and others
• Links with the IEEE Optical Networks Technical
  Committee (ONTC) joint organization with NSF and
  COST of workshop on research directions
  Europe-USA technical collaboration (June 2005 n
  Brussels)
• Several members of e-Photon/ONe are in the
  editorial board of the new Elsevier journal
  Optical Switching and Networking (OSN)
• Interactions with Global Grid Forum on Optical
  Burst Switching standards
• Two technical schools (one in Mons in September
  2004, and one in Aveiro in February 2005) next
  school in Summer 2005 in Cesenatico
• Several personnel exchanges took place in the
  framework of mobility actions. Around 25 such
  events involved mainly PhD students for extended
  periods
• An effort towards integration of lab activities
  and sharing of lab infrastructures lead to an
  inventory of existing labs and to a plan for
  coordinated lab experiments

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Research directions and challanges

• More packets in networks, more circuits in the
  optical domain
• (Dynamic) connection-oriented operation lot of
  work on control plane functionalities
• Large attention to (new architectures for) the
  access segment G-PONs, E-PONs
• More optics in traditional switching devices
• New design criteria
• bandwidth cost no longer an issue cost of
  switching more important
• QoS requirements do not scale with packet
  duration no need for reconfiguration in the ns
  scale
• Consider non-traditional application domains
• Home networks
• Vehicle networks
• Unclear evolution towards higher data rates (40
  and 100 Gb/s) 2.5 Gb/s best transmission
  compromise

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Uneven partner involvement

• Limited involvement of industrial partners
• Also limited initial involvement of some academic
  partners
• WP leaders monitor the involvement of partners in
  their WP
• The Technical Annex assumes full transfer of EC
  funds only upon verification of active
  participation EC contribution may be reduced in
  proportion to the costs claimed and accepted for
  the first annual report
• Adjusting the budget subdivision to actual
  activities and involvement in the integration
  process proved to be effective, but increases
  management costs

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Collaborating Institutions

• At the kickoff meeting it was decided not to
  enlarge the consortium, but to establish the role
  of Collaborating Institution, with
• no budget allocation
• full participation to the project
• It is an interesting approach to have a
  consortium evolving with time and a recognition
  of the quality of e-Photon/ONe
• Current Collaborating Institutions
• Intel Cambridge, UK (Madeleine Glick)
• Multitel, Mons, Belgium (Augustin Grillet)
• Athens Information and Technology Center, Greece
  (Ioannis Tomkos)
• Beijing University of Posts Telegraphs, China
  (Jian Wu)
• Fujitsu Labs Europe, UK (Michael Parker)
• Campinas State University, Brazil (Helio Waldman)

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Comments after one project year

• Advantages of NoEs
• Research and personal integration in the European
  scientific community
• International visibility
• Cooperation with the European international
  leadership in specific technical areas (optical
  networks for e-Photon/ONe), and with Japan,
  USA, Canada, China, Korea
• Possible alliances for setting up consortia
  towards other forms of research funding

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Comments after one project year

• Consortium size
• Difficult to build small consortia
• Large consortia difficult to coordinate (5K
  emails in my mailbox response times with very
  large variance meetings become conferences
  etc.)
• Intellectual Property Right issues difficult to
  handle (in particular for industrial partners,
  but also between different projects)
• The allocated budget is too small for industries
  to participate the involvement of industries and
  SMEs in FP6 has been limited (industries
  participation in IST reduced from 55 to 29)
• The funding period was really too short for an
  NoE will we have durable integration effects?

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Comments after one project year

• Project management
• Large management effort
• Difficult interaction with the EC
• Sixth Framework Programme rules not clear from
  the beginning (and unknown or obscure to
  participating institutions)
• Large paperwork overhead (61 deliverables,
  quarterly reports, and heavy annual reports and
  reviews)
• No real administrative autonomy very detailed
  reporting to the Commission still requested
• The AC model (used by most universities) is not
  appropriate for NoEs
• Co-existence of AC and FC models leads to
  administrative problems

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Conclusions (1)

• Exploiting the NoE instrument is not trivial
• Consortium size ?
• Small consortium likely misses significant
  players and has no consensus in the research
  community
• Big consortium raises management issues
• The project management architecture is a
  cornerstone to achieve tangible results
• The Virtual Department concept is the
  e-Photon/ONe answer to the coordination of
  research issue
• Budget and funding period must be adequate
• New proposal e-Photon/ONe to overcome the
  2-years limit

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Conclusions (2)

• VDs had a slow start
• After one year, results are beginning to emerge
• Partners have got to know one another a lot
  better
• Mutual knowledge of fields of expertise and areas
  of excellence
• Mutual knowledge of group layouts and major
  laboratory infrastructure
• Integration is truly taking place
• Formal and informal collaborations have actually
  started among several partners
• Actions towards the 4th FP6 calls coordinated
• Consensus on key issues being formed common
  papers being written and plans for building
  common teaching material
• The pace towards integration is still uneven
  among VDs

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More in www.e-photon-one.org
Visit our web site!
Register (on web site) to Newsletter!
Come to e-Photon/ONe booth at ECOC 2005!
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Different views
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Q?