FIU/AmLight Deploys ONOS and SDN-IP Across the Americas

Florida International University (FIU) has deployed the Open source SDN Network Operating System (ONOS) on Americas Lightpaths (AmLight), creating a software-defined networking (SDN) facility entirely based on OpenFlow. Five Latin American research and education networks (RENs) – Academic Network at Sao Paulo (ANSP), Brazilian National Research and Education Network (RNP), Latin American Advanced Networks Cooperation (RedClara), National University Network of Chile (REUNA) and the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN) – interconnect Brazil, Chile and the Caribbean with the U.S. via a virtual slice of the AmLight network.


This implementation takes advantage of AmLight's ability to create virtual network slices using Internet2's FlowSpace Firewall. Symmetrically to a previously announced OpenFlow-based Internet2 ONOS deployment, the AmLight network can communicate with the Internet2 ONOS slice through a shared (legacy) BGP router deployed at FIU in Miami. Through Internet2, AmLight is linked to other ONOS network facilities such as GEANT in Europe.

The solution deployed is able to: provision L3 connectivity without using legacy routers in the network core; transform ASs running OpenFlow into IP (BGP) transit networks; allow an SDN network to seamlessly connect to the rest of the Internet using BGP thus providing a powerful migration strategy; and aggregate different SDN administrative domains into BGP confederations, making the control plane more scalable.

"The deployment of ONOS represents groundbreaking work in the field of SDN and networking," said Dr. Julio Ibarra, Assistant Vice President for Technology Augmented Research at FIU. "We're not just connecting one organization to another, but are connecting a dynamic global software-defined REN to create an open instrument for collaboration. This accelerates research discovery, advances education, and improves the delivery of public services while offering the benefits of ONOS' next-generation networking technology for improved learning, collaboration and innovation."

"The production deployment provides invaluable real-world insight from end users and network engineers, and the testbed aspect of the deployment enables experimentation to further improve and harden ONOS," said Guru Parulkar, Executive Director and Board Member at ON.Lab. "The ONOS project values collaboration with R&E network operators and their users, and the ONOS platform enables R&E network operators to rapidly innovate and better serve their communities."

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