Internet2 is a consortium of the world’s leading educational and research communities and has made much advancement in the way of data transfer. One of the organizations most prominent achievements as of late has been the implementation of the Internet2 ION network. ION has its fundamentals based in the Dynamic Circuits Network architecture, which creates a hybrid data transfer system by combining the traditional packet-switching communications based on the Internet Protocol with the circuit-switching methods of traditional telephone systems. With ION, institutions can transmit data over an optical network for a fixed period of time on a dedicated system and at the heart of the ION system lays the Inter-Domain Controller, or IDC.
The IDC is a combination of a router and a switch that works in tandem in order to create the connections to other networks. With the IDC, end-systems of one network can be allowed to communicate with end-systems of another network over a dedicated line for a pre-defined amount of time, virtually guaranteeing data transfer. The IDCs use Virtual Label Switching Routers (VLSR) to activate their respective switches and open the links between the end-systems. Each Network of VLSRs is controlled by a Network Aware Resource Broker (NARB) that is able to communicate with other NARBs in order to create the links between the networks at their respective institutions. Using the On-Demand Secure Circuits and Advanced Reservation System (OSCARS), the administrator is able to define what type of connection he will require on a normal basis and the users are able to set up times that they plan on using the network for data transfer. OSCARS is based on the Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) which allows users to reserve resources across networks and request a specific Quality of Service. This means that if the user needs a 10Gbps connection from 12PM to 1PM, he will be able to do so using the OSCARS program.
The VLSRs use the GNU ZEBRA software in order to find the most effective route between the source and destination routers. ZEBRA manages the TCP/IP routing protocols such as BGP, RIP (v1 and v2), and OSPF and supports both IPv4 and IPv6 formatting. ZEBRAs function is to help the routers select the most efficient path from the source to the destination using the aforementioned protocols.
One of the most important pieces of software in an IDC is the Dynamic Resource Allocation via GMPLS Optical Networks, or DRAGON, software. DRAGON uses GMPS (Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching) to create virtual links between nodes in a network without a need to examine the packets so that end-to-end circuits can be created. With DRAGON, uses set up links between IDCs so that if one switch is already being used, the software can access another link during the time designated by the source end-system.
The combination of routers, switches, and powerful software allows the IDCs to create a network that is unlike any other. Recently, the University of Houston (Main Campus) has decided to connect to the Internet2 ION network via Rice University, since Rice is the node that most directly connects UH to Internet2. With the implementation of ION, the University of Houston will be able to add its research contributions to an advanced network of academia.