Multilayer network planning and operation using open-source tools (Tutorial)

Continuous advances in network technologies challenge network architects in their attempt to foresee what new technologies deserve resources and investments, what existing infrastructure to keep, and their interplay during migration processes. Moreover, topics like energy efficiency, disaster resilience, or SDN/NFV are being intensively considered and investigated during the last years. As a result, R&D efforts have led to a number of solutions. Unfortunately, it is often difficult for operators to reproduce such results on their networks, maybe due to divergent philosophies between commercial planning tools used in the industry and academic tools. A paradigm shift to an open-source view of network planning could emphasize the power of peer-review and transparency to promote innovation at an accelerated pace and lower cost. This tutorial would focus on Net2Plan (http://www.net2plan.com), an open-source tool developed by the authors, and actively used in several courses (>200 students) and research projects since 2012. Built on top of a technology-agnostic multilayer network representation, Net2Plan is designed to assist users in the evaluation of built-in or original user-developed planning algorithms. In addition, users can analyze their designs using either reports or a simulation tool for in-operation scenarios like network resilience, connection-admission-control, time-varying traffic resource allocation, or even combinations of them. Besides, Net2Plan permits applying algorithms to orchestrate OpenFlow-enabled networks interacting with the northbound interface of OpenDaylight. Throughout the tutorial, attendees would have the opportunity to learn about the main features of Net2Plan, also discovering some of its applications. At the end of this tutorial, attendees would be guided through an intensive hands-on case study based on an IP-over-WDM network, e.g., including network dimensioning using built-in or user-developed algorithms, WDM line engineering (e.g., EDFA placement, impairment computations), automatic availability calculation under different failure patterns, and automatic simulation of the effects of time-varying traffic and assessment of energy-efficient switch-off techniques.

I. Abstract

Continuous advances in network technologies challenge network architects in their attempt to foresee what new technologies deserve resources and investments, what existing infrastructure to keep, and their interplay during migration processes. Moreover, topics like energy efficiency, disaster resilience, or SDN/NFV are being intensively considered and investigated during the last years. As a result, R&D efforts have led to a number of solutions. Unfortunately, it is often difficult for operators to reproduce such results on their networks, maybe due to divergent philosophies between commercial planning tools used in the industry and academic tools. A paradigm shift to an open-source view of network planning could emphasize the power of peer-review and transparency to promote innovation at an accelerated pace and lower cost.