By
Chris Wilkinson - Senior Director of Network Infrastructure and Operations
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The Internet2 network is at an important inflection point. As we look to the next version of our network infrastructure and services, the community’s Trusted Infrastructure Program is helping guide the way forward.
The program ensures the network evolves as a collaborative effort, as we pull together to ensure seamless delivery of network services, enhanced user experiences, and demonstrable value to the collective Internet2 membership and broader research and education (R&E) community. It strives to incorporate many of the policy and technical issues that R&E needs to address together to best leverage the advantages and assets of our shared network ecosystem.
By combining Internet2 and the community’s efforts, we will:
- Support National and Global Research
- Drive Community Evolution of Peering and Routing Optimization
- Deliver Network Transparency
- Enhance Routing Integrity for the U.S. and Global R&E Space
- Leverage Network Automation and AI- and Software-Enabled Services
The services delivered by the Internet2 network, state and regional networks, and industry members continue to serve as key foundations for future R&E collaborations.
What follows is a sample of just some of the activities currently underway within Internet2 Network Services and its Network Infrastructure team. From expanding capacity for data-intensive science, to testing the next community platform, to co-developing new infrastructure models—here are six updates on the Internet2 network.
New Capacity Milestones to Enable Data-Intensive Science
Update #1: Achieving 2.0+ Tbps Coast to Coast
Internet2 continues to deploy additional capacity in support of R&E, cloud connectivity, Internet2 Peer Exchange (I2PX), and network research. At the end of the Next Generation Infrastructure (NGI) program in 2021, baseline connectivity between major cities was 800 Gbps (2×400 Gbps), with a maximum capacity of 1.2 Tbps (3×400 Gbps) between Chicago and Ashburn, Virginia. Accounting for all available paths, NGI delivered an additive capacity of 1.8 Tbps from coast to coast.
Recent network augmentation supporting the North America – Research Education Exchange (NA-REX) program added more 400 Gbps circuits. That brings the delivered capacity to 2.6 Tbps from coast to coast.
The team is also working to complete the integration of these paths with SENSE via a combination of the Internet2 Insight Console API and NSI/SuPA. This will allow for the dynamic provisioning of services across all available paths.
Update #2: Testing of Hardware and Software Components Underway
In Internet2’s lab facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, engineers are evaluating the latest equipment from Arista, Cisco, Juniper, and Nokia. They are following (and exceeding) many of the original community-driven specifications from the NGI program, which included cutting-edge capacity, efficiency, and adaptability for both data-intensive science and cloud applications. In addition, they are evaluating the interoperability of the equipment with our current Cisco 8200 platform to ensure a seamless transition to the latest routing and switching technologies.
Testing is expected to conclude at the end of October, and we will immediately transition to a community evaluation period in the following quarter. We are targeting Q2 2026 for operational trials and early 2027 for initial deployments.
Additionally, Internet2 plans to deploy a pair of 800 GE (native) coherent optics as part of the SCinet operational infrastructure for SC25. Based on early release optics, these links will span approximately 400 km and will provide connectivity to support the Network Research Exhibition demonstrations.
Update #3: Developing the Managed Dedicated Local Platform
In the last year, Internet2 worked with the Northeast Research and Education Network (NEREN) to jointly develop the Managed Dedicated Local Platform (MDLP). MDLP enabled NEREN to add bespoke nodes solely serving its members.
These nodes leverage the operations experience, network infrastructure, and software stacks developed by Internet2 on behalf of the community; however, they provide custom service portfolios configured by NEREN through Insight Console. Additionally, NEREN spectrum was leveraged to deliver connectivity to an MDLP node at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC), directly connecting the facility to the Internet2 network.
Internet2 is in talks with several other community members regarding additional MDLP deployments.
Update #4: Augmenting Site Topology
Internet2 is currently reviewing numerous site augmentations that have been requested by members of the community. Most recently, at the request of the Louisiana Optical Network Infrastructure (LONI), Internet2’s optical node in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was converted to a full NGI packet site. This change allows LONI to access services from that location from either of the adjacent sites: Houston or Jacksonville, Florida.
Internet2 is in the process of reviewing additional, similar conversions that involve the acquisition of metro fiber and the relocation of nodes to adjacent points of presence. Each of these initiatives is the result of the community and Internet2 working together to determine the best topologies for a given state and region.
Update #5: Expanding Peering Sites
At the request of campuses that are Internet2 Connectors on the West Coast, Internet2 has expanded its Seattle location to support Internet2 Cloud Connect (I2CC). Seattle was already a key interconnect site for I2PX and Rapid Private Interconnect (I2RPI).
I2CC provides Internet2-connected institutions with dedicated, high-performance access to major cloud providers: AWS Direct Connect, Google Partner Interconnect, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute, and Oracle FastConnect. Connections are established using institutions’ regional R&E networks in combination with the Internet2 national network at no additional cost, offering substantial value to the community.
Ultimately, Internet2 plans to make I2CC, I2PX, and I2RPI ubiquitously available at all seven interconnect sites, adding to the list that already includes Ashburn, Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Newark, New Jersey, and San Jose, California. All interconnect sites will eventually support the full range of interconnect speeds, including 10, 100, and 400 Gbps.
Update #6: Engaging in a Spectrum Sharing Proof-of-Concept
Over the last twelve months, Internet2 has worked with three R&E regional networks on case studies involving the use of spectrum on Internet2’s optical system to extend and augment their infrastructure within their regions and beyond. Proof-of-concept (POC) deployments have included metro, regional, and long-haul applications; they have also included both traditional transponders and coherent optics. The goal of these POCs is to allow our community to augment an organization’s already robust connectivity between key locations using Internet2-provided spectrum. It also allows all parties to test these new operational paradigms.
Since NGI was completed, Internet2 also partnered with the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) to leverage shared spectrum between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In this case, CENIC provides the spectrum, and Internet2 provides the equipment to deliver 400 Gbps backbone links. Internet2 is currently evaluating a substantial proposal to leverage this methodology on a far larger scale, spanning over 3,250 km.
Internet2’s network services are in constant development, and one of our major sources for community guidance is via Technical Advisory Committees and Working Groups. With the new academic year starting, we encourage everyone in the community to consider joining one or more of these groups and contribute to our development process.
In addition to the broad Network Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC), we also have groups focusing on automation, network performance, optical, and peering and routing; additional groups develop as needs arise. Please email networkdevelopment@internet2.edu to learn more.
ICYMI
About the Author(s)
Chris joined Internet2 in 2015 and currently serves on the Network Services leadership team as the senior director of Network Infrastructure and Operations. For the first two decades of his career, he directly supported astrophysics, high energy physics, and genomics research at several University campuses. At Internet2, he has led the Architecture group since 2016 and overseen the design and implementation of multiple generations of core network and cloud infrastructure - most recently completing the 400 gigabits Next Generation Infrastructure (NGI) program. He also works through active collaboration with numerous partners to facilitate data-intensive science on a global scale.