News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren B. Kallens" <>]

Internet2 Issues Official Call for Testbed Support Center Services To
Operate Its Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure Testbed

Ann Arbor, MI - February 7, 2005 - Continuing progress towards building and
deploying its Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) testbed,
Internet2 today issued a call for proposals to establish a HOPI Testbed
Support Center (TSC).  The goal of the call is to engage members of the
Internet2 community in the development, deployment, and operation of this
unprecedented testbed effort.   

This call for proposal is open to all Internet2 members, as well as Abilene
connectors and participants, interested in playing a critical role in the
evolution of a next generation architecture that will serve as a model for
the future of advanced networking.  

The testbed infrastructure, once built, will serve as a foundation for
cutting-edge experimentation and a model for the next generation of
Internet2's network architecture.  The testbed will allow researchers and
scientists from around the world to participate and experiment with new
networking technologies such as dynamically provisioned bandwidth, circuit
switched environments, and new transport protocols.  

Unlike a traditional Network Operations Center, the HOPI TSC will not manage
production network services, but rather will support investigation and
implemention of new and inventive techniques in hybrid networking. Standard
monitoring and management will be required, but the ability to support
additional capabilities will be an essential component of the test center. 

Requirements for The HOPI Support Center include:

.       Advanced Engineering Support. The HOPI nodes will require advanced
engineering support, including managing the devices in each node much like
conventional networks manage routing and switching equipment. 
.       Software Support. Software support includes the ability to install
existing software on known platforms, adapt existing software in new
situations, or in some cases design and implement new software in ad hoc
situations. 
.       Application Support. The support center must be capable of involving
applications groups to understand their needs and to support particular
experiments. The ability to coordinate activities with such groups will be
an important aspect of the testbed. 

Those interested in submitting a proposal should also address the following
partnership and cost sharing issues related to the testbed. In particular,

.       Staffing requirements. 
.       Equipment requirements. 
.       Financial obligations. 
.       Operational requirements
.       Relationship with the Abilene and NLR NOCs. 
.       Relationships with NOCs for other networks. 
.       Collaboration with other organizations

Responses are welcome from collaborating organizations that may provide
support for different aspects of the project.  Such organizations will have
the opportunity to work hand in hand with the HOPI Design Team and the HOPI
Corporate Advisory Team, both of which bring together the foremost
researchers and corporations in the technology industry today.  

Proposals should be submitted by Friday, March 11, 2005.  For more detailed
information on the application process please see:
http://networks.internet2.edu/hopi/tsc.html

About HOPI
Commissioned in early 2004, the Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure
(HOPI) initiative is examining a hybrid of packet and circuit switched
optical infrastructures to understand next generation architectures and how
to create scalable future networks. The first stage of the project is the
HOPI testbed. Utilizing facilities from both Internet2 and the National
Lambda Rail (NLR), the testbed will provide a facility to understand and
experiment with next generation architectures with the goal of creating a
model leading to the next-generation of the Abilene Network by 2007.  For
more information, visit: http://networks.internet2.edu/hopi/

About Internet2(R)
Led by more than 200 U.S. universities working with industry and government,
Internet2 develops and deploys advanced network applications and
technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of
tomorrow's Internet. Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia,
industry, and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy.
For more information, visit: www.internet2.edu.

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