The bandwidth explosion ushered in by the popularity of the Internet has spurred the recent acceleration in the development and deployment of equipment supporting packet based broadband services. This coupled with the widespread deployment of WDM based Optical Transport Systems in the core network to satisfy the corresponding increase in capacity demand, has led network planners for tighter coordination between IP and Optical layers to increase reliability, robustness of next generation backbone network. In this paper, we propose a solution known as border model, which is tailored to address deployment concerns associated with GMPLS technology in existing networks. We extend our proposal to include, "Border model based Multi-layer service network architecture," to provide coordinated multi-layer IP and Optical services, for different network design scenarios. Resource Control is an important aspect of multi-layer service networks. This paper examines next generation requirements for resource control, defines resource control architecture and presents some evaluation results for multi-layer recovery techniques in the context of Multi-layer service network based on border model.

Implementing the fast-responding multi-layer service network (MLSN) functionality will allow the IP/MPLS service network logical topology and Optical Virtual Network topology to be reconfigured dynamically according to the traffic pattern on the network. Direct links can be created or removed in the logical IP/MPLS service network topology, when either extra capacity in MLSN core is needed or existing capacity in core is no longer required. Reconfiguring the logical and virtual network topologies constitute a new manner by which Traffic Engineering (TE) can solve or avoid network congestion problems and service degradations. As both IP and optical network layers are involved, this is called Multi-layer Traffic Engineering. We proposed border model based MLSN architecture in [5]. In this paper, we define the realization of Multi-Layer TE functions using Path Computation Element (PCE) for Border model based MLSN. It defines nodal requirements for multi-layer TE. Requirements of communication protocol between PCC (Path Computation Client) and PCE is introduced. It presents Virtual Network Topology (VNT) scenarios and steps involved along with examples for PCE-based VNT reconfiguration triggered by network failure, where VNT is a set of different layer's network resource accumulation.

The rapidly increasing bandwidth requirements of IP traffic mean that networks based on optical technologies in conjunction with IP routing technologies will provide the backbone of the next generation Internet. One of the major issues is how to construct an optical-technology-based backbone network that offers the economical transport of large-scale IP/MPLS services while achieving reliable, robust network. The key to achieving this objective lies in multilayer coordination technologies using Multi-Layer Service Network [MLSN] Architecture, that we previously proposed [2]. One of the important aspects of MLSN architecture is ability to effectively use GMPLS network resources by IP/MPLS service networks. We propose extensions to previously proposed MLSN architecture. The proposed extensions to MLSN architecture are tailored to address "service virtualization and separation" of various service networks over GMPLS backbone. As a part of this extended MLSN architecture, we introduce novel concepts known as Logical Router (LR) and Virtual Router (VR) that would enable border router to be services domain router, so that it can connect multiple service networks such as L2VPN, L3VPN etc., over GMPLS backbone by offering service separation or virtualization. This service separation/isolation greatly enhances the reliability of next generation networks, as any failure on one service should be isolated from others. We evaluate our extended network architecture against requirements for the large scale network targeting at introducing such new technology to cope with vast traffic explosion and challenges in operation and service provision sophistication.

There is a growing need for high-speed, high capacity networks amongst the academic and research community, as grid applications become increasingly important. To meet this demand, SURFnet, National Research Network (NRN) in the Netherlands, is actively investigating new technologies and deploying high capacity backbone network to accommodate these high bandwidth and real time grid computing applications. In this paper, we provide outline on several aspects of SURFnet network, SURFnet5 network topology including its interconnection with other research networks around the world, technologies that are being deployed and investigated, applications supported by next generation networks and also discuss briefly about next generation SURFnet network, known as SURFnet6.