Task 2: Network Planning and Engineering

The Network Planning and Engineering task is concerned with protecting and controlling the operation of the GÉANT network. The task will oversee and control change on the GÉANT network to maintain the performance and availability SLAs set in the services descriptions for the network connectivity services and expected by users. The task will run potential failure scenarios to envisage results and have contingency plans in place with the Operations Centre for service restoration. The objective of the contingency plan should be to maintain the networks ability to deliver and maintain services even if compromised in the event of failure.

 

Objectives

 

  • Operate the Change Control Authority effectively and efficiently to ensure control over network maintenance activity and changes to service carrying network elements are in place and work.

 

  • Manage the changing demands on network resources to ensure standards are being upheld to maintain the integrity of the network so it is never compromised beyond acceptable and agreed performance and availability levels. A key aspect to this is managing traffic flows and routing policy and auditing router configurations and running routine maintenance.

 

  • Ensure there is never a shortage of traffic handling and network data processing resources anywhere and capacity change requests are handed to the Implementation task in a timely manner.

 

  • Optimise capacity utilisation & costs

 

  • Provide task 1 with network traffic, utilisation and performance data to assist with the development of the network evolution plan.

 

  • To maintain and develop a set of tools and mechanisms to capture, process and display real-time and archived utilisation and performance information.  

 

  • Deliver the network service development activity.

 

Work Plan

Work item number

 

Work item title

Work item description

1

Network performance assurance, monitoring and benchmarking

Engage with other GÉANT activities to explore the usefulness of network verification architecture and work with the other activities to continue the work undertaken in GN3+ to investigate how to implement a network performance monitoring and edge to edge service assurance and verification solution as this is a critical issue that needs to be addressed with the deployment of tools that monitor performance and benchmark performance against other networks and the Internet. Explore use of Ethernet OAM

2

Network reporting

Implement a solution to present a suite of real-time and archived network performance information and automate the production of all GÉANT network reports.

3

Capacity forecasting & Traffic Management

Capture requirements, investigate tools available from within NREN community and commercially available tools.  Determine likely development timeframes of SA4 then determine how to acquire a tool or set of tools that meets the service requirements. If necessary run a RFI / RFP process to select a commercial tool. If budget for selected tool is approved, implement the chosen tool to undertake deep analysis of the profile of the traffic running over the GÉANT network. Such traffic analysis is key to grow the network cost efficiently. For example to identify the most expensive peers in a view to establish direct settlement free peering. The tool will enable real time historical reports as the information will be stored in a central database. The tool will also be able to model traffic shifts and anticipate the demands on the network.

4

Peering

Increase the number of settlement free peers – work towards connecting the peers that by exchange of traffic by volume with GÉANT make up the top 30% and or those that are considered strategically valuable. ASN Peers will be limited to 250 (two hundred and fifty) in total. Exceptions are possible, if agreed by majority of APMs. Peering is governed by the GEANT peering policy.

5

Operational and routing performance improvement

Investigate the benefits of operating infrastructure outside GEANT service area for peering, operating of TA circuits and aggregation of traffic from other regions. Present a plan for approval if the idea has benefits.

Investigate the impact of remote BGP peerings specifically across continents and its effect on network convergence times and propose changes to reduce convergence time and mitigate any potential black-holing. Investigate the potential to improve operational management of international partners and international circuits with the use of GEANT equipment located in partner domains

6

Cost efficiencies

Work with other activities to evaluate and compare the merits of paying vendors for FLM, equipment maintenance and spares management and providing an alternative arrangement via third parties, NRENs, in-house solutions. Investigate other ways to reduce network costs. Identify ways to reduce network opex by 1m euro and or significantly save future capital expenditure by end of the first year of GN4.

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