The São Paulo Academic Network: Project 2013

• Grant number: 13/11711-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Research and Education Network of the State of São Paulo
• Duration: August 01, 2013 - June 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Telecommunications
• Principal Investigator: Luis Fernandez Lopez
• Grantee: Luis Fernandez Lopez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The 2000 years were stable with respect to the technology of computer networks. Technological developments in this period occurred incrementally in the physical layer and showed no substantial changes in the other layers. ANSP, during that decade, supported the exponential growth in demand from its users, from serial links with frame relay and SDH technology, with capacities in the order of Megabits per second to optical SDH and IP over DWDM links, with capacities of tens of Gigabits per second. The 2010s, however, point to some radical changes in technology, architecture and the use of networks, both at the physical layer and the upper layers. To accompany these changes, ANSP decided in 2011 and 2012 to leave the role of simple network provider (which it played in an exemplary manner during the previous decade) and pass to also act as sponsor of the development and testing of new technologies and architectures. With regard to the physical layer of the network specifically, the 2010s point to an enormous jump, with lambdas of 100 Gbps (Gigabits per second) already commercial in 2012 and everything pointing to lambdas 1 Tbps (Terabit per second) on the market before 2020. These volumes of data present new challenges in terms of operation, monitoring and quality of service (an error rate of 1 packet every billion represent a loss of two standard TCP packets per second!) And ANSP will have, in 2013, to prepare itself to the new challenges. With respect to the data layers, and network applications, the approaching changes are even more dramatic. On the one hand, it is increasingly clear that over the next five years these layers will move from the current technology of packet-switching by switches and routers, to the new technologies of packet and / or flows switched by software-defined (programmable) equipment, as the products that implement the OpenFlow protocol. At the same time, the so-called Internet of Things, that is, the increasingly intensive use of devices (sensors, electronic labels, and other gadgets) connected to the Internet requires networks more flexible in all layers and all substrates. In 2012 ANSP began to prepare for these new technologies, in particular for the OpenFlow protocol. In 2013, ANSP will continue to prepare for OpenFlow and will begin their immersion in the100 Gbps and 1 Tbps technologies and the problems generated by the Internet of Things. To fulfill part of this goal, in 2012 ANSP organized two Biannual Meetings, with a community response far above expectations. As the ANSP community depends on technical and experimental researchers from the participating institutions (It would be useless to ANSP to master these new technologies if universities do not dominate them too!), these meetings were the basic tool to draw the community's attention to these issues and start the training of technical personnel in their basics. This process will continue in 2013.Finally, in 2012, the ANSP was a victim of an external problem totally unexpected: the administrative chaos that engulfed its main supplier of dark fibers, Eletropaulo Telecom, following its acquisition by TIM. The numbers are clear: a pair of fibers between the NAP do Brazil and USP remained 22 days off line after a stop for repairs in September 2012. The fiber pair connecting USP and Incor stopped 38 times in 2012, totalizing 30 days out of work. On average, the availability of the fibers was below 95% when it should be above 99%. As a result, in 2013, ANSP will have to acquire new optical fibers in the market and increase its efforts to provide and maintain the infrastructure and the necessary network operation services in order to ensure connectivity to the research projects of the State of São Paulo. (AU)