VIOLA - Vertically Integrated Optical Testbed for Large Applications

The German research project VIOLA, which is funded by the BMBF, aims at the development of new mechanisms of advanced and dynamic user bandwidth allocation and reservation in a heterogeneous multi vendor network infrastructure. In this context recent signalling mechanisms and network services are evaluated as a basis for the X-WiN network, the next generation research network in Germany.

The VIOLA approach addresses network resources the same way as computation and storage resources in the Grid environment. A combined reservation of computational, storage and network resources allows for a user- or application-driven selection and reservation of network connections with dedicated QoS based on evolving network technologies. The developments are carried out in close cooperation with the Fraunhofer-Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI) and the Fraunhofer-Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS) in Sankt Augustin, as well as the Central Institute for Applied Mathematics (ZAM) of the Research Center Julych. The main focus of our institute is the development of ARGON (Allocation and Reservation in Grid-enabled Optical Networks) a Network Resource Provisioning System (NRPS) that offers the Grid middleware a service oriented interface to network resources. Further development of ARGON is carried on in the European IST project Phosphorus.

A basis for the testing of the VIOLA developments is a testbed for hybrid data- and optical networks. It connects over ten research locations in Germany with 10 Gbit/s SDH and Ethernet. The VIOLA backbone comprises the area of Aachen-Bonn-Cologne with extensions to Nuremberg and Erlangen. In addition, the network is interconnected to research networks like the European GÉANT(2) network via the G-Win/X-WiN.