Subject: [irtf-discuss] a new research proposal

From: Leeyoung <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:04:32 +0000

Hi all,

We are exploring a new IRTF research proposal which focuses on the interaction between data centers and the underlying carrier networks, which is referred to as cross stratum optimization (cso).  If you're interested in this topic, please take a look at the draft published:

http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-lee-cross-stratum-optimization-datacenter/

If you're interested in this research and/or would like to comment, please feel free to do so in the discussion mailing list.
Thanks and best regards,

Young

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Abstract

Data Centers offer various application services to end-users such as video gaming, cloud computing and others. Since the data centers used to provide application services are distributed geographically around a network, many decisions made in the control and management of application services, such as where to instantiate another service instance or to which data center out of several a new client is assigned, can have a significant impact on the state of the network. Conversely the capabilities and state of the network can have a major impact on application performance.

Currently application decisions are made with very little or no information concerning the underlying network used to deliver those services. Hence such decisions may be sub-optimal from both application and network resource utilization and quality of service objectives. This document proposes a research program into cross stratum application/network optimization focusing on the challenges and opportunities presented by data center based applications and carriers networks.

Tentative Research Deliverables

a)  Baseline network/application model - general enough to include most cases of interest but no more.

b)  Survey the various "trust or lack of" in the relationships between various key players in both the application and network stratum. Include a survey of various "summarization", "abstraction", or other techniques that can reduce the level of "trust" needed at an interface.

c)  Survey of the data center/cloud based applications - investigate the commonality and differences with respect to their impact on network infrastructure.

d)  Define key interfaces and their functionality and relate these to current standards and potential future standards.

e)  Investigation and report on the role of TE based network infrastructure (MPLS, GMPLS) in providing support to dynamic application loads, scaling and QoE enhancement.

f)  Report on mechanisms for application level support for network recovery and network support for application recovery.

g)  Investigate the time frames and responsiveness of interest to application/network interaction. For example what do various applications need, what can the network provide, can other techniques such as time based "load shifting" be utilized.