On December 14, 2010, Japanese newspaper “NIKKAN KOGYO SHINBUN” picked up the success of an experiment about an energy efficient Ethernet switch network for a datacenter.

Yamanaka Lab. focuses on a self-organizing energy saving network which realizes the most energy-efficient network topology automatically based on traffic volume monitored at network devices.
When traffic volume is low, our proposed network makes as many links as possible idle by aggregating traffic. The power optimization of the overall network is executed autonomously by turning off ports of network devices (routers, Ethernet switches, optical cross connects) at the ends of idle links.
In this experiment, the self-organization of Ethernet switches network for a datacenter was succeeded. The experimental network consists of commercially produced Ethernet switches, green Ethernet switches developed by Keio Univ., and an energy saving network topology calculation system.
By adopting this self-organizing energy saving network system, about 15 percent reduction is expected in the power consumption of network devices.
This work is supported by PREDICT program of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan.

• NIKKAN KOGYO SHINBUN (Dec. 14, 2010) [Japanese]
∗An access to this article is restricted by password.

Mr. Takeshita’s paper regarding with the experimental results of the MiDORi network technology is accepted for the OFC/NFOEC 2011 as follows.

Title: Demonstration of the Self Organized Dynamic Link Power Management by ?MiDORi? Energy Optimal Network Topology Design Engine
Authors: Hidetoshi Takeshita, Yuji Oikawa, Haruka Yonezu, Daisuke Ishii, Satoru Okamoto, and Naoaki Yamanaka

Abstract: This paper reports the demonstration results of the dynamic link power management
by energy optimal network topology design with prototype Gigabit layer-2 switches. The result
shows dynamic link power management is feasible.

Time: 9:00 – 17:55
Location: Dai-Kaigisitsu at Kosei-to building

9:50: Mr. Kunitaka Ashizawa　”アクティブ光アクセスネットワークにおけるマルチキャスト配信方式の検討”
13:15: Mr. Junpei Marukawa “次世代広域イーサネットにおけるマルチパス伝送のためのスケーラビリティを考慮した複数経路探索方式”
16:00: Mr. Syota Yamada “インテリジェントクラウドネットワークの実現に向けた並列伝送を用いたデータセンタ間接続方式”

19:00-29:00 Party at K2 campus

Year-end party will be held at Dec. 23th

MPP (Microwave Photonics Products), which is an industry information publication on microwave and photonics products aiming at the fusion of optic fiber communications technology and mobile communications technology, published a special contributed article about 10 Gbps active optical access system.

This 10Gbps active optical access system was researched and developed by Hitachi Ltd. and Keio Univ.  The purpose is to popularize a high-speed access network throughout all over the world, and to resolve regional differences such as digital divide issues.
PON (Passive Optical Network), which is widely prevalent for an access network today, system has limitations of the maximum number of ONUs (Optical Network Units) and the maximum transmission distance between OLT (Optical Line Terminal) and ONUs. This is because the more ONUs increases, the weaker the optical power due to dividing optical power (broadcast) at a splitter.
We proposed a scalable active optical access network architecture using high-speed optical switches, which increases four times the number of subscribers per OLT as well as double the distance between OLT and ONUs. To support 10 Gbps required by high-speed optical access system, 10 nsec high-speed PLZT optical switch was developed. This PLZT switch achieved six-digit high-speed switching time compared to the conventional optical switches.
This work was a part of the R&D on photonic network promoted by Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and supported by National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.

• MPP No.37（Issue Date: Nov. 25, 2010）[Japanese]

To reduce the energy consumption in the IP and Ethernet transport network, Yamanaka Lab. focuses on automatically construct the least energy consumption network topology by using traffic engineering and dynamically powering off interfaces of routers/switches.

This time, a data center applicable large scale Ethernet testbed is constructed with a market available Ethernet switch (Alaxsala AX6800S) and developed Ethernet switches (now available from Allgreen networks). And then, we successfully demonstrated a self organized network which is automatically construct the least energy consumption network topology by self path reroute and port power on/off control with the MiDORi GMPLS protocol.

Yamanaka Lab. will exhibit the demonstration of this self-organized network at the Keio Techno-Mall2010 at Tokyo International Forum on Dec. 10.

Press Release from Keio Univ. on Dec. 8, 2010 [Japanese]

Yamanaka Lab. will exhibit at the Keio-Technomall2010 at Tokyo International Forum on Dec. 10.

The research topics we will exhibit this year are the followings.
「Multi-(layer, path, and resources) Dynamically Optimized Routing 　－MiDORi-」
「Active Optical Access Network -ActiON-」
「Ubiquitous Grid Network」
「Energy Virtual Network Operator　－EVNO-」
「Intelligent Cloud Network」

Please come and see us!