Dr. Okamoto and Prof. Yamanaka’s paper was accepted for IEICE Transactions on Communications “Special Section on Feature Topics on Latest Trends in Optical Networks”.

Title: “GMPLS interoperability tests in Kei-han-na Info-Communication Open Laboratory on JGN II network”

Authors: Satoru Okamoto (Keio University), Wataru Imajuku (NTT), Tomohiro Otani (KDDI R&D Labs.), Itaru Nishioka (NEC), Akira Nagata (Fujitsu Labs), Mikako Nanba (Furukawa Electric), Hideki Otsuki (NICT), Masatoshi Suzuki (KDDI R&D Labs.), and Naoaki Yamanaka (Keio University)

Abstract: Generalized Multi-protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) technologies are expected a key technology that creates high-performance Internet backbone networks. There were many GMPLS interoperability trials. However, most of them reported the successful results only. How to set up a trial network and how to test it was generally not discussed. In this paper, as a kind of tutorial, detailed GMPLS field trials in the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) Kei-han-na Info-Communication Open Laboratory, Interoperability Working Group (WG) are reported. The interoperability WG is aiming at the leading edge GMPLS protocol based Inter-Carrier Interface that utilizes wide-bandwidth, cost-effective photonic technology to implement IP-centric managed networks. The interoperability WG is a consortium for researching the GMPLS protocol and advancing a de facto standard in this area. Its experimental results, new ideas, and protocols are submitted to standardization bodies such as the International Telecommunications Union-Telecommunication standardization sector (ITU-T), the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF). This paper introduces the activities of the interoperability WG; they include a nationwide GMPLS field trial using the JGN II network with multi-vendor, multi-switching-capable equipment and a GMPLS multi routing area trial that used a multi-vendor lambda-switching-capable network.