OPTICAL CONTROL PLANE FOR THE GRID COMMUNITY

e-Science applications present a new challenge for networks, as they require high bandwidth connectivity to support leadership class supercomputers (teraflops+) and, at the same time, highly dynamic operation. Significant research activity has been carried out to meet this challenge and, in particular, in understanding how to provision and use high-capacity connections in networks below the IP layer, such as in optical networks. In contrast to the common belief, however, the use of high-capacity networks is not about installing fibers between remote research centers; instead, it is how these connections are accessed and utilized by the driving applications. This is where the role of the optical network control plane comes into place. This tutorial will address the new evolving paradigms for application-driven networking within the optical layer in the context of Grid computing. We address the related open research issues of optical network control plane for the Grid community, issues of interaction between the optical network control plane and applications, and we also give an overview of the current global activities and trials. We explain how e-Science applications can bring major changes in future network architecture, as well as in role of users and network services.