Small Grant for Exploratory Research: Creating a Future Internet Network Architecture with a Programmable Optical Layer

智力优势：该项目为未来的互联网探索了一种变革性的网络架构，它以一种紧密集成的方式真正利用了物理光层。我们特别寻求探索一种包含完全可编程光学层功能的架构设计。在此统一架构平台中，光层成为网络的直接可访问组件，能够动态变化以满足新兴应用日益多样化的需求。要实现这些能力，需要通过将可编程跨层接入深入到物理层来打破目前将底层光传输技术与网络层分开的障碍。这项工作将包括对独特的集成架构平台的设计探索和模拟验证，该平台针对未来互联网设想的各种网络应用和流量场景进行评估。更广泛的影响：如果成功，我们的探索性工作可能会提供一个新的框架，通过创建一个整合的跨层环境，在符合新兴技术的不同能力和限制的背景下，实现对物理层的更深层次访问，从而具体弥合未来互联网网络研究工作和底层异质衬底之间的差距。架构方法将使网络上层的用户和应用程序能够直接驱动和利用新兴的异类技术，从而扩大对网络社区的使用。在我们更广泛的外展中，我们将与FIND研究社区密切协调和合作，以促进实现更广泛的建筑研究目标的方式开发这一平台。

Intellectual Merit: The project explores a transformative networking architecture for the future Internet that truly exploits the physical optical layer in a cohesively integrated fashion. We specifically seek to explore an architectural design that encompasses the capabilities of a fully programmable optical layer. Within this unified architectural platform the optical layer becomes a directly accessible component of the network capable of dynamically morphing to meet the increasingly diverse demands of emerging applications. To realize these capabilities will require breaking the barriers currently separating the underlying optical transport technologies from the networking layers by introducing programmable cross-layer access deeply into the physical layer. The effort will include a design exploration and simulation validation for the uniquely integrated architectural platform evaluated across varied networking applications and traffic scenarios envisioned for the future Internet. Broader Impact: If successful, our exploratory effort could provide a new framework for concretely bridging the gap between the future Internet networking research efforts and the underlying heterogeneous substrate by creating an integrative cross-layer environment that enables deeper access to the physical layer in a context consistent with the diverse capabilities and limitations of the emerging technologies. The architectural approach will enable users and applications at the upper layers of the network to directly drive and exploit emerging heterogeneous technologies, thereby broadening the use to the networking community. In our broader outreach we will coordinate and work closely with the FIND research community to develop this platform in a manner that facilitates the realization of the broader architectural research goals.