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

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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.