National Dark Fibre Facility- Equipment Enhancement

国家暗光纤设施（NDFF）为暗光纤网络研究提供英国国家研究设施。暗光纤网络是一种通信网络，在支持互联网的七层开放系统互连（OSI）通信网络模型中的第一层（物理层）光层可以访问和控制网络。NDFF在国家暗光纤基础设施服务（NDFIS1）暗光纤网络（2013-2018）的成功基础上，提供了一个全新的、完全远程配置、灵活和高容量的研究设施。这将允许英国大学及其工业合作伙伴开发和演示需要访问或控制光学层（OSI layer 1）的未来网络。NDFF包括：1；具有足够规模的暗光纤网络，可用于代表实际应用的实验（bbb600公里）。用户可以将他们的设备直接连接到已安装的光纤并控制光学层，从而允许对新技术进行实验，例如量子编码数据、自适应频谱切片和软件定义网络（SDN）。该方案中包含的设备支持城域网络和新频谱使用的实验。用户实验区在多个接入节点直接接口与NDFF暗光纤。通过Janet Netpath等服务和由该提案资助的创新用户连接策略，在英国范围内实现流量生成和实验控制的互连也将成为可能。远程可编程放大器，开关和色散补偿模块，这将使网络的传输特性变化，并允许用户动态配置网络拓扑结构。该提案将支持部分网络的l波段操作。波长选择开关（WSS）将光通道分割成单独的光纤（或合并成一根光纤）。Flexgrid WSS提供用户定义的信道宽度，使研究新的光谱利用模型成为可能，增加了可用的逻辑拓扑，并允许使用不同光波长的并发实验。本建议中包括的设备将能力扩展到l波段5。远程可配置的二层及以上网络，使研究动态和智能网络管理成为可能。6. 为英国研究人员提供的SDN和网络功能虚拟化（NFV）研究平台，使他们能够直接上传网络策略，监控和操纵网络的光学特性。英国研究人员将能够开发和测试具有优化延迟、流量疏导、能耗或安全属性的网络。一个分布式的处理基础设施，通过连接主机服务器、存储、内存和传感的站点。这将为研究由高容量可重构光网络连接的分布式云和雾基础设施提供机会。它还将提供能够执行网络分析的神经节点，为用户提供一个新的网络可编程性和适应性水平。能够跨所有七个OSI模型层测试网络安全性和弹性概念，这在其他网络中是不可能的。这一点尤其重要，因为网络开始在Layer1引入软件控制和灵活性，为网络控制带来了新的安全性和弹性挑战。9. 培训使用专门的研究和技术支持。管理、用户界面和传播将由专门的设施经理负责。为了充分发挥该设施的潜力，与英国研究界接触并促进这项服务至关重要。NDFF参与英国和国际会议，并将在年度用户日汇集用户。

The National Dark Fibre Facility (NDFF) provides the UK National Research Facility for dark fibre network research. A dark fibre network is a communications network, where it is possible to access and control the network at the optical layer, Layer1 (physical layer) in the seven layer Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model of communications networks which underpins the internet. NDFF provides a new, fully remotely configurable, flexible and high capacity research facility, building upon the success of the National Dark Fibre Infrastructure Service (NDFIS1) dark fibre network (2013-2018). This will allow UK universities and their industrial collaborators to develop and demonstrate future networks which require access to or control of the optical layer (OSI Layer1). NDFF comprises: 1. A dark fibre network of scale sufficient for experiments representative of real-world applications (>600 km). Users are able to connect their equipment directly to the installed fibres and control the optical layer, allowing experiments on new techniques, such as quantum encoded data, adaptive spectrum slicing and Software Defined Networks (SDN). The equipment included in this proposal supports metro-scale networking and experiments with novel spectrum usage.2. User experiment areas at multiple access nodes to interface directly with NDFF dark fibre. Interconnection for traffic generation and experiment control will also be possible UK-wide at Layer2 through services such as Janet Netpath and innovative user connection strategies funded by this proposal.3. Remotely programmable amplifiers, switches and dispersion compensation modules which will enable the transmission characteristics of the network to be varied and will allow dynamic configuration of the network topology by users. L-Band operation over part of the network will be supported by this proposal.4. Wavelength Selective Switches (WSS) to split optical channels into separate optical fibres (or merge them into one fibre). A Flexgrid WSS gives user defined channel widths, enabling research on new utilisation models for the optical spectrum, increasing available logical topologies and allowing concurrent experiments using different optical wavelengths. The equipment included in this proposal extends capabilities to L-Band.5. A remotely configurable Layer2 and above network to enable research into dynamic and intelligent network management. 6. An SDN and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) research platform for UK researchers, enabling them to upload network policies directly, monitoring and manipulating the optical properties of the network. UK researchers will be able to develop and test networks having optimised latency, traffic grooming, energy consumption or security properties.7. A distributed processing infrastructure by linking sites that host servers, storage, memory and sensing. This will provide opportunities to study distributed Cloud and Fog infrastructures connected by high capacity reconfigurable optical networks. It will also provide nerve nodes that can perform network analytics offering users a new level of network programmability and adaptation.8. The ability to test concepts in network security and resilience across all seven OSI model layers, something that is impossible with other networks. This is of particular importance as networks are starting to introduce software control and flexibility at Layer1, creating new security and resilience challenges for network control. 9. Training using dedicated research and technician support. Administration, user interface and dissemination will be the responsibility of a dedicated facility manager. In order to achieve the full potential of the facility, it is crucial to engage with the UK research community and promote the service. NDFF engages in UK and international meetings and will bring together users at an annual user day.