A dynamic circuit network (DCN) is an advanced
computer networking technology that combines traditional
packet-switched
In telecommunications, packet switching is a method of grouping data into '' packets'' that are transmitted over a digital network. Packets are made of a header and a payload. Data in the header is used by networking hardware to direct the pac ...
communication based on the
Internet Protocol, as used in the
Internet, with
circuit-switched
Circuit switching is a method of implementing a telecommunications network in which two network nodes establish a dedicated communications channel ( circuit) through the network before the nodes may communicate. The circuit guarantees the full b ...
technologies that are characteristic of traditional
telephone network systems. This combination allows user-initiated
ad hoc dedicated allocation of network bandwidth for high-demand, real-time applications and network services, delivered over an
optical fiber infrastructure.
Implementation
Dynamic circuit networks were pioneered by the
Internet2 advanced networking consortium. The experimental Internet2 HOPI infrastructure, decommissioned in 2007, was a forerunner to the current
SONET-based Ciena Network underlying the Internet2 DCN. The Internet2 DCN began operation in late 2007 as part of the larger Internet2 network.
It provides advanced networking capabilities and resources to the scientific and research communities, such as the
Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle collider. It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and hundred ...
(LHC) project.
The Internet2 DCN is based on open-source, standards-based software, the Inter-domain Controller (IDC) protocol, developed in cooperation with
ESnet and
GÉANT2
GÉANT is the pan-European data network for the research and education community. It interconnects national research and education networks (NRENs) across Europe, enabling collaboration on projects ranging from biological science, to earth obser ...
.
The entire software set is known as the Dynamic Circuit Network Software Suite (DCN SS).
Inter-domain Controller protocol
The Inter-domain Controller protocol manages the dynamic provisioning of network resources participating in a dynamic circuit network across multiple administrative domain boundaries.
It is a
SOAP-based
XML messaging protocol, secured by
Web Services Security (v1.1) using the XML Digital Signature standard. It is transported over
HTTP Secure (HTTPS) connections.
See also
*
Internet Protocol Suite
*
IPv6
*
Fiber-optic communication
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of infrared light through an optical fiber. The light is a form of carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. Fiber is pref ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Internet2 WebsiteDynamic Circuit Network Suite
Fiber-optic communications
Wide area networks
Computer networking
Network architecture
Routing