Experiments and Demonstrations Using World-scale Experimental Network with Ten International 100Gbps Paths at SC24

NRE14: “MMCFTP’s data transfer experiment using ten 100Gbps lines between Japan and USA” by NII
As part of the Network Research Exhibition at the international conference SC24, ten 100 Gbps lines were used to connect Tokyo and Atlanta, and a high-speed transfer experiment was conducted using NII’s high-speed file transfer tool, MMCFTP. The target transfer speed peak was 800 Gbps, but the actual result was 466 Gbps (Fig. 1). There appears to have been mutual interference between the ten lines, and strange phenomena such as more traffic flowing over long-distance lines than short-distance lines were plaguing the experiment. Additionally, the time that all lines were available was very short so that tuning on the server could not be performed sufficiently. We are going to analyze the data achieved through the experiments in more detail.

NRE20: “Toward Terabit-Scale Anonymous Communication Leveraging Programmable Switches” by Osaka University and Shimane University (Awarded the SCinet spirit of innovation (Fig. 2))
Protecting user privacy on the Internet is essential, yet traditional anonymous communication protocols, such as onion routing (eg, Tor), often compromise performance to provide robust privacy guarantees. Lightweight anonymous communication protocols offer superior performance by assuming a more practical and reasonable adversary compared to onion routing. To further enhance forwarding speeds and achieve terabit-scale throughput, a research team from Osaka University and Shimane University has implemented a lightweight anonymous communication protocol on P4-based hardware programmable switches while maintaining its strong anonymity guarantees. A highlight of their demonstration was its deployment on the mentioned world-scale experimental network, which was established through collaboration with multiple organizations. The network featured an 800 Gbps connection between the SC24 venue and the JGN Tokyo node with deployments of their switch-based anonymous routers at the SC24 venue, the JGN Tokyo node, and Osaka University. During the demonstration, the team achieved an impressive 588.4 Gbps anonymous communication throughput and successfully streamed 4K video over this anonymous network. This achievement demonstrates the feasibility of high-speed and privacy-preserving communication, representing a major milestone in the development of large-scale anonymous communication infrastructure. Their demonstration at SC24 not only underscores the potential of the protocol but also sets the stage for future advancements in scalable anonymous communication for modern Internet demands. This achievement was recognized with the “Spirit of Innovation Award” and highly praised as a groundbreaking initiative (Fig. 2).

NRE21: “Floating-Cyber ​​Physical System for Local Production and Consumption of Data” by Kyushu Institute of Technology and KDDI Research, Inc.
Kyushu Institute of Technology and KDDI Research, Inc. successfully demonstrated a Floating Cyber-Physical System (F-CPS) , which is aimed at the local production and consumption of localized data, at the SC24 exhibition. The F-CPS integrates a data retention system that utilizes wireless communication to manage data within specific areas. It also features a lightweight and portable WebAssembly container platform for executing binary code-based applications on XR devices. For this demonstration, F-CPSs were deployed at Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan and the SC24 venue in the United States. These systems were interconnected using a testbed network with P4 switches, which enabled an XR visualization application that showcased collaboration between the F-CPSs. During the demonstration at SC24, the application visualized LiDAR point cloud data captured in Japan. Since this point cloud data may contain privacy information such as people’s poses, it was filtered through the P4 network to ensure secure data handling before being transmitted to the United States. This highlighted the P4 switches’ ability to facilitate secure data transfer between the F-CPSs. Over four days, secure data transfers between Japan and the United States were conducted using packet-level filtering , resulting in stable system performance. The demonstration effectively showcased the capabilities of the F-CPS to SC24 attendees. However, due to the data retention system relying on broadcast-based data transfer, congestion in the wireless communication at the SC24 venue resulted in occasional packet or frame loss. revealed the system’s sensitivity to wireless communication conditions. The insights gained from this demonstration will inform future proof-of-concept experiments as both organizations prepare for the subsequent phases of their collaborative projects.

NRE37: “Disk-to-Disk data transfer performance investigation on long-haul networks towards practical application of Research-EnhanceD ONION (RED ONION)” by Osaka University and NEC Corporation
Osaka University and NEC Corporation showed “RED-ONION DTN Project (Fig. .4): Disk-to-disk data transfer performance investigation on long-haul networks” at SC24. This project aims to achieve high-speed research data transfer with data aggregation platform ONION in campus to enhance data-driven research and open science. The experiment measured the performance of disk-to-disk transfer between Japan and the US and within the US As a result, we confirmed that single 1TB file transfer was completed in 94 seconds, achieving an effective speed of 85.1Gbps.

To prepare an environment for demonstrations at the NICT booth, NICT has coordinated 10 x 100Gbps network paths between Japan and the US by outstanding support and collaboration from Research and Education Network, domestic and international organizations and institutions (Fig. 5). This partnership showcases the power of cross-border teamwork in advancing technological innovation. We gratefully acknowledge the contribution and support from AARNet, AmLight-ExP, ARENA-PAC, BELLA II, CANARIE, CERN, GÉANT, Internet2, KAUST, NAOJ, NA-REX, Pacific Wave, RedCLARA, RNP, SCinet, SINET, SingAREN, SURF, TransPAC, WIDE project, University of Hawaii. We have included below the comments graciously provided by our partner organizations.

Steve Maddocks, AARNet Director, International: “AARNet provided access to 2 x 100Gbps circuit paths from Japan to the USA for the SC24 experiment: one via Singapore and the Indigo subsea cable system; and the other via the Japan-Guam-Australia (JGA )subsea cable system and Sydney, Australia. We’re proud to be a collaborator in driving innovation and connectivity for research and education. The technology this demonstration showcased pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in network performance, enabling faster, more reliable data transfer for transformative projects.”

Dr. Julio Ibarra, Research Professor and AmLight Principal Investigator: “AmLight is very pleased to support NICT’s Network Research Experiments (NREs) for the 2024 SC24 conference. AmLight, in collaboration with its partners RedCLARA and GÉANT, provided NICT with connectivity to a 100G link between Europe, Brazil, Florida, and to SC24 show floor in Atlanta Georgia. We look forward to working with NICT in future network experiments.”

Takashi Tomine and Dr. Hirochika Asai from ARENA-PAC: “We are delighted to collaborate with research and education networks (RENs) worldwide for this cutting-edge 800 Gbps experiment. Creating a global, large-scale, and high-capacity environment is strengthened by RENs’ international collaboration.”

Mark Wolff, Chief Technical Officer, CANARIE: “CANARIE is proud to contribute each year to SCiNet alongside our international research and education partners to provide the platform for advanced networking and research experiments and demonstrations. In particular, this year’s NICT SC24 exhibition demonstrated networking advancements that will lead to more secure and long-distance data movement that will benefit research of all kinds. A special thank you to SCiNet, and to our ANA (Advanced North Atlantic) link partners, Internet2.”

Edoardo Martelli from CERN: “CERN contributed to two of the circuits used in the demo by interconnecting SURF and GÉANT through the CERN high-speed network infrastructure.”

Keith Slater, Senior Service Manager at GÉANT: “Participating in the SC24 demonstration of MMCFTP, as the pan-European research and education network provider, was a true privilege: this project showcased the dedication of a global community to push the boundaries of data transfer capabilities. We coordinated closely with our international partners, solving challengers togetherGÉANT, like moving traffic from CAE-1 – a 100G circuit connecting Singapore and London, managed by a consortium of six RENs – onto KAUST’s secondary circuit, to free up capacity on CAE-1. A heartfelt thank-you to our KAUST colleagues, who have consistently supported us throughout the year, as well as our AARNET and SingAREN partners for promptly agreeing to and facilitating the traffic adjustments .”

Camille Davis-Alfs, Engineering Services Manager at Internet2 and SCinet WAN Co-Chair for SC24: “Collaborating to support groundbreaking demonstrations like this high-speed, multi-path data transfer experiment at SC24 highlights the power of teamwork and advanced connectivity. As a 25-year contributor to SCinet and member of the global research and education network community, Internet2 remains committed to working together to build scalable international networks that drive research and discovery forward.”

Alex Moura, Senior Network Engineer & Science Engagement at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) : “Our collaboration with NICT at SC24 reflects KAUST’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of science and technology through global partnerships. Together, NICT was enabled to demonstrate cutting-edge advancements in data transmission and network programmability, achieving unprecedented performance of 800 Gbps in their Network Research Exhibit demonstration that underscores the power of international collaborations. This partnership aligns seamlessly with KAUST’s mission to drive innovation and enable transformative research for the benefit of our Global Research and Education community.”

Jonah Keough, Managing Director, Pacific Wave: “Pacific Wave is pleased to partner with our participant, NICT, by providing our high-speed supporting exchange infrastructure to enable groundbreaking demonstrations at SC24. NICT’s collaboration showcases the ability to perform high-speed long- distance transfers, as well as novel approaches such as ONION, which will be critical in enabling high performance data analysis needed to support the next generation of AI research.”

Marcos Schwarz – R&D Manager at RNP, the Brazilian National Research and Education Network: “Through this partnership (NICT, RNP, RedCLARA, AmLight and GÉANT) we were able to provide an alternative route and capacity for Data Intensive Transfers from Tokyo-JP to Atlanta-US during SC24, across the southern hemisphere. This achievement showcases the importance of the South America eXchange (SAX) in Fortaleza for intercontinental transit between Latin America, Africa, North America and Europe, as also, of the BELLA system to provide direct connectivity to South America R&E institutions and scientific Instruments through Europe.”

Shigeo Urushidani, Deputy Director General of NII: NII is honored to support NICT’s groundbreaking international networking experiments at SC24 via SINET’s global connections, linking Tokyo with Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Singapore, and Guam. Such ambitious, globe-spanning data transfer experiments would have been unachievable without the close collaboration of the many RENs involved. I would like to express my profound gratitude to all who contributed and to NICT for their visionary leadership.

Prof. Francis Lee Bu Sung, President of SingAREN: “SingAREN is privileged to partner in this demonstration. It shows the high level of cooperation in the research and education community to push the limits and power of technology.”

Karin Wessel, SURF International Connectivity: “We are really happy and proud to contribute to this breaking ground network transfer experiment, which highlights the incredible potential of collaboration international in advancing technology. NetherLight, the Global Exchange Point run by SURF, plays a pivotal role in enabling global connectivity for research experiments. At SURF, we take pride in our long history of successful partnership with our Japanese counterpart, driven by a shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of science and innovation.”

Ed Moynihan, Executive Director, International Networks at Indiana University: “The TransPAC project is proud to support NICT’s innovative Networked Research Experiments at SC24 by providing high-performance bandwidth across its circuits. These groundbreaking demonstrations highlight the forefront of high-speed data transfer technologies and explore new strategies for securing data in transit.”

Chris Zane, Director of Network Services, University of Hawaii: “The University of Hawaii is proud to support NICT’s demonstration through the use of the University’s links between Guam, Hawaii and the US West coast, as well as the Guam Open Research and Education eXchange (GOREX) at SC24. This project demonstrates the effectiveness of collaboration among all the International research and education networks.”

*1 “SC24”

SC is the largest conference in the field of High Performance Computing, Networking Storage and Analysis and more than 490 companies and academic institutions showing at SC24 which attracted 18,000 people from all over the world.

[readmore] https://sc24.supercomputing.org /

*2 “SCinet Network Research Exhibition”

The SC Conference Series is a test bed for cutting-edge developments in high-performance networking, computing, storage, and analysis. Network Research Exhibition (NRE) demonstrations leverage the advanced capabilities of SCinet, SC’s dedicated high-capacity network.

[readmore] https://sc24.supercomputing.org/scinet/network-research-exhibition/

Original press release is published here: https://testbed.nict.go.jp/event_new/SC24.html