The Common Network Information Service (cNIS) has been developed as a component of the unified platform of services supporting multidomain workflows (together with AMPS, ISHARe, AutoBAHN) in GÉANT network. GÉANT is the name given to both the project and the network that emerged from it. The GÉANT project was a collaboration between 26 National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) representing 30 countries across Europe, the European Commission, and DANTE. Its principal purpose was to develop the GÉANT network - a multi-gigabit pan-European data communications network, reserved specifically for research and education use. The project also covered a number of other activities relating to research networking. These included network testing, development of new technologies and support for some research projects with specific networking requirements. cNIS has been developed and then deployed in five NRENs during GN2 (1 September 2004 - 28 February 2009).

Idea

The aim of the Common Network Information Service is to provide a unified repository of all relevant network information about a single administrative domain. In scope of the GN3, many of the applications and services developed within GN2 will be able to use cNIS in place of their internal topology information storages.

Functionality

cNIS is a "single point of storage", but in fact it is more than just a database. Apart from the internal functionality required for populating, validating and updating the database, it is equipped with modules for analysing the topology data and presenting the data in a client-specified format. An example is the 'Path Finder' module, which is able to calculate the routed path across a domain and Topology Service, which presents the topology data in the XML format specified by the Global Grid Forum's (GGF's) Network Measurement Working Group.

The cNIS is able to store topology data not just for a domain's IP infrastructure, but also for other network technologies (Ethernet, SDH). Automatic population is a significant feature of the cNIS, since it simplifies the work of network administrators (NRENs and others). As a result, cNIS delivers a mechanism for the automatic discovery of the IP, Ethernet and SDH technologies.

GÉANT network deployment

Pilot installation of cNIS has been deployed in the GÉANT network. Following picture presents visualization of the automatically discovered IP topology of the GÉANT network.

Deployments map

Since first release of cNIS the service has been deployed in selected European NRENs. At the end of GN2 phase of the GÉANT project four test instances were running. At the beginning of GN3 five operational instances have been launched: Ireland, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

Legend:

• GN2 test instances
• GN3 operational deployments