Redefining Research and Education Networks: The Demand for 100G Ethernet

Fancy Wang

An ISP backbone is a high-speed network between or within an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that is used to transport large amounts of Internet traffic. The performance and quality of the ISP backbone network directly affect the experience and satisfaction of Internet users. In order to meet the performance and quality requirements of the ISP backbone network, 100G Ethernet, as a high-speed, low-cost, and low-power network technology, has great advantages and potential.

What are the technical requirements of the ISP backbone network for 100G Ethernet?

? Bandwidth requirements: The ISP backbone network requires high-speed network bandwidth to ensure the transmission efficiency and quality of Internet traffic. According to different application scenarios and user requirements, the bandwidth requirements of the ISP backbone network are also different. For example, for high-traffic applications such as video streaming, social media, and online games, it is necessary to support features such as high definition, high frame rate, and high speed; for emerging applications such as cloud computing, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, it is necessary to support massive data, Features such as real-time analysis and intelligent optimization. 100G Ethernet can provide up to 100Gbps network bandwidth, which can meet various bandwidth-intensive ISP backbone network scenarios.

? Latency requirements: The ISP backbone network requires a low-latency network to ensure real-time and stable transmission of Internet traffic. According to different application scenarios and user requirements, the delay requirements of the ISP backbone network are also different. For example, for real-time interactive applications such as video conferencing, telemedicine, and autonomous driving, it needs to be controlled within tens of milliseconds; for non-real-time interactive applications such as e-commerce, online education, and financial transactions, it needs to be controlled within hundreds of milliseconds. 100G Ethernet can provide an end-to-end delay of less than 1 microsecond, which can meet various delay-sensitive ISP backbone network scenarios.

? Reliability requirements: The ISP backbone network requires a reliable network to ensure the integrity and security of Internet traffic transmission. Due to the complex and changeable network environment, there may be various interferences and failures, resulting in packet loss, jitter or interruption of Internet traffic. These problems will affect the performance and quality of the ISP backbone network, and even lead to user service interruption or data leakage. 100G Ethernet can provide a variety of mechanisms to improve network reliability, such as forward error correction (FEC), link aggregation (LAG), multipath (MPTCP), etc. These mechanisms can effectively reduce packet loss rate, increase redundancy, balance load and enhance fault tolerance.

? Scalability requirements: The ISP backbone network requires an extended network to ensure the adaptability and optimization of Internet traffic transmission. Due to the rapid growth and diversification of Internet traffic, the ISP backbone network needs to be able to adapt to traffic demands of different scales and types, as well as traffic changes in different regions and time periods. 100G Ethernet can provide various types and specifications of physical layer interfaces and media, such as twisted pair cables, optical fiber cables, electrical backplanes, etc., as well as logical layer protocols of various rates and modes, such as 10G, 25G, 40G, 100G, etc., as well as full-duplex, half-duplex, adaptive, etc. These characteristics can make 100G Ethernet highly scalable and compatible.

What are the application cases of ISP backbone network for 100G Ethernet?

? Interconnection between ISPs: Interconnection between ISPs refers to the connection of different ISPs through high-speed networks to realize the transmission and exchange of Internet traffic. The interconnection between ISPs requires high-bandwidth, low-latency and high-reliability network technologies to support the business needs of large traffic, real-time and stability. 100G Ethernet can provide high-speed, low-latency and reliable network connections for the interconnection between ISPs, and supports multiple protocols and standards, such as BGP, MPLS, IPv6, etc.

? Interconnection within the ISP: The interconnection within the ISP refers to the connection of different network nodes within the same ISP through a high-speed network to realize the transmission and exchange of Internet traffic. The interconnection within the ISP requires high-bandwidth, low-latency, and highly flexible network technologies to support small traffic, real-time, and optimized business requirements. 100G Ethernet can provide high-speed, low-latency and flexible network connections for the interconnection within the ISP, and supports multiple topologies and architectures, such as ring, star, tree, etc.

? Interconnection between ISP and data center: A data center refers to a facility for storing and processing large amounts of data, usually consisting of multiple servers. The interconnection between ISP and data center refers to connecting the ISP backbone network to the data center through a high-speed network to realize data transmission and exchange. The interconnection between ISP and data center requires high-bandwidth, low-latency and high-reliability network technology to support the business requirements of large traffic, real-time and stability. 100G Ethernet can provide high-speed, low-latency and reliable network connections for the interconnection between ISPs and data centers, and support a variety of services and applications, such as cloud computing, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, etc.

? The interconnection between ISP and Content Distribution Network (CDN): Content Distribution Network (CDN) refers to caching content (such as video, music, pictures, etc.) experience. The interconnection between ISP and CDN refers to connecting the ISP backbone network to the CDN node through a high-speed network to realize the transmission and exchange of content. The interconnection between ISP and CDN requires high-bandwidth, low-latency and high-flexibility network technologies to support small traffic, real-time and optimized business requirements. 100G Ethernet can provide high-speed, low-latency, and flexible network connections for the interconnection between ISPs and CDNs, and support multiple content distribution and recommendation strategies, such as by region, by time period, and by user preferences.

? Interconnection of ISPs with Mobile Operators (MNOs): Mobile Operators (MNOs) are businesses that provide mobile communications services such as voice, SMS, data, etc. The interconnection between ISP and MNO refers to connecting the ISP backbone network to the base station or core network of the MNO through a high-speed network to realize data transmission and exchange. The interconnection between ISPs and MNOs requires high-bandwidth, low-latency, and high-reliability network technologies to support the business needs of large traffic, real-time, and stability. 100G Ethernet can provide high-speed, low-latency and reliable network connections for the interconnection between ISPs and MNOs, and supports multiple communication technologies and standards, such as 4G, 5G, VoLTE, VoWiFi, etc.

What are the common problems of ISP backbone network for 100G Ethernet?

? Q: What hardware devices and interfaces are needed for 100G Ethernet?

? A: 100G Ethernet requires a dedicated 100G Ethernet card for network connection, and these cards usually use PCIe or QSFP28 interfaces. 100G Ethernet cards can transmit signals over different types of media, such as twisted pair cables, fiber optic cables, or electrical backplanes. Different types of media have different transmission distances and costs, and need to be selected according to actual application scenarios.

? Q: What are the differences and advantages between 100G Ethernet and other speed Ethernets?

? A: 100G Ethernet is currently the highest rate Ethernet standard. Compared with other rate Ethernet, such as 10G, 25G or 40G, it has higher bandwidth, lower delay, lower power consumption and more Low cost and other advantages. 100G Ethernet can provide better network performance and user experience, and can also save network resources and operating costs.

? Q: What kind of ISP backbone network scenario is 100G Ethernet suitable for?

? A: 100G Ethernet is suitable for ISP backbone network scenarios with high requirements on network bandwidth and delay, such as high-traffic applications such as video streaming media, social media, and online games, or emerging applications such as cloud computing, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence . These scenarios usually involve large amounts of data and real-time requirements, and require high-speed, low-latency, and stable network connections. For some ISP backbone network scenarios that do not require high network performance, such as non-real-time interactive applications such as e-commerce, online education, and financial transactions, Ethernet at other rates can also meet the requirements.

What market data does the ISP backbone network have for 100G Ethernet?

? According to IDC's forecast, the global ISP backbone network equipment market will reach US$15 billion in 2022, of which 100G Ethernet equipment will account for 60%.

? According to the forecast of Dell'Oro Group, the global ISP backbone network port shipments will reach 50 million in 2022, of which 100G Ethernet ports will account for 50%.

? According to MarketsandMarkets forecast, the global ISP backbone network service market will reach USD 20 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 20%.

? According to Cisco's forecast, the global ISP backbone network traffic will reach 5ZB in 2022, accounting for 20% of the total network traffic.

? According to the forecast of Grand View Research, the global ISP backbone network software market will reach USD 3 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 15%.

? The interconnection between scientific research institutions and supercomputers (HPC) requires high-bandwidth, low-latency, and high-reliability network technologies to support the business needs of large traffic, real-time, and stability. 100G Ethernet can provide high-speed, low-latency and reliable network connections for the interconnection between scientific research institutions and supercomputers (HPCs), and supports multiple computing modes and algorithms, such as parallel computing, distributed computing, and artificial neural networks.

? Interconnection between scientific research institutions and remote laboratories: Remote laboratories refer to experimental equipment and environments that are remotely controlled and accessed through the network, usually consisting of multiple instruments. The interconnection between scientific research institutions and remote laboratories refers to connecting scientific research institutions to remote laboratories through high-speed networks to realize data transmission and exchange. The interconnection between scientific research institutions and remote laboratories requires high-bandwidth, low-latency, and highly flexible network technologies to support small traffic, real-time, and optimized business requirements. 100G Ethernet can provide high-speed, low-latency and flexible network connections for the interconnection between scientific research institutions and remote laboratories, and supports multiple interactive methods and functions, such as video surveillance, voice intercom, data collection, etc.

What are the frequently asked questions about 100G Ethernet for scientific research and education network?

? Q: What hardware devices and interfaces are needed for 100G Ethernet?

? A: 100G Ethernet requires a dedicated 100G Ethernet card for network connection, and these cards usually use PCIe or QSFP28 interfaces. 100G Ethernet cards can transmit signals over different types of media, such as twisted pair cables, fiber optic cables, or electrical backplanes. Different types of media have different transmission distances and costs, and need to be selected according to actual application scenarios.

? Q: What are the differences and advantages between 100G Ethernet and other speed Ethernets?

? A: 100G Ethernet is currently the highest rate Ethernet standard. Compared with other rate Ethernet, such as 10G, 25G or 40G, it has higher bandwidth, lower delay, lower power consumption and more Low cost and other advantages. 100G Ethernet can provide better network performance and user experience, and can also save network resources and operating costs.

? Q: What kind of research and education network scenarios is 100G Ethernet suitable for?

? A: 100G Ethernet is suitable for research and education network scenarios that have high requirements for network bandwidth and delay, such as big data fields such as basic science, astronomy, and earth science, or high-precision fields such as life science, medicine, and engineering, or humanities Social sciences, art, culture and other multimedia fields. These scenarios usually involve large amounts of data and real-time requirements, and require high-speed, low-latency, and stable network connections. For some research and education network scenarios that do not require high network performance, such as non-real-time interactive applications such as remote collaboration, distance teaching, and remote presentations, Ethernet at other rates can also meet the requirements.

What market data does the Research Education Network have for 100G Ethernet?

? According to the statistics of China Education and Research Network (CERNET), as of the end of 2020, the bandwidth of CERNET's backbone network has reached 100Gbps, covering 31 provinces and autonomous regions across the country, connecting more than 2,000 universities and research institutions, and serving more than 3,000 million users.

? According to the statistics of the US high-speed network (Internet2), as of the end of 2020, the backbone network bandwidth of Internet2 has reached 800Gbps, covering 50 states and the District of Columbia in the United States, connecting more than 300 universities and research institutions, and serving more than 60 million users .

? According to statistics from the European High-speed Network (GEANT), by the end of 2020, GEANT's backbone network bandwidth has reached 1Tbps, covering 38 countries and regions in Europe, connecting more than 500 universities and research institutions, and serving more than 50 million users.

? According to IDC's forecast, the global research and education network equipment market will reach US$1 billion in 2022, of which 100G Ethernet equipment will account for 50%.

? According to the forecast of MarketsandMarkets, the global research and education network service market will reach US$1.5 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 18%.