IP network policies - IPv4 address depletion and IPv6 strategy

HEAnet actively monitors and forecasts HEAnet IP traffic requirements to ensure that the appropriate capacity is in place to meet the demands of all of our clients. Typically HEAnet expects to see a year on year increase of between 50-100%.
In Feburary 2011, the last available IPv4 address space was allocated by IANA to the regional Internet registries. HEAnet is pursuing a three stream strategy on IPv4 and IPv6; managing the run down of IPv4 space, preparing an IPv6 only service, and working with our clients and other organisations (such as the Irish IPv6 task force) to manage the transition. More details are in John Boland's talk to the Irish IPv6 summit
HEAnet is also testing IPv6 Multicast and 32 bit AS numbers on the HEAnet network.

Stimulating more fibre in Ireland

HEAnet has been using leased dark fibre in Ireland since 2003. HEAnet currently leases approximately 3000Km of dark fibre in Ireland. HEAnet has been advocating the development of a dark fibre market in Ireland by tendering for fibre and stimulating government and industry to build and use duct infrastructure for fibre use. HEAnet welcomes the government’s proposal on providing a one stop shop for access to government fibre and duct infrastructure.

(Inter)national peerings and the policy

The current HEAnet National and International Peerings are:
General Internet: Level3 and TiNET: 2x10Gbit/s
European: GEANT2/+: 2x10Gbit/s
UK: JANET: 2x1Gbit/s
Irish Neutral Exchange: INEX: 2x10Gbit/s

Bluenet tool development (IaaS incorporation, identity management)

The current HEAnet Ethernet point to point provisioning tool (Bluenet) is currently integrated in the GN2-Autobahn software via a Web Service interface. HEAnet would like to re-use this Web Service interface to incorporate the Bluenet tool into a full Infrastructure as a service (IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service) tool. In order to achieve this identity management will have to be resolved possibly using a Federated infrastructure.

New optical networks

HEAnet is planning on going to tender in late 2012 for equipment and fibre to replace our current national backbone and metropolitan networks. In preparation for this tender HEAnet is currently investigating new network technologies and architectures. Such as optical packet switch/optical burst switching/carrier Ethernet and PBB/PBT/TMPLS.

New network services

HEAnet is currently testing GMPLS and VPLS as possible new services on our existing network. HEAnet is also preparing a new 10Gbit/s point to point service which will be called the HEAnet Lambda Service.