Pacific Wave : A New Paradigm for International Peering

1. Pacific Wave: A New Paradigm for International Peering A project of CENIC and PNWGP in collaboration with the University of Southern California and the University of Washington Jacqueline Brown and John Silvester

2. U.S. Pacific Coast Peering Collaboration CENIC (Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California) and PNWGP (Pacific Northwest Gigapop) have combined efforts to create an advanced, extended peering facility on the U.S. West Coast.

3. Peering Credentials: CENIC • Since 1996, the University of Southern California (USC), a CENIC Charter Associate, has operated the LAAP, an international peering exchange including research, educational and commercial entities. It is also connected to several other exchanges – MAE-LA, LAIIX, and PAIX-LA. • CENIC has made extensive use of these facilities to serve its institutions. • USC and CENIC are working together to enhance the LAAP functionality and transition it to be the Los Angeles component of this project.

4. Peering Credentials: PNWGP • Since 1996, PNWGP has operated a high performance peering and exchange point in Seattle, Washington, and has more recently incorporated a Portland, Oregon pop. • Starting in 1998, PNWGP has operated an international peering facility in Seattle. • This facility is active today as ‘Pacific Wave’ and has many Pacific Rim and U.S.-based participants. It is also connected to PAIX-Seattle.

5. Traditional Peering Model • Participants connect at a specific site to exchange routes and peer with others connected at that same site • Growing the number of groups you peer with means physically connecting to multiple sites. • Both LAAP and PNWGP successfully operate such traditional peering facilities. CENIC has made significant use of peering in the services it provides to its associates.

6. Removing Geographic Barriers • Concept: an extensible, geographically dispersed peering fabric • Result: you connect at any one location on the fabric and have the option to peer with any other participant, regardless of where they are connected

7. Old Model

8. New Model: LA & Seattle Summer 2004

9. Easily Extensible to Future Locations

10. Multi-Node Pacific Wave • The Pacific Wave International Peering exchange facility will offer connection points initially in Los Angeles and Seattle, proximal to submarine cable landing sites on the U.S. Pacific Coast.

11. Pacific Wave Fundamentals • Layer 2, Ethernet-based exchange facility • ATM-free zone • Multicast enabled • All IP traffic types supported (ipv4, ipv6, multicast) • Jumbo Frames supported Pacific Wave nodes in Los Angeles and Seattle interconnected by 10GE service(s) from National LambdaRail.

12. Service Features • Self-selected & self-configured peerings • Participants establish their peerings at their convenience and by mutual direct arrangement—no intervention is required by Pacific Wave staff. • LA or SEA connection node options • No AUP • Support available 24 x 7 x 365 • Participants will be asked to peer with both CENIC and PNWGP

13. Pricing and Contracting • Services will be priced to support cost-recovery on the operations. Basic connectivity fees will be the same regardless of the connect point. • Each site will have available ancillary services. • individually priced consistent with the specific location • Participants will sign one Pacific Wave service agreement regardless of the connection location.

14. Timing • The goal is to have the integrated SEA-LA Pacific Wave fabric in place by summer of 2004. • Current peering participants at the two locations will be apprised of the changes and schedules, and any potential impacts/opportunities as they arise.

15. Inquiries • For more information, please contact: CENIC: Celeste Anderson celestea@pacificwave.net +1 213 740 1462 PNWGP: Jan Eveleth eveleth@pacificwave.net +1 206 934 5588