ExoGENI: A multi-domain infrastructure-as-a-service testbed

Abstract

NSF's GENI program seeks to enable experiments that run within virtual network topologies built-to-order from testbed infrastructure offered by multiple providers (domains). GENI is often viewed as a network testbed integration effort, but behind it is an ambitious vision for multi-domain infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). This paper presents ExoGENI, a new GENI testbed that links GENI to two advances in virtual infrastructure services outside of GENI: open cloud computing (OpenStack) and dynamic circuit fabrics. ExoGENI orchestrates a federation of independent cloud sites and circuit providers through their native IaaS interfaces, and links them to other GENI tools and resources. The ExoGENI deployment consists of cloud site "racks" on host campuses within the US, linked with national research networks and other circuit networks through programmable exchange points. The ExoGENI sites and control software are enabled for software-defined networking using OpenFlow. ExoGENI offers a powerful unified hosting platform for deeply networked, multi-domain, multi-site cloud applications. We intend that ExoGENI will seed a larger, evolving platform linking other third-party cloud sites, transport networks, and other infrastructure services, and that it will enable real-world deployment of innovative distributed services and new visions of a Future Internet. © 2012 ICST Institute for Computer Science, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.