With the rapid growth of IP networks in South-Asia in the past few years, and the advent of new services and applications -- be they wireless/wireline broadband Internet access, cable telephony, VoIP, remote teleconferencing, e-governance, or mobile entertainment -- a key issue before carriers is how to design and operate their networks as methodically and as efficiently as possible to maximize both customer retention and profits. While several best practices typically emerge from each provider\'s unique situation and cumulative experience (the "art" of network design), there are certain operational precepts that systematize and streamline the complex, multi-dimensional task of designing and managing modern, operational IP networks (the "science" of network design). In this talk, we first discuss the overall network design process and the manner in which control over the network must be exercised at varying timescales to achieve efficient operation. Next we discuss the functions that the operational, engineering, and planning teams at a carrier must typically execute, their inter-relationships, and the importance/rationale for performing them to optimize network performance. We then outline some network design best practices that have evolved over the past decade, drawing upon examples of carriers such as Sprint, Global Crossing, AT&T, NTT, and Reliance. We conclude with a look at some automated traffic engineering and planning tools, and how they enable carriers to rapidly identify potential performance problems, rigorously experiment with/evaluate design options, perform thorough scenario and network analysis, and develop robust designs.

1. Network Planning and Design: An Art or a Science? Vishal Sharma, Ph.D. Metanoia, Inc. [email_address] http://www.metanoia-inc.com Metanoia, Inc. Critical Systems Thinking™ © Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

3. Overall Network Design Process Metanoia, Inc. Critical Systems Thinking™

4. A View of the Overall Network Planning/Layout Process We are here Note: In a combined multi-layer network design , this strict division may not hold

5. Network Design: Exercising Control over Different Timescales

6. The “Science” of Network Planning Metanoia, Inc. Critical Systems Thinking™

9. Key Carrier Network Design Functions by Organization 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10. The “Art” of Network Planning (and some “science”) Metanoia, Inc. Critical Systems Thinking™

11. Global Crossing IP Backbone Network 100,000 route miles 27 countries 250 major cities 5 continents 200+ POPs Courtesy: Thomas Telkamp, GBLX

13. Global Crossing’s Approach: Big Picture

14. Global Crossing’s LSP Layout and Traffic Routing Methodology

15. SprintLink TM IP Backbone Network 19+ countries 30+ major intl. cities 5 continents (reach S. America as well) 400+ POPs Courtesy: Jeff Chaltas Sprint Public Relations Represents connectivity only (not to scale) 110,000+ route miles (common with Sprint LD network)

17. SprintLink TM Deployment Strategy

18. Reliance Communications: India Network 80,000-100,000 route kms 4000 towns, 350, 000 villages 3+ p2p paths on metro rings Ring + mesh design, 130+ rings Source: FLAG Telecom Extranet

20. A Look at Planning Tools (advancing the “science”) Metanoia, Inc. Critical Systems Thinking™

21. Canonical Structure of Automated Planning Tools

26. Cariden MATE: TE Process

29. Cariden MATE: Resilience Capabilities Before (worst case) After (worst case) >> 95% utilization Max. utilization under 92%