The Photonic TeraStream: enabling next generation applications through intelligent optical networking at iGRID2002

Traditionally, the design and implementation of network based applications, especially large-scale, high performance applications, have had to be compromised across multiple dimensions interfaces, services, performance, flexibility, protocols, architecture, technology, etc. These restrictions exist, in part, because the most widely deployed communications infrastructure was designed to optimize traditional communications, not high performance data communications. At iGRID2002, the International Center for Advanced Internet Research (iCAIR) and its research partners demonstrated "Photonic-Empowered Applications," based on next generation intelligent optical networking technology and dynamic data services provisioning. These demonstrations indicated the potential for creating next generation global applications when traditional barriers to network optimization at multiple levels are removed. These application demonstrations were based on high performance communications infrastructure utilizing novel techniques for managing globally distributed resources and extremely large volume data streams. The innovative advanced optical networking technologies being developed by these research organizations will allow for many new types of high performance global applications across multiple disciplines and industries.