A complete IP/DWDM GMPLS application has been implemented on top of the Network Emulator using GMPLS Signaling, traffic engineering and path computation controllers for a full GMPLS control plane simulation. The MARBEN™ GMPLS Emulator has been qualified during the European Tbones Project (InfoCom 2005).

The MARBEN™ GMPLS Emulator can be used for testing purpose to:

• Validate the control plane software - e.g., protocol implementations, embedded in real nodes running in front of the emulator.
• Stress the control plane software embedded in real nodes running in front of the emulator (for instance by triggering transport plane failures in the emulator).
• Assert the scalability of the control plane software embedded in real nodes running in front of the emulator, when increasing the number of nodes and links (bundled or not) within the emulator.
• Validate the different constrained path computation algorithms embedded in real nodes running in front of the emulator.

Key features

•  100 nodes supported.

•  Intra and inter-area routing.

•  Link bundling.

•  FA and multi-layer (IP over wavelength) routing.

•  Explicit route control (including explicit resource control).

•  Crankback.

•  End-to-end dynamic and pre-planned rerouting.

•  Make-before-break rerouting.

•  Control Plane Emulator running on Linux 2.4/2.6 or Solaris on remote control.

•  Management plane Client Java Web Interface.