Network Service Systems Laboratories

Overview of the Laboratories

Network Service Systems Laboratories are undertaking R&D of global advanced technologies and competitive products in order to create a simple, smart, and sustainable network infrastructure that can be beneficial for any business.

Communication networks continue to evolve to handle an increase in users of smartphones,
high-speed mobile devices, and diffusion of various sensor communications as represented by the Smart Grid.

Network Service Systems Laboratories continue to create global advanced new communication networks and undertake R&D of fundamental communication technology.

Greetings

(As of Nov. 1, 2012)

Main Research Areas

1. Integration/Advanced technology of transport network

Fundamental technologies of Layer-converged Transport Network

  To provide safe and stress-free network services, we are developing a transport network that can economically and securely carry a large volume of traffic.
  Specifically, our R&D goal is to construct future transport networks that reduce IP processing on core networks by using multi-layer packet transport systems, converging the photonic physical and data packet layers, and intelligently configuring virtual paths between systems.

2. Next generation edge router

  An edge router provides various services for subscribers as a network gateway. The edge router has a feature for triple-play services (Internet access, telephony, and multicast service) and a function to ensure security such as user authentication.
  A next-generation edge router is required to support a large capacity of increasing fixed network traffic, cost and power reduction, extensibility for future services, higher availability, etc.
  Because of the proliferation of smartphones, mobile network traffic is increasing rapidly. The application of the edge router to a mobile network is expected to contribute to high-speed packet processing in accordance with increasing traffic. Network Service Systems Laboratories are responsible for the R&D of system and network architecture of next generation edge routers in order to share the common techniques between fixed and mobile networks and provide users with seamless services in which users do not need to be aware of whether they are on a fixed or mobile network.

3. Server virtualization and distributed processing technology

  We have been conducting research on massive-scale system architecture for post- NGN. Our research aims are to drastically reduce the cost of a communications system while maintaining high reliability and performance by using NTT R&D's long-time accumulated technologies.
  Our ongoing work is developing a distributed system architecture which enables
(1) the providing of various services using cost-effective commodity general purpose hardware, (2) the dynamic scaling of a communications system depending on the demand from hundreds to tens of millions of users, and (3) the continuation of service when a hardware failure or a disaster occurs, as well as meeting other stringent requirements for carrier networks.

4. Visualization of network information

  To provide network services with high-quality and highly reliable network services, we must understand network status factors, such as failures and use trends, and take necessary action to address them as quickly and accurately as possible. With this in mind, we have developed VIRD, a 4-dimensional (3D and time axis) visualization system that enables the visualization of a huge amount of information collected from a network on one screen. With VIRD, network status can be quickly and accurately determined.