Rome, 8 january 2008

Sistema Pubblico di Sistema Pubblico di ConnettivitàConnettività

QXNQXN(Qualified eXchange Network)(Qualified eXchange Network)

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Mauro Mascagna (CTO – QXN s.c.p.a.)

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Qualified eXchange Qualified eXchange NetworkNetwork

The QXN Consortium The QXN Consortium

GoalsGoals

The Network InfrastructureThe Network Infrastructure

ServicesServices

Future developmentsFuture developments

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Setup date: July 10th, 2006

Founding members: the four major italian TLC Operators

On October 2006, QXN Consortium signed a contract with CNIPA in order to implement and run QXN infrastructure and services

QXN Consortium - MilestonesQXN Consortium - Milestones

(60%)

(10%)

(5%)

(25%)

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QXN Consortium – OrganizationQXN Consortium – Organization

• Management BoardManagement Board, formed by founding members representing the four partners of the Consortium:

• 1 President (BT Italia)• 1 CEO (Fastweb)• 4 Fastweb representatives• 1 BT Italia representative• 1 Wind representative• 1 Telecom Italia representative

• Technical CommitteeTechnical Committee:• 1 Chairman (QXN Technical Director)• 1 representative each from CNIPA, BT, Fastweb, Wind, Telecom Italia, Namex, MIX and CG-SPC

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To design, implement, operate and develop a geographically-distributed IP backbone infrastructure (QXN) acting as an exchange network among SPC Q-ISP’s** backbones.

To provide Q-ISPs with access to QXN services (such as housing, access ports, guaranteed bandwith, centralized DNS, NTP server)

To guarantee equal access conditions to QXN infrastructure and services both to Members of Consortium and to other Q-ISPs.

**Q-ISP: Qualified Internet Service Provider

QXN Consortium – Main goalsQXN Consortium – Main goals

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QXN within SPC General Framework (1)QXN within SPC General Framework (1)

Network : QXNNetwork : QXN

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QXN within SPC General QXN within SPC General Framework (2)Framework (2)

• SPC managementSPC management

• Technology and servicesTechnology and services

• SecuritySecurity

• SPC Future developmentsSPC Future developments

QXN is a “corner stone” within SPC Framework due to its central rolecentral role in the following issues:

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QXN Centrality in SPC QXN Centrality in SPC managementmanagement

QXN Consortium, through the work of its bodies (Management Boards, Technical Committee), acts as an aggregation point among all actors involved in SPC, that are:

• CNIPACNIPA• Q-ISPsQ-ISPs• CG-SPCCG-SPC• NIVNIV

This has a fundamental importance in helping CNIPA to manage a complex environment as SPC isSPC is, due to its “multi-multi-provider”provider” nature.

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QXN Centrality in technology and QXN Centrality in technology and servicesservices

Q-ISPsQ-ISPs may implement their backbones by using different different technologiestechnologies, with differentdifferent services andservices and SLAsSLAs and according to different evolution pathsdifferent evolution paths.

QXN “smooths” all these differencesQXN “smooths” all these differences, by binding all Q-ISPs to comply with specific technical requirements and rules set by QXN Technical Committe.

This results in creating a single SPC “virtual” networka single SPC “virtual” network (integrating QXN and QISP’s backbones) that provides all SPC customers (the PAs) with services with high and homogeneous levels of quality, no matter what Q-ISP is.

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QXN centrality in securityQXN centrality in security

The QXN Points of Presence (PoP) have been implemented by taking specific care to security issues such as:

• physical securityphysical security of equipment• logical securitylogical security of data and traffic flowing through QXN network, (by using Firewalls that implement policies for traffic segregation, network intrusion detection, etc.. )

this resulting in a network infrastructure capable of ensuring high security and availability levels of service.

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QXN centrality in SPC future QXN centrality in SPC future developmentdevelopment

As a central bulding block of SPC Framework, QXN is well suited to implement and provide new “centralized” new “centralized” servicesservices to PAs.

As an example, QXN has already implemented and is currently running the Centralized SPC Domain Name System service, that ensures resolution of domain names of all hosts and services that PAs publish on SPC.

Further services are currently under study by CNIPA.

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QXN Network Architecture - Main QXN Network Architecture - Main featuresfeatures

Two PoP Two PoP based on Cisco technology, Cisco technology, located at major italian NAP (Neutral Access Point) premises in Rome (NAMEX) (NAMEX) and Milan (MIX) (MIX)

High security levelsHigh security levels (physical and logical)

Service Level Agreement (SLA)Service Level Agreement (SLA) Service Avalilability = 99,99% One Way Delay <= 20 Ms Packet Loss <= 0,05%

One set of technical rules One set of technical rules that every Q-ISP must follow in order to be interconnected to QXN (certification process)

Service Trial completed on July 26th, 2007, Commercial Commercial service started service started on July 27th, 2007

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QXN network architecture QXN network architecture

SPC Q-ISP ASPC Q-ISP A

SPC Q-ISP BSPC Q-ISP B

NODO NODO QXN QXN

ROMAROMA

NODO NODO QXN QXN

ROMAROMA

NODO NODO QXN QXN

MILANOMILANO

NODO NODO QXN QXN

MILANOMILANO

BRqxnBRqxnBRqxnBRqxn

BRqxnBRqxnBRqxnBRqxn

PA 2PA 2

PA nPA n

PA yPA yPA yPA yPA xPA xPA xPA x

PA 1PA 1

RUPARUPA PIRPIR

INTERNETINTERNETINTERNETINTERNET

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QXN network architectureQXN network architecture

Two nodesTwo nodes - Rome and Milan – interconnected by two redundant two redundant high speed transmission linkshigh speed transmission links (2x100 Mbps SDH, upgradable up to 1 Gbps), designed for high availability high availability (equipment redundancy and physical path diversity)

Each node is equipped with :

n.2 Cisco 7609 high-performance routersn.2 Cisco 7609 high-performance routers (BRqxn – Border Routers QXN) interconnected locally and to BRqxn at the remote site;

SLA management system SLA management system (based on Cisco IP SLACisco IP SLA solution) in order to monitor and measure network quality parameters (One Way Delay, Packet Loss);

Firewall e Intrusion Detection SystemFirewall e Intrusion Detection System,, in order to protect PA’s data and traffic flowing through QXN

Infrastructure for housingInfrastructure for housing (rack)(rack), in order to accomodate equipment that QISPs use to interconnect their backbone to QXN nodes. These equipment must be co-located to the QXN Border Routers

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QXN Architecture – network & SLA QXN Architecture – network & SLA managementmanagement

Sonda

Sonda

Sonda

Sonda

Sonda

Sonda

Sonda

Sonda

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SLA monitoring systemSLA monitoring system

Cisco 2811

Cisco 2811Cisco 2811

Cisco 2811

Cisco 2811

Cisco 2811 Cisco 2811

Cisco 2811

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SPC DNS ArchitectureSPC DNS Architecture

N. 2 clusters of

server (Rome and

Milan)

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QXN service offeringQXN service offering

• OPA InterconnectionOPA Interconnection

OPO InterconnectionOPO Interconnection

SPC Centralized DNSSPC Centralized DNS

SPC official timing sourceSPC official timing source (NTP server)

Network Operation CenterNetwork Operation Center (operating a 24x365 service for monitoring and operating QXN infrastructure and services)

OPA= Offerta Per le AmministrazioniOPO= Offerta Per gli OperatoriDNS= Domain Name SystemNTP= Network Time Protocol

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WHO are the QXN Customers ?WHO are the QXN Customers ?

• CurrentCurrent• The 4 major Italian Telco Operators (BT, TI, Wind,

Fastweb)• SPC Management Center (CG-SPCCG-SPC)

• Coming nextComing next• Node for PA’s Voip interconnection (NIVNIV)• Application Cooperation Centers

• Future Future • Other Q-ISPOther Q-ISP (with national or regional scope) fulfilling

requirements set by QXN Board and Techical Committe according to general certification criteria set by CNIPA

• QCNQCN : Qualified Community Networks