Research network engineers to unite at Clemson

Clemson University in South Carolina straightway week is hosting network engineers from innovation institutions around the world at the Winter 2011 ESCC/Joint Techs meeting co-sponsored by the Department of Energy's ESnet Site Coordinating Committee and Internet2.

The event will focus on topics ranging from stimulus-funded broadband networks to cloud computing and telepresence. Check out the full agenda and note that sessions will be netcast for worldwide viewing.

One session that caught my eye included a timely IPv6 workshop in which participants will set up a functioning network based on the at once-generation Internet protocol that'sgetting increased attention in light of quickly dwindling IPv4 address space.

I'm as well intrigued by a presentation from Clemson and a birds-of-a-feather discussion led by Indiana University regarding OpenFlow, which was created at Stanford University as part of its Clean Slate Internet Design effort and is shepherded by the OpenFlow Consortium. OpenFlow separates the control of packet forwarding from other router or switch controls to allow for more flexibility in network environments based on standard commercial switches and routers. I last wrote about OpenFlow in connection with another network innovation event that took place late last year, and suspect we'll start to hear more and more about OpenFlow in 2011.