CANARIE || How to get Lightpath

1. Lightpath Allocation Policy

For ease of lightpath allocation management, two lightpath types have been defined, based on duration:

production (required for a period greater than eight (8) weeks)
demo (required for a period of eight (8) weeks or less)

Lightpath requests will be coordinated by the Network Services Coordinator. The Network Services Coordinator will normally contact the Lightpath Applicant within three (3) business days of receiving a duly filled out Lightpath Request Form, to confirm the requirement, discuss the details of the request, and communicate costs if applicable. To the extent possible, lightpath requests which meet all the requirements will be processed and implemented by the Network Services Coordinator.

2. Lightpath Request Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Network Services Coordinator that the applicant:

has a genuine need of the bandwidth, QoS, or other characteristic that a dedicated lightpath will provide;
has a well thought out plan of how to take advantage of the bandwidth, including details on what operating system kernels, device drivers, network protocols, and protocol stack tuning strategies will be used;
is in the process of making arrangements with the applicable ORANs for the provision of matching equivalent lightpath across the ORAN and campus.

3. ORAN Role

In principle the CANARIE Network portion of end-end lightpaths are to be provisioned from ORAN to ORAN or from ORAN to international network. Coordination with ORANs and ORAN engineering is required for lightpath provisioning and ORANs may charge fees for equipment, engineering, and colo space. In certain cases, with ORAN approval, lightpath applicants may connect directly to a CANARIE Network node.

4. Costs

Applicants are responsible for the incremental infrastructure costs associated with the provisioning of lightpaths across the CANARIE Network. These costs may be attributable to the requirement for additional CANARIE Network interfaces and/or local loops. For demo lightpaths (short term), where available, CANARIE may provide interface cards and/or local loops.

5. Requests from the US, Europe, or Asia

Upfront payment of CANARIE's avoided cost is required for production lightpath requests (long term) between two end points outside of Canada. Short term requests for lightpaths between two end points outside of Canada will be done on a best efforts basis but may be pre-empted by Canadian research needs. Requests for lightpaths where one end terminates within Canada will be treated in the same manner as requests for lightpaths where both ends terminate in Canada.

6. Right to Preempt

Applicants must acknowledge that CANARIE has the right to preempt a lightpath or reduce the lightpath capacity (with suitable notice), or, charge the Applicant for the lightpath, at cost, if:

the lightpath is underused or inactive,
lightpath demand across the CANARIE Network exceeds available capacity, across a given segment, at a given time.

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