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NDDI Open Source Elastic Switch Software (OESS)

NDDI Open Source Elastic Switch Software (OESS) is an open-source network provisioning and control platform for automating circuit-based services on software-defined and research/education backbone networks operated by Internet2 and partner institutions.

  • Dynamic provisioning and teardown of Layer 2 circuits and VLAN-based paths (network automation).
  • Web-based user interface and APIs for circuit management, monitoring, and workflow integration (network operations tooling).
  • Integration with backbone and exchange fabrics to support virtual topologies for research and educational use cases (research and education networking).
  • Policy-driven control over bandwidth, topology, and access for multi-domain collaborations (network policy and orchestration).
  • Support for Software Defined Networking (SDN) concepts on Internet2 infrastructures such as the former NDDI and related services (software-defined networking control).

More About NDDI Open Source Elastic Switch Software (OESS)

OESS (Open Source Elastic Switch Software) is a network provisioning and control system developed under Internet2 initiatives to manage dynamic, circuit-based connectivity across backbone and exchange infrastructures, including environments associated with the former National Deep Dive Infrastructure (NDDI) and related research and education networks. The software addresses the need for programmatic, on-demand Layer 2 connectivity among institutions that participate in collaborative science, research, and advanced networking testbeds.

At its core, OESS focuses on automated provisioning of Ethernet Virtual LAN (VLAN) circuits and point-to-point or multipoint Layer 2 paths (network automation). Through this model, users and operators can create virtual links between endpoints on an underlying Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or optical backbone without manual device-by-device configuration. OESS treats the network as a set of abstracted resources, enabling circuits to be created, modified, or removed by authorized users through defined workflows.

The platform exposes a web-based portal and programmatic interfaces (network operations tooling) for managing connectivity services. Typical capabilities described in Internet2 materials include requesting circuits, specifying endpoints on participating backbone or exchange fabrics, defining bandwidth and duration, and monitoring the state of provisioned paths. These capabilities are oriented toward research and education institutions that need predictable Layer 2 connectivity for experiments, data movement, or federated infrastructure.

OESS is used in contexts where multiple administrative domains interconnect via an Internet2 backbone or exchange fabric (research and education networking). The software provides policy controls and abstractions for administrators who must coordinate resources across organizations while preserving local control of infrastructure. In practice, this can involve mapping user or project requests to VLAN Intrusion Detection System (IDS), backbone links, and edge ports while enforcing access constraints and bandwidth parameters.

From an architectural perspective, OESS operates as a control and orchestration system (software-defined networking control) that interacts with network devices capable of supporting VLAN-based services and related transport features. The platform resides above the physical and data plane equipment and issues configuration changes according to requested circuits and policies. This architecture aligns with SDN concepts, in which centralized logic manages distributed forwarding elements.

For enterprises and institutions that participate in or interconnect with Internet2-operated infrastructures, OESS is relevant as a tool for provisioning predictable, circuit-like Ethernet services for data-intensive workflows (network service provisioning). It fits in a directory taxonomy under network automation, SDN control, and research and education backbone service orchestration. Its design supports interoperability with heterogeneous vendor equipment at the transport layer, as long as the devices expose compatible mechanisms for VLAN and circuit configuration governed by the OESS control plane.