SDNI: The GEANT testbeds service - virtual network environments for advanced network and applications research

The last decade has produced many important advances in virtualization of IT infrastructure. Virtual Machines, once a novelty, have become an integral component of production web applications and the foundation for cloud services. Virtual Circuits have been around even longer and are now seeing the deployment of multi-domain provisioning services. The conventional core internet routing and switching platforms are giving way to virtualized facilities including virtual routers, virtualized network functions, and even virtual switching and forwarding fabrics.