Technical and strategic collaboration between GÉANT, ESnet, Internet2 and other partners to help underpin data-intensive projects such as Large Hadron Collider

CAMBRIDGE, UK, 14 Nov. 14 -- Transatlantic research projects that rely on high performance computing will benefit from seamless, end-to-end network services. Some of these capabilities are being demonstrated this week at SC11, the international conference for high performance, computing, networking, storage and analysis, by research networks GÉANT, ESnet and Internet2.  The demonstration at Internet2’s booth (#1327 – see times below) will illustrate Layer2 Transatlantic data traffic flow in support of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project.

When the services are officially launched in the coming months, users involved in data-intensive projects such as high energy physics, radio astronomy and fusion research will be able to access interoperable, dynamically provisioned on-demand network links and multi-domain monitoring on both sides of the Atlantic for the first time. This seamless approach makes it simpler to collaborate on large-scale projects, speeding up research and adding flexibility to high performance computing.

A longstanding collaboration has existed between leading research networks GÉANT (operated by DANTE), the Department of Energy’s ESnet, Internet2, Canadian research network CANARIE, Indiana University GlobalNOC and US LHCnet. From which, many of the partners have now co-operated to create a fully interoperable, extensible end-to-end service portfolio that will enable users to quickly establish and configure on-demand end-to-end high capacity links, across multiple networks, safe in the knowledge that they are completely interoperable. Projects will benefit further from a higher quality of service through perfSONAR multi-domain monitoring that keeps a constant watch over the end-to-end network performance, enabling a faster troubleshooting response. The partners expect to extend this framework to regional and international peers around the globe.

One of the first users of the collaboration’s fruits will be CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which generates 15 petabytes of data per year. The LHC Open Network Environment (LHCONE) network is using both bandwidth on demand and network monitoring to transfer this data between scientists and researchers in Europe and the US and to assess network performance. A demonstration at the Internet2 booth at SC11 (#1327) will illustrate Layer 2 transatlantic data traffic flow in support of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project. Data movement will be shown across transatlantic links as well as participating end sites in the US and Europe. This innovative work provides dedicated network overlays for the particle physics community.

Given the increasingly global nature of research, the interoperability standards developed by the collaboration have potential to contribute to the development of a global standard. The collaborators are working together with other networking organisations on the Network Services Interface (NSI) protocol, which is being developed within the Open Grid Forum (OGF), to ensure the seamless delivery of dynamic circuit provisioning around the world.

“The rapidly increasing number of data intensive research projects rely on high performance computing to transmit, process and analyse massive volumes of information,” said Niels Hersoug, Joint General Manager, DANTE, the organisation which on behalf of Europe’s National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) has built and operates the GÉANT network. “In a global research economy ensuring this data quickly reaches users across the world is critical to collaboration and progress. The technical partnership behind this innovative portfolio of services will enable the interoperability that researchers need to move high performance computing forward.”

“Transatlantic co-operation is at the heart of research and it is imperative that projects have the tools and services they need to seamlessly share information across multiple networks,” said Steve Cotter, head of ESnet. “This collaboration will deliver the flexibility and high performance that research projects need, building on our own services to create an end-to-end, multi-domain portfolio to underpin vital research.”

“Research collaboration, particularly on data-intensive projects in physics and radio astronomy is truly global,” said Dave Lambert, Internet2 CEO. “Networks therefore need to work together to deliver seamless services to support this. Our own collaboration is a first step towards the creation of open, standards-based services that can be deployed around the world in support of global research and have the potential to transform the practice of networking.”

Demonstration times at the Internet2 booth (#1327): Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 11a.m. and 4 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and Thursday, Nov. 17 at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

About ESnet

ESnet provides the high-bandwidth, reliable connections that link scientists at national laboratories, universities and other research institutions, enabling them to work together on some of the world's most important scientific challenges including energy, climate science, and the origins of the universe. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, and managed and operated by the ESnet team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), ESnet provides scientists with access to unique DOE research facilities and computing resources, as well as to scientific collaborators including research and education networks around the world. For more information, see www.es.net.

About Internet2

Internet2, whose network is owned by U.S. research universities, is one of the world’s most advanced networking consortium for global researchers and scientists who develop breakthrough Internet technologies and applications, and spark tomorrow’s essential innovations. Internet2 consists of more than 450 U.S. universities; corporations; government agencies; laboratories; higher learning; and other major national, regional and state research and education networks; and organizations representing more than 50 countries. Internet2 is a registered trademark. To discover more about Internet2, go to www.internet2.edu.

About GÉANT

GÉANT is the high speed European communication network dedicated to research and education. In combination with its NREN partners, GÉANT creates a secure, high-speed research infrastructure that serves 40 million users in over 8,000 institutions across 40 European countries. Operating at speeds of up to 40 Gbps, GÉANT is the world’s largest and most advanced multi-gigabit network dedicated to research and education. Building on the success of its predecessors, GÉANT has been created around the needs of users, providing flexible, end-to-end services that transform the way that researchers and students collaborate. GÉANT is at the heart of global research networking through wide ranging connections with other world regions, underpinning vital projects that bridge the digital divide and benefit society as a whole.

Co-funded by the European Commission under the EU’s 7th Research and Development Framework Programme, GÉANT is the e-Infrastructure at the heart of the EU’s European Research Area and contributes to the development of emerging Internet technologies. The project partners are 32 European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), TERENA and DANTE. GÉANT is operated by DANTE on behalf of Europe’s NRENs. For more information, visit www.geant.net.

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Source: GÉANT; ESnet; Internet2