HEAnet Major Developments Update

10th Nov 2005

John Boland,Chief Executive

Topics

• Schools Networking

• ITnet & HEAnet Integration

• Research Developments & Requirements

• National Infrastructure Plans & Progress

• International Developments

Supporting school-leavers…

ITnet / HEAnet Integration

HEAnet and ITnet have been requested by HEA/DES to manage the transfer of primary data connections of the 13 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) from ITnet to HEAnet

• We worked with ITnet to define the IoTs’ technical requirements and to investigate how HEAnet can meet these

• Full consultation with ITnet stakeholders throughout the project

ITnet / HEAnet Integration: Scope

Services

– Connectivity (National / International)– An Chéim– Transit to the general/commodity Internet– Business centres commodity Internet access– Outreach centre connectivity– Virtual Private networks (including e-Government)– Client equipment, Host based services, Resilience, Operations

Phased Approach - “ no big bang ! ”

ITnet / HEAnet Integration

Will Enable HEAnet to deploy the full range of its services:

– High capacity dedicated network

– Direct connection to the national backbone

– Advanced network services• very large packets, IP Multicast, IPv6 …

– Ability to take full part in GEANT2

– Full range of HEAnet’s pro-active network management services

• Deliver some major service enhancements for university and other clients also

ITnet / HEAnet Integration

Implementation Team Martin McCarrick – ITnet

Brian Boyle – HEAnet

Owen Byrne – HEAnet

Project Manager John Boland

Steering Committee

DES

HEA

CoD IoTs

IUA (CHIU)

DIT

Ian McKenna

Mary Kerr

Brendan Murphy, Tim Creedon

Michael Nowlan, Brendan Tolan

David Scott

Phase 1: Key Deliverables

It has been decided to integrate ITnet connectivity on a phased basis.

The three key deliverables agreed for Phase 1 are:

1. Pilot connections for three IoTs to HEAnet’s backbone2. Install and test a connection to the An Chéim service at HP3. Investigate the provision of separate commodity internet

access

Technical solution utilising Point-to-Point circuits (Ethernet) over National Backbone can meet the requirements

Deliverable No. 1: 3 IoT Connections

3 pilot IoTs have been identified to begin the connectivity phase:

• Waterford IT• Limerick IT• Blanchardstown IT

Progress: Detailed technical implementation, equipment spec. and configuration. Proof of concept completed in test lab

• LIT 3 weeks• WIT: 5 weeks• IT Blanchardstown : 7-9 weeks• • Aim to Meet with IoT CSMs in early 2006

Deliverable No. 2: Connection to An Chéim

An Chéim hosted by HP in Citywest with Hotstandby service located at Schlumberger in Santry

It is proposed to interconnect HEAnet’s PoP in Citywest with the HP data centre Expected lead-time: 4 weeks

Progress

• Dark fibre quotes received for connection between HEAnet’s PoP in ESAT-X and An Chéim

• Implementation and connectivity discussions between HEAnet, ITnet and An Chéim on-going

Deliverable No. 3: Commodity Internet Access

Investigate establishing a separate connection to the e-Gov. VPN Packet Exchange service

Progress• Discussions with PE re fulfilling ITnet criteria

• An Interesting Development for the university community ?

Technical Implementation Diagrams for

Pilot Phase

CPE

PE

7606

3750

CE

802.1q Trunk port

Trunking

HEAnet MPLS network

802.1q Trunk port 802.1q Trunk port

Waterford ITEthernet Relay Service

CPE

3750

CE802.1q Trunk port

An Cheim

802.1q tags

HEAnet IP network

Access Router

An Cheim Vlan

Commodity Vlan

HEAnet Vlan

Requirements:

Head-End (PE) equipment in WITCPE equipment in WITFibre connection from WIT to ESBT PoPFibre connection from An Cheim to Citywest PoPCPE equipment in An CheimCommodity IP Transit link to Kilcarbery Pop

3750Stack

PE

7606

3750Stack

WIT PoP

Kilcarbery Park

LSPs, “pseudowires”

CommodityIP TransitProvider

PE

7606

3750Stack

Citywest

Options:

2nd Vlan to HEAnet IP network terminating in Dublin (optionally present on a different physical interface on CPE)

Future 2nd Vlan to An Cheim back-up facility in Schlumberge

Background to developments on the National Backbone

The National Backbone Extension

Bandwidth

BA

C

Users

2Mbit/s Gigabit

User Profile of Bandwidth Use

Launch of Cosmogrid Cluster

• February 2005, UCD– Launch of “ROWAN”– Opened by the Minister for Education and Science– 220-processor cluster– Already engaged in major scientific tasks– Joins clusters at other Cosmogrid sites

Mary Hanafin, TD

Key Strategic Issues

• Ensure that the NREN develops the vital infrastructure to support world-class research activities in Ireland

• Attracting inward investment/EC framework funding through pan-European networking involvement

• Heavy leverage of Irish Broadband rollout and optical networking to provide capacity and connectivity needed to support world-class research and students in the future

• Supporting Virtual Learning Environments and online resources for education and research

• Drive the national objective to develop, promote and adopt IPv6

• Contribute to collaboration between tertiary sector and industrial research to ensure Ireland moves up the value chain

Major projects – deliverables/impacts

HEAnet must enable secure and high-speed bandwidth for PRTLI and SFI funded inter-institution and international research activities including

– CosmoGRID, Grid Ireland– Hamilton, Conway & Tyndall Institutes– DERI ,CNRI– Interaction Design Centre , Marine Research Institute– National Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC)– TSSG (WIT), RINCE (DCU)– The Boole Centre (UCC) and TCHPC (TCD)and other PRTLI and SFI funded activities.

• This model also supports connections to university teaching hospitals,• And SFI and HEA funded database resources, e.g. IREL libraries project

National Backbone Extension Cont’d

As well as serving member institutions and their communities of staff, students and researchers generally, HEAnet provides direct support for research projects and institutions which operate within and between the formal institutions.

Phase 1 funding (start-up) secured by HEA: €1.9m

• Building on previous NB investment – PoPs, equipment, infrastructure• Consultation/surveys determined priorities• Backbone elements to put in place• Client/Institution connections prioritised

Phase 2 – end of 2005/early 2006

Phase 3 - IP Network Redesign & Upgrade 2006/2007

National Backbone Extension (NBE)

• Capacity Testing on combo of 3750 & 7600 Cisco routers– VLAN and EoMPLS services to implement Point-to-point links

• Fibre Contracts– ESB Telecom – national ring (1300 Km)– e-net - MANs management entity (Galway, Lim, Athlone, Letterkenny..)– Dublin City Council – extensive Dublin fibre reach– Tender underway for various elements (Gtr. Dublin, NUI-M, …)

• Outsourcing of Lower Layer Management - Tender– Plan for 24/7 support with escalation to HEAnet NOC for IP

St. James

DigitalDepot

MLE

DITGrangegorman

WoodQuay

Bolton St

DITAungier St

UCD EarlsfortTerrace

MaterHospital St. Pat’s

MaterDei

RTE

UCD

FostersPlaceBeaumont

D’Olier St EnterpriseCentre

RCSI

St.Vincent’s

TallaghtHospital IT Tallaght

Carrickmines

Finglas

CrumlinHospital

Site complete

Site in progress

Site planned

Number of circlesindicates number of

diverse physical routes

ESBT fibre

Still in discussion DCC fibre

Provider not yet known

TCD

DIASFenian St

Kildare House

RIA

DCC fibre planned

DCU

Brooklawn House

Kilcarbery Park

Citywest

Carysfort

ICHEC

HEAnet Dublin fibre planning 2005/2006

Tony RyanAcademy

NCI

DundalkCarrick-on-Shannon

Galway

Drumline

Killonan

Stradbally/Portlaoise

Kilbarry Waterford

E-net fibre

NUI Galway

UL

UCC

Letterkenny

HEAnet Fibre Planning (Dublin) – 2005/2006

• DWDM National Backbone – 10Gbps (X4)

• Core Distribution Ring in every city - 10Gbps

• Metropolitan Area Networks – multiple 1Gbps connections

The Challenge …• HEAnet and its clients must build and manage a

national fibre-optic backbone network connecting higher education and research institutions

• Interconnect seamlessly internationally

• Path-Resilient Gbps Connections to every university and institute of technology in 2006