The Works of DANTE - Issue 1

GÉANT2: Ambitious goals for next generation network

The project to create the next generation of the GÉANT network began on 1 September 2004. The new network will build on the success of the existing GÉANT model, replacing the current network in Spring 2005 with an improved backbone infrastructure for European research and education. It will make leading-edge technology available to all in the research community, irrespective of geographic location.

The Project

The four-year GÉANT2 project is co-funded by the European Commission and 30 of Europe’s National Research and Education Networks (NRENs). It will be managed by DANTE and involves 32 partners: DANTE, TERENA and the 30 NRENs. The upgraded network will continue to provide high performance services for demanding users, but will in future also provide dedicated 'wavelengths', specifically designed to meet their needs. An initiative to provide seamless end-to-end connectivity will give scientists direct access to the advanced communication capabilities of GÉANT and its national partner networks. In addition, a new mobility and roaming service will be developed, allowing users to stay connected to GÉANT, wherever they are doing research.

GÉANT2 is a fundamental component of the European Research Area and will increasingly support the growth of research and development in a global context. "The European Research Area won’t happen without meeting scientists’ requirements. GÉANT2 will support the needs of end-users in collaboration with National Research and Education Networks" said Dai Davies, DANTE’s co-General Manager.

Research Activities

GÉANT2 will deploy a "hybrid" network architecture that seamlessly combines a switched and a routed infrastructure by utilising the most appropriate technology from the worlds of telephony and the Internet. The new network will not only aid academic researchers, but will also act as a research tool in its own right. Some of these activities include:

• Developing improved tools for network performance management
• Creating protection mechanisms for increased network security
• Producing real-time monitoring tools on attempted network attacks
• Developing tools to allocate bandwidth on demand
• Implementing a test-bed facility for testing new technology.

The global reach of the network is expanding as research networking operates on an increasingly global scale. European researchers are already well connected to North America and Japan via 10Gbps and 2.5Gbps links respectively. Results from the EUMEDCONNECT project means the Mediterranean region is now increasingly connected to GÉANT. The ALICE project for Latin America will connect researchers to their European counterparts via GÉANT, and new connections to Asia will link to GÉANT2, as part of the TEIN2 project.

Look out for the GÉANT2 website, due to launch in September, which will become a comprehensive source of information about project activities. We are also developing GÉANT2 brochures, leaflets and posters which will soon be available to download and order.