GDLN World Forum Program

The Potential of Internet2, NRENs and other Partnerships for Expanding Connectivity and Building a Wider Knowledge Community

Internet2 and GDLNHeather Boyles

Director, Internet2heather@internet2.edu

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Quick Overview

• What is Internet2?• What does Internet2 do?• What are NRENs and why?• What relevance do they have to GDLN?• Am I connected to an NREN?• How are GDLN sites using NRENs?

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What is Internet2?

• US not-for-profit organization• Formed in 1996 by US universities• Today:

• 200+ US universities• Other research centers (corporate and

government), museums, libraries, hospitals, industry

• World Bank group is a member

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What does Internet2 do?

• Builds and operates a dedicated network interconnecting its members

• Separate from the commercial Internet• Owned and operated by the university

community itself• The World Bank is connected

• Through the local (Washington, DC) consortium of universities that connect to the Internet2 network

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Internet2 Network Infrastructure

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Internet2 and the term NREN

• Internet2 is the name of the US organization of US universities and other members

• Internet2 as “Kleenex” or “Hoover”• National Research and Education

Networks (NRENs) is generic term• Internet2 is the NREN of the United States

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Why are NRENs relevant to GDLN?

• Many countries have NRENs• NRENs are dedicated to serving the

research, teaching, learning, clinical, outreach, etc. needs of the education and research community

• Many GDLN centers are at universities• Already connected

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But why NRENs? (and not just the commercial Internet)

• Pool demand, resources, expertise of the research and education community

• Optimize network infrastructure for particular needs of research, teaching, learning

• How: through building dedicated networks separate from the commercial Internet

• Commercial Internet• Goal: make money• Method: serve many with common-denominator capabilities

• Control and build your own: deploy capabilities the commercial Internet hasn’t (can’t find enough customers, not yet profitable enough, etc.)

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Examples

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Examples

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Am I connected to an NREN?

• Resources:• List on next slide – if reachable via one

NREN, generally reachable via any• A few countries have NRENs, but not yet

connected in a dedicated way• KENET, Kenya

• TERENA Compendium• http://www.terena.nl/activities/compendium/

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Europe-Middle East Europe (GEANT2)Austria (ACOnet)Belgium (BELNET)Croatia (CARNet)Czech Rep. (CESNET)Cyprus (CYNET)Denmark

(Forskningsnettet)Estonia (EENet)Finland (Funet)France (Renater)Germany (G-WIN)Greece (GRNET)Hungary

(HUNGARNET)Iceland (RHnet)Ireland (HEAnet)Israel (IUCC)Italy (GARR)Jordan (JUNET)Latvia (LATNET)Lithuania (LITNET)Luxembourg (RESTENA)

Asia-Pacific AmericasLatin America (redCLARA)Argentina (RETINA)Brazil (RNP2/ANSP)Canada (CA*net)Chile (REUNA)Costa Rica (CR2Net)Mexico (Red-CUDI)Panama (RedCyT)Peru (RAAP)Uruguay (RAU2)Venezuela (REACCIUN2)

Malta (Univ. Malta)Netherlands (SURFnet) Norway (UNINETT)Palestinian Territories

(Gov’t Computing Center)Poland (POL34)Portugal (RCTS2)Qatar (Qatar FN)Romania (RoEduNet)Russia (RBnet)Slovakia (SANET)Slovenia (ARNES)Spain (RedIRIS)Sweden (SUNET)Switzerland (SWITCH)Syria (HIAST)United Kingdom

(JANET)Turkey (ULAKBYM)*CERN

Australia (AARNET)China (CERNET, CSTNET,NSFCNET)

Fiji (USP-SUVA)Hong Kong (HARNET)India (ERNET)Indonesia (ITB)Japan (SINET, WIDE, JGN2)Korea (KOREN, KREONET2)Malaysia (MYREN)New Zealand (KAREN)Philippines (PREGINET)Singapore (SingAREN)Taiwan (TANet2, ASNet)Thailand (UNINET, ThaiSARN)Vietnam (VINAREN)

82 Networks reachable via Abilene

Algeria (CERIST)Egypt (EUN/ENSTIN)Morocco (CNRST)Tunisia (RFR)South Africa (TENET)

Central Asia

AfricaArmenia (ARENA)Georgia (GRENA)Kazakhstan (KAZRENA)Tajikistan (TARENA)Uzbekistan (UZSCI)

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How can GDLN sites use NRENs?

• Connecting to each other• World Bank MCUs are connected to

Internet2 network• Traffic from a GDLN center on an NREN

goes to WB MCU via NRENs• Connecting with universities and other

institutions on NRENs• Bringing in faculty, students, researchers to

GDLN community and vice versa

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Examples

• GDLN LAC eHealth initiatives• July 14, 2005 seminar on "Biotechnology,

Bioethics, and Genomics: Implications on Public Health”

• GDLN Centers in Argentina, Chile, Peru and Venezuela connected via NRENs

• Any many others since!• African GDLN centers

• February 2006 Internet2 Commons Site Coordinator videoconference training course

• Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast - 43 participants

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Questions?

http://www.internet2.eduhttp://international.internet2.edu

Heather Boylesheather@internet2.edu