Delivering user servicesacross borders

connect • communicate • collaborate

International networking services for theresearch and education communities

What is GÉANT?GÉANT is the pan-European research and education network thatinterconnects Europe’s National Research and Education Networks(NRENs). Together we connect over 40 million researchers andstudents across Europe, facilitating collaborative research in adiverse range of disciplines, including high-energy physics, radioastronomy, bio-medicine, climate change, earth observation andarts & culture.

GÉANT is part-funded by, and works in close cooperation with theEuropean Commission (EC). GÉANT is fundamental to realising theEU’s vision for the European Research Area (ERA), and is a key partof the Digital Agenda for Europe, a flagship initiative drivingEurope 2020.

What is the GÉANT Services Portfolio?GÉANT’s goal is to make collaboration seamless and straightforward for Europeanresearchers. To achieve this, we are working with Europe’s NRENs to develop anddeliver user-focussed, multi domain services and tools that build on the power ofthe pan-European network. The GÉANT Services Portfolio aims to make it simplefor researchers to collaborate by delivering seamless network performanceacross borders and domains, tailored to their particular needs.

To deliver these services, the GÉANT backbone and Europe’s NRENs combine tocreate the GÉANT Service Area (GSA), a vast multi-domain, service infrastructurethat enables NRENs to provide network services and applications at a locallevel by standardising procedures, security and development practices.The GSA aims to create an infrastructure that appears as a single,seamless resource to users, wherever they are located.

Connectivity ServicesThrough its range of connectivity services, GÉANT enables users to choosethe bandwidth and performance that matches their needs. With optionsranging from high speed IP connections to dynamic circuits, GÉANT worksclosely with users to identify the best fit for their project. Delivered togetherwith Europe’s NRENs, these provide an end-to-end service across theGÉANT Service Area.

High performance collaboration- GÉANT IPThe GÉANT IP service provides a robusthigh-bandwidth solution to the internationalconnectivity requirements of the majorityof academic users. Stretching across thecontinent, the GÉANT IP backbone networkconnects Europe’s NRENs, allowing millionsof users to collaborate seamlessly.

Dedicated end-to-endconnectivity - GÉANT PlusAimed at users who need guaranteed highperformance between specific locations, GÉANTPlus provides dedicated network to networkcircuits at bandwidths between 155 Mbps and10 Gbps. GÉANT Plus combines the privacy andavailability advantages of a private circuit withthe cost efficiency of a shared network.

GÉANT’s connectivity services areunderpinned by a growing range ofsoftware tools. The Common NetworkInformation Service (cNIS) tool collectsand shares network topology data whileAutoBAHN’s dynamic provisioning softwareprovides the ability to create on demandcircuits quickly and simply.

An important taskfor an NREN likeus is to provide ouruser community withthe new tools andinfrastructures whichare at the forefrontof what is technologically available.Bandwidth on Demand is at the momentthe paramount example of what ournetwork infrastructures can produce.

Martin Bech, UNI-C, Forskningsnettet,Denmark

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User controlled links for demandingprojects - GÉANT LambdaGÉANT Lambda has been created for Europe’smost demanding, data intensive projects. Itprovides full 10 Gbps wavelengths between anytwo GÉANT NRENs connected to the GÉANT darkfibre cloud. A fully transparent service, it putsthe user in control at the network transportlayer and offers ultimate flexibility regardinghow the circuit is used. As part of GÉANT'sprogramme of improvement, 100Gbps servicesare due to be rolled out across thenetwork shortly.

Dynamic flexible circuits- Bandwidth on DemandA powerful service for automatic bandwidthprovisioning across multiple networks,GÉANT Bandwidth on Demand (BoD) enablesNRENs to automatically create multi-domaininternational connections in minutes. This meansthey can quickly and cost-effectively provideguaranteed bandwidth to their users, exactlywhen they need it.

Network PerformanceGÉANT’s high speed connectivity is supported by a comprehensive range ofnetwork monitoring and management services. These enable consistent,secure, end-to-end performance that delivers a successful user experienceacross Europe. Deployed with NREN partners, these services optimise networkperformance by providing 24x7 monitoring across the GÉANT Service Areainfrastructure, allowing the fast identification and remedy of issues as well asdelivering powerful security features that prevent and detect malicious attacks.

Performance monitoring- perfSONAR MDMAs research collaboration has grown, it involvesmore and more different networks, locally,nationally and internationally. In thiscomplicated, multi-domain infrastructuretracking down potential issues and ensuringconsistent performance can be difficult. This ledto the creation of perfSONAR Multi-DomainMonitoring (MDM). This tool enables NRENengineers to access standardised performanceinformation from monitoring points acrossmultiple domains worldwide through a singlescreen making it simple to pinpoint andtroubleshoot performance issues.

Enhancing performance- eduPERTeduPERT enables network users to get the bestperformance from their connections.It combines information from independentPerformance Enhancement Response Teams(PERTs) from local institutions, NRENs andGÉANT, fostering knowledge-sharing acrossthe GÉANT Service Area. Working togetherthrough eduPERT, response teams providean end-to-end investigation and consultingservice to academic and research userson any network performance issues.

Having perfSONARMDM allows usto more efficientlydebug network issues,especially to identifyoverloaded networksegments/links.It is a huge advantage to be ableto test an end-to-end connection,segment by segment.

Gerard Bernabeu, PIC, (Tier-1 LHC centre),Spain

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Keeping GÉANT secure– CERT PortalIn an online world, network security is of vitalimportance. GÉANT takes a proactive approach tosecurity to maintain the integrity of the network,implementing advanced defences that offersophisticated handling of network incidents.Built on a common approach and processes forcoordinating responses to security issues theGÉANT CERT portal allows users to report securityevents direct to their NREN, enabling knowledgesharing and fast responses across theGÉANT Service Area.

User Access and ApplicationsMobility and openness are crucial to achieving a truly connected EuropeanResearch Area. Consequently researchers, academics and others need to beable to move freely across network boundaries, securely accessing their ownhome network as well as the research resources of any institution they arelocated in within the GÉANT Service Area. To achieve this, GÉANT hasdeveloped interoperable services that allow secure roaming access by verifyingusers’ identities and rights, and granting access to resources as appropriate.

Accessing remote resources– eduGAINeduGAIN enables users to access vital resourcessuch as research databases and tools atinstitutions in participating countries, withoutneeding to re-register or apply for additionalpermissions. By removing geographical andtechnical barriers to sharing information,eduGAIN makes it as simple to access remoteresources as if they were in a user’shome institution.

Secure roaming connectivity- eduroam®eduroam is a global service that provides secureroaming connectivity to users across Europe andmany regions worldwide. With authenticationhandled by the home institution andauthorisation by the visited institution, eduroamalso allows academics and researchers to visitand access networks at other participatinginstitutions without needing to reconfiguretheir laptop or request new passwords.

Global research initiatives, like the International Cancer GenomeConsortium, depend on the ability of far-flung users to transmit,access, and manipulate huge amounts of data. CANARIE is committedto supporting access to data and tools for our increasingly borderlesscommunitythrough CAF and its participation in eduGAIN.

Jim Roche, President and CEO of CANARIE

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Underpinning digital security- eduPKIDigital certificates are widely used to guaranteesecure and reliable communication across theinternet. eduPKI helps the cost-effectiveadoption of digital certificates within theGÉANT project, addressing the securityrequirements of other services by helpingthem define their needs and to then providethem with digital certificates and support.

End to end videoconferencing- eduCONFeduCONF supports and facilitates the use andadoption of videoconferencing, simplifyingthe user experience and reducing operationalcosts. Through a certified directory ofvideoconferencing facilities across theGÉANT Service Area it makes it simple for usersto access high quality videoconferencingresources reducing travel costs andenvironmental impact..

www.geant.net

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union.The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of DANTE and can under nocircumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. BR/SVC/0912

Further InformationGo online to learn more about GÉANT andkeep up to date with the latest developments

www.twitter.com/GEANTnews

www.facebook.com/GEANTnetwork

www.youtube.com/GEANTtv

Also available in this series:

Transformingthe wayresearcherscollaborate

Enablingglobal usercommunities