CC-NIE Network Infrastructure: Advanced Connectivity for Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University, College Station TX

Investigators

Abstract

Texas A&M University is establishing and exploiting advanced 100-Gb/s connectivity, focused on accessing Internet2's OS3E network for its researchers. It is furthering data-intensive discipline research and network research, and is contributing to national best practices and to advanced connectivity in support of data-intensive research throughout the LEARN community in Texas. The chief objective is to enhance the ability of A&M researchers to engage in data-intensive science, including combined use of campus and national cyberinfrastructure and large data sets. Similarly, routinely using large VLAN-based, wide-area data flows will challenge Texas A&M to grow technically. One example is the integration of these techniques into the LHC "data moving" area. A second example is exploring federated wide-area file systems as an alternative to the classic "data moving" paradigm, including performance and federated identity issues crucial to the success of this approach. This is a contribution to realizing the evolving Campus Bridging vision. In support of computational scientists at Texas A&M, the project leverages connectivity with the Immersive Visualization Center to enable effective forms of local and remote visualization. Finally, the project enables network researchers to use the OpenFlow-based services of Internet2's OS3E as it evolves. The advanced connectivity, combined with Texas A&M's ScienceDMZ, enables emerging sets of data-intensive scientists in areas that have not yet become prominent, destroying physical remoteness as a barrier to engaging in collaborative data-intensive science.