CC* Networking Infrastructure: Gate City Research Network - A Multi-Institution Science DMZ

University Of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro NC

Investigators

Abstract

The Gate City Research Network (GCRN) is a collaboration between the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) and North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T) to create a multi-institutional science DMZ supporting research activities through a dedicated, low-latency, high-speed research and education network connection. The GCRN enhances researcher access to high performance computing (HPC) resources supporting the competitive and innovative research environment state-wide and regionally by connecting the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor through the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN). The GCRN, connected to the North Carolina Research and Education Network and Internet2, provides a dedicated, separate research network to overcome the latency challenges imposed on the enterprise networks that support the administrative and growing entertainment service traffic. The addition of a high-speed data transfer node facilitates fast transfers of large data to federated HPC environments at partner institutions and provides the foundation to enhance the end-to-end data flow processes from research instrumentation to analysis, simulation and modeling computational resources, significantly increasing the fundamental research capacity in disciplines such as chemistry, nano-engineering, nano-, computer-, and data science. The GCRN is committed to producing open access design, sustainability and governance documentation, use and performance data, and testing and operations protocols in support of developing a 21st-century data capable workforce and serving as a model for a scalable and efficient multi-institutional science DMZ. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.