ECONOMICS

NASA, NOAA, and University physicists showcase global discoveries in High-Energy Physics, Climate Research, Space and Atmospheric Science using the Internet2 Network and its advanced capabilities

Internet2 community members including the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and many leading university-based researchers will demonstrate this week at the 24th annual SC Conference (SC12) how the advanced Internet2 Network supports high-energy physics research, such as the search for the Higgs boson particle, and climate and atmospheric science for improved predictions of extreme weather, like Hurricane Sandy.

To support the scientists at SC12, Internet2 deployed three 100 Gigabit Ethernet links to its new Software Defined Networking (SDN)-based Advanced Layer 2 Service, as well as two 10 GE links to its Research and Education IP backbone for a record-shattering capacity of 320 Gigabits from a single provider. In addition, Internet2 staff co-chaired the effort to measure and characterize all 772 Gigabits of capacity into SC12.

Groundbreaking technologies within the recently deployed Internet2 Network upgrade combine more than 15,000 miles of transcontinental 8.8 Tbps network with the first open, national-scale production network utilizing SDN and OpenFlow, standards. The 100 GE Internet2 connections also support key components of next-generation networking technology for collaborative Big Data research in many disciplines. At the Internet2 booth, Brocade, Ciena, Juniper and Internet2 networking and cyber infrastructure experts will discuss the advanced capabilities of the Internet2 Network and demonstrate how it supports the world’s most advanced scientific research.

“Breakthrough discoveries in atomic physics, climate science, and cancer research require the most advanced technologies available,” said Internet2 President and CEO Dave Lambert. “Internet2’s unwavering commitment to providing the capabilities to our community that meet the rapidly evolving demands of research has never been stronger or more capable. We look forward to providing ongoing support to NASA, NOAA and their university-based research counterparts as our community continues to accelerate new global discoveries, together.”

Internet2 Community Demonstrations:
The Internet2 Network and other community technologies will support many SC12 demonstrations featuring advanced science and research, next-generation networking technology, and widespread international collaboration capabilities.

NOAA Science On a Sphere® (SOS) Research and Weather Briefings (Internet2 Booth #1042): Animated images on a room sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary atmospheric storms, climate change data, and ocean temperatures – along with an overview of the current weather patterns in real-time for Salt Lake City, the United States and the world.

NASA Climate Supercomputing (Internet2 Booth#1042): High-resolution global simulations are realistically representing our atmosphere at resolutions approaching those of many satellite observations. This advance provides a unique tool to study the role of weather within Earth’s climate system.

SDN, OpenFlow, and 100 Gigabit Networking Expert Presentations (Internet2 Booth #1042): Lead architects of the first open, national-scale SDN and OpenFlow network will present on support for GENI and new innovations in the Internet2 Network. David Meyer, Brocade CTO – a leading authority on SDN and Internet Routing; Thomas D. Nadeau, Juniper CTO Office Distinguished Engineer; and Jim Archuleta, Ciena Director of Government Solutions will also provide presentations highlighting Ciena’s unique support for critical R&E community efforts and cyber infrastructures.

Efficient Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Data Distribution across 100 Gbps Networks (California Institute of Technology-Caltech/CACR Booth #809): The Internet2 Network and Advanced Layer 2 Service supports these unique data movement tools used to support analysis of the same types of data leading to the recent potential Higgs Boson discoveries at the LHC, which produces data flows of more than 100 Petabytes per year, and increasingly relies on the efficient movement of data sets between the globally distributed computing sites. This demonstration will interconnect three major LHC Tier-2 computing sites and the SC12 show floor (booth #809) using 100 Gbps technology (and all of Internet2’s Advanced Layer 2 Service links to SC12) through a collaboration between Caltech, the University of Victoria, and the University of Michigan – with support from industry partners.

Clemson OpenParks Grid (OPG) – Connecting Parks and Public Lands' Professionals Around the World (Internet2 Booth #1042): The purpose of OPG is to unite the highly-distributed parks community of managers, researchers, policymakers, and citizens through the development and use of cyberinfrastructure, to foster a greater distribution of knowledge and facilitate more informed, science-based management decisions.

Visualizing Big Environmental Data Sets–MesoWest (Internet2 Booth #1042): Real-time weather observations are critical for protection of life and property every day, but particularly so during events such as Hurricane Sandy. University of Utah researchers collaborate with the National Weather Service to access, archive, disseminate, and visualize weather information nationwide.

Visualizing the Network (Internet2 Booth #1042):
Come touch and see the Internet2 infrastructure with this integrated demo of Worldview and Science on a Sphere. Use Worldview's Multi-touch interface to explore the Internet2 infrastructure while simultaneously displaying on SoS. This demonstration showcases the AL2S network, the phases of the BTOP fiber build, and other relevant components, using WorldView, an interactive three-dimensional, real-time network visualization system that makes the complex world of network data easily accessible. Developed by the Indiana University Global Research Network Operations Center (GlobalNOC), WorldView is a unique technology and easy-to-use for network engineers and non-experts alike.