ESnet, Indiana University, and Internet2 are hosting a virtual version of the next Operating Innovative Networks (OIN) workshop on Wednesday and Thursday, June 21-22. This completely online event offers hands-on training in:

• Software Defined Networking
• Science DMZs
• Data Transfer Nodes
• perfSONAR (network measurement)
• Science Engagement

There is no registration fee, but registration is required. Connection information will be shared with registered attendees. Go here to register.

The series is designed to help lab and campus network engineers deploy next-gen research networks that can effectively support data-intensive science. Sessions will be available throughout the day on the topics typically presented in an in-person workshop, but will be modified for the virtual audience. Due to time zone considerations, the presentations will run between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. EDT over the two days, and will also be recorded for future use.

The two-day workshop will present material for building and deploying Science DMZs, Software Defined Networks, perfSONAR, Data Transfer Nodes, and Science Engagement. The content will be particularly useful for NSF Campus Cyberinfrastructure awardees that are being funded to upgrade their networks with these technologies, or those looking to prepare for the next CC* solicitation. By the end of the event, attendees will have a better understanding of the requirements for supporting scientific use of the network, architectural strategies that can simplify these interactions, and knowledge of tools that can mitigate problems users may encounter.

For complete information on the program and registration details, visit: http://oinworkshop.com/3/whos_coming.htm

Again, this workshop will be completely online, but we are asking participants to register so we can share information about connectivity and materials.

Questions about this workshop? Write to oin-workshop@grnoc.iu.edu

Last week, ESnet and five other leading R&E networks comprising the Advanced North Atlantic (ANA) Collaboration announced that together, they provide a record 740 Gbps of trans-Atlantic connectivity to advance collaborative science. The other ANA participants are CANARIE (Canada), ESnet (USA), GÉANT (Europe), Internet2 (USA), NORDUnet (European Nordics), and SURFnet (The Netherlands).

While the transatlantic high-speed links develop and expand, a group of network specialists from R&E networking organizations and exchange points operators from around the world are also collaborating to ensure researchers see the end-to-end performance results their science requires not just locally but globally. To achieve this, network architects from around the globe have developed a set of global principles and technical guidelines for collaboration, as well as sharing costs and aligning investments.

The news announcement also noted that the ANA Collaboration is in compliance with the Global Network Architecture (GNA) initiative’s Reference Architecture, first released in January 2017. That document is defining a reference architecture and creating a roadmap for both national and regional research & education networks to more seamlessly support research on an end-to-end basis.

In a follow-up to the announcement, editor Ad Emmen of Primeur Weekly magazine interviewed René Buch, CEO of NORDUnet, one of the partners in ANA Collaboration and presents a deeper look at the importance and technical challenges of collaboration across such large scales and between different organizations, and what it all means globally.

Read the interview.

On Monday, May 1, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) announced the formation of a new partnership focused on the secure analysis of large digital health and genomic data, or so-called “big data,” from the VA and other federal sources to help advance health care for Veterans and others in areas such as suicide prevention, cancer and heart disease, while also driving DOE’s next-generation supercomputing designs.

Known as the VA-DOE Big Data Science Initiative, the partnership will be based within DOE’s national laboratory system, one of the world’s top resources for supercomputing. The effort will leverage the latest DOE expertise and technologies in big data, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing to identify trends that will support the development of new treatments and preventive strategies.

DOE’s high-speed Energy Sciences Network, or ESnet, will continue to work with the VA and national labs to create a secure, high-performance connection for data transfer and seamless networking. In particular, ESnet is sharing its expertise in the Science DMZ architecture and perfSONAR network performance characterization to help improve the end-to-end flow of data, which is often the largest obstacle to moving large data sets.

At present, combined DOE/VA teams, including scientists from ANL, LANL, LLNL and ORNL, are working with ESnet, DOE’s international research network that connects all of its science laboratories and facilities. Managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ESnet is coordinating with an existing protected health information (PHI) enclave at ORNL that will comprise the initial environment for scientific analyses.

Several VA electronic health record (EHR) and MVP data assets have been moved to this secure enclave allowing investigators to access the data and compute resources while ensuring the protection of our Veterans’ data. Direct, high-speed networks between the VA and DOE facilities are expected to be established by June 2017.

Read the VA news release.