Issue 37 2021

ISSUE 37 2021

The GÉANT Association is driven by 2021-2026 Eight Strategic Goals GÉANT Association Strategy

CONNECTVision INTERVIEW: AFRICACONNECT:Mission CONNECT INTERVIEW: GÉANT STRATEGY: PROFESSORTo collaborate to deliverSUE the CELEBRATINGTo empower R&E with 10 an YEARS ANDREAS DUDLER, PRESENTING THE BLACK,infrastruc turesTNC21 and ser vices OFopen, AFRICAN innovative, andEUROPEAN CHAIR OF THE GÉANT STRATEGY FOR that enable the R&E trusted information KEYNOTEcommunity to SPEAKER excel. COLLABORATIONecosystem. BOARD 2021-2026 Innovation Community We continually evolve key We are acknowledged worldwide infrastructures, innovate, and as a leader for developing and s develop new services in order to upporting R&E networking full the needs of the R&E communities, and global REN Ambition community in a sustainable way. development. To address and anticipate the needs of the R&E community by o ering sustainable, open, innovative and trusted infrastructures and services. To be a trusted and preferred-choice partner to the benet of the European R&E community. To collaborate and share knowledge to enable NRENs to improve their performance, both individually and collectively. European Union Stakeholders We are seen by the EU as an We forge relationships with indispensable partner for other e-infrastructure providers, their vision. research infrastructures (RIs), and other stakeholders, to benet the R&E community.

Governance Funding We have a governance We will ensure nancial structure that is agile and sustainability to benet benets from the diversity of our members. our membership. The GÉANT Association is driven by 2021-2026 Eight Strategic Goals GÉANT Association Strategy

advanced R&E networking. researchers, educators, 06 Vietsch Foundation 02 05 06 awards the 2021 and students. Medal of honour to Laurel Haak

07 CONNECT Interview: Vision Mission Andreas Dudler 12 CONNECT Interview: To collaborate to deliver the To empower R&E with an Professor Sue Black 14 2021 - 2026 GÉANT infrastructures and services open, innovative, and Association Strategy 27 AfricaConnect: that enable the R&E trusted information Celebrating 10 years of African European community to excel. ecosystem. collaboration 07 12 14 Innovation Community 29 BELLA celebrates EllaLink cable We continually evolve key We are acknowledged worldwide inauguration at EC’s Leading the infrastructures, innovate, and as a leader for developing and s Digital Decade event develop new services in order to upporting R&E networking 40 About GÉANT full the needs of the R&E communities, and global REN Ambition community in a sustainable way. development.

To address and anticipate the needs of the R&E community by o ering 27 29 40 sustainable, open, innovative and trusted infrastructures and services. To be a trusted and preferred-choice partner to the benet of the European R&E community. To collaborate and share knowledge to enable NRENs to improve their performance, both individually and collectively. European Union Stakeholders We are seen by the EU as an We forge relationships with indispensable partner for other e-infrastructure providers, their vision. research infrastructures (RIs), and other stakeholders, to benet the R&E community.

Governance Funding We have a governance We will ensure nancial structure that is agile and sustainability to benet benets from the diversity of our members. our membership. CONNECT is the magazine from the GÉANT community; highlighting the activities of Europe’s leading collaboration on e-infrastructure and services for Research and Education. The Team Behind CONNECT

Reflecting the breadth of our community, the articles you read in CONNECT are contributed by a wide range of people from the GÉANT Association, the GN4-3 project, and from our NREN and regional partners. The planning, production and editing is performed by a small team highlighted below.

Editor: Paul Maurice, GÉANT

Production Editor: Silvia Fiore, GÉANT

Regular contributors: Cathrin Stöver, Laura Durnford, Rosanna Norman, Silvia Fiore, Karl Meyer, Leonardo Marino (GÉANT)

This magazine is published by GÉANT, as part of GÉANT Specific Grant Agreements: GN4-3 (No. 856726), GN4-3N (No. 856728), and BELLA-S1 (No.731505), which have received funding from the Welcome from European Union’s 2020 research and innovation programme under the GÉANT2020 Framework Partnership Agreement (No. 653998). The following projects mentioned throughout the magazine also receive funding from the European Union: Cathrin Stöver AfricaConnect3, and BELLA (DG INTPA & DG DEFIS).

Welcome to CONNECT 37 and the conference and interviews with Programme, and it certainly comes competes as one of the most cat- The content of this document is the sole responsibility of GÉANT and TNC21! When we release this people, who will be presenting their out in our new GÉANT Association loving ones!) can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position magazine, TNC21 will be in full work, activities, and passions during strategy. Community is at the Heart However, my favourite article of the European Union. Neither the editor, nor GÉANT necessarily swing and I very much hope that TNC21 week. We hope you will of what we all do, every single day. in this edition is that which you enjoy our virtual platform, enjoy the many interviews in this Our community is what makes us highlights the work of the Future endorse any opinion, real or implied, expressed by contributors the studio hosts, the networking edition, they give excellent insights strong and sets us apart. Talent Programme, and I am really to CONNECT. If you would like to reproduce articles from this possibilities, and most of all of into the thinking and direction of our And that is why I am so pleased looking forward to the participants’ publication, please contact the editor. course our programme full of great global community. that one of our most successful Lightning Talks on Friday 25 June! key notes and content. Having had And ‘community’ is the word and committed community We all grow, when we make space All brand, company and product names are trademarks of their to pause TNC for one year – we feel here: almost every single article players is the winner of the 2021 for new talent. respective owners. we are back with a bang, making includes the word community – GÉANT Community Award – my Enjoy the read, and even more: waves and creating yet another whether this is the interview with congratulations to Maria Isabel enjoy TNC21 – Virtual, but real. memorable event for our global Kees Neggers looking back to Gandía. Enhorabuena and very community! the establishment of RARE, with much deserved! (I am also really Cathrin Stӧver, GÉANT As CONNECT 37 is the Andreas Dudler looking forward to interested to learn that the GN4-3 magazine accompanying TNC21, the next seven years, with Claudio Work Package on Orchestration, we aim to provide background to Allocchio about today’s Community Automation and Virtualisation TNC Feature

And with all sessions viewable A new virtual on-demand 90 minutes after their live Get social at platform presentation, deciding between parallel TNC21! sessions is made much easier! TNC21 The TNC21 team has worked round Following on from the success of the clock to ensure that attendees #road2TNC in 2019 and #MissingTNC Virtual but real have an exciting and memorable Networking in 2020, TNC21 launches two brand experience. Central to this is a virtual new social media campaigns: #myTNC platform, through which attendees join Carousel and #TNC21MorningRun. Making Waves, the theme chosen for TNC21, is about the similarly live sessions, create their own schedule, One of the most collaborative features network with other attendees, view transformative and disruptive capabilities that digital technologies of the virtual platform is the Networking #MyTNC across networking, Trust & Identity and cloud services can deliver for on-demand content and are connected Carousel where attendees can meet through the day by live lobby hosts. each other in four-minute chat sessions, From where will you join TNC21? In your Research & Education. Based at studios in Amsterdam helping to recreate those ‘coffee-break’ home office and in the company of your Over the course of five days the conference programme features (GÉANT) and Poznan (PSNC), the moments where we all love to catch pets? In your garden or veranda? In a live lobby hosts will keep attendees live and on-demand content, four internationally acclaimed keynote up with old friends and make new coffee shop or a park? Do let us know. informed during breaks, highlight connections! How? speakers who bring a global perspective across a variety of fields, sessions for each day, and ensure virtual ‘The TNC21 team has worked All TNC21 participants are invited to #TNC21 demonstrations, and Lightning Talks – providing a snapshot of the feels real! wonders to create a virtual environment share their experience of the conference MorningRun On top of that, attendees can that comes close to a real conference with captions and photos of their global R&E community. see how much CO2 they’ve saved by experience. You will be able to tailor- locations and set up. Continuing with the tradition of the TNC joining the conference online, create make your programme and even more Morning Run the aim is to encourage Words: Rosanna Norman, GÉANT their own personalised schedule by importantly: the platform offers excellent participants to share their activity and selecting sessions in advance, and have networking opportunities, almost as create additional buzz around the the choice to meet other attendees via good as real coffee breaks!’, adds conference. direct chat or video. Cathrin Stöver, GÉANT. Join runners, joggers and walkers in the traditional TNC21 morning runs, Keynotes wherever in the world you are - it doesn’t really need to be morning. Tell us about you, where you live and share Sue Black, Professor of Computer Science and Adam Lewis, Managing Director of the Digital Earth Africa the views you enjoy during your runs, Technology at Durham University in the UK in her keynote Establishment Team from Australia, in his keynote ‘Digital jogs or walks. ‘If I can do it, so can you’ will talk to us about her inspiring Earth Africa: Transformation powered by networks’ will With our social media campaigns, autobiographical story of one woman’s determination, present on how earth observation data can be used in the absence of physical contact and motivation and passion to succeed and how, against all to inform crucial decision-making to improve lives and ‘in real life’ connections, we hope to odds, she became one of the top 50 women in tech contribute towards a more sustainable future for the encourage TNC regulars and novices in Europe. African continent. to join in, connect, interact, fill that virtual void and feel part of the global TNC family.

Paulo Artaxo, Professor of Atmospheric Physics from Serge Fdida, Professor of Computer Science from the University of São Paulo in Brazil, in his keynote ‘Climate the Sorbonne University in Paris in his keynote ‘Digital Change research and policies: the urgency of international transformation of research-intensive universities’ will interdisciplinary collaboration’ will explain, through his highlight how crucial the digital transformation has become experience as a member of the Intergovernmental Panel for academia across the world, and will analyse some of the on Climate Change group, how international scientific most significant challenges and changes that universities cooperation is the only possible way to deal with the should embrace in order to survive and thrive in the years climate emergency. to come.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 02 TNC Feature

Early in 2021 Emerging NRENs from to encourage involvement from field Leila adds, “We are particularly Pictures around the world were invited to operatives in preference to senior pleased with the uptake of this initiative, Top: Emerging nominate representatives to take part management and, in particular, to hope that the community will keep NREN Programme in the programme and this year we are stimulate new synergies and stronger reaping the benefits of this collaborative 2021 - Kick-off News from the excited to welcome 19 participants from connections between individuals work, and are grateful to Jisc for their meeting 17 different countries and territories. across different organisations and valuable contribution to this year’s Bottom: All participants will take part in organisational levels.” programme of events.” Leila Dekkar, TNC21, supported by dedicated International check-in coffee sessions, and morning Relations Project Emerging NREN sessions scheduled for each day of the Manager for conference to introduce the programme GÉANT for that day. In addition, this year two of the participants have been selected for the Lightning Talk session that will take Programme place on Friday 25 June. Leila Dekkar, International Relations Project Manager for GÉANT, reminds us The Emerging NREN Programme (ENP) of the salient elements of this initiative: “The programme’s objectives are aims to bring professionals from emerging simple and straightforward: to integrate NRENs to TNC and integrate them into emerging NRENs into the global R&E community by bringing them to TNC, the vibrant global R&E community.

Words: Rosanna Norman, GÉANT

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 03 TNC Feature

What’s your aim for the Future Talent showcases future talent students and how do you plan to All of the students’ video presentations can be viewed achieve it? Future Talent on https://learning.geant.org/future-talent- programme/ Having fun is the first thing that I like to focus on. Secondly, creating a peer-to- peer feedback system where we get to share and collaborate and grow with Programme – each other. My main goal is to help my Conrad Ekisa, Institute of students move from a very engineering Technology Carlow, HEAnet. and fact-based heavy presentation to A testbed to bridge the something that connects with people. In cybersecurity skills gap in my experience what connects ideas with industrial control systems what’s new? people the most is telling great stories. Whether it’s through helping them The Future Talent Programme (FTP) gives come up with stories, brainstorming ideas, refining and sharpening analogies the opportunity to students and young Hanna Karpenka, UIIP NASB, and metaphors that we use, finding BASNET. Telomerase - eternal life a real fun, engaging collaborative professionals from the R&E community to or a panacea for all cancers? co-creating space is something that I love doing, and that’s what I’ve sought present their brilliant ideas in an engaging to structure together with Nadia Sluer way, and provide them with the necessary and the rest of the GÉANT Learning and Development team. I think we’ve skills to convey ideas and concepts created a beautiful system where we can encourage the creation and Federico Mason, University of confidently to a wide audience, such development of great stories that Padova, GARR. Ensuring High can take future technical leaders and Reliability in Public Safety as that of TNC. experts to a podium that resounds with Let’s hear it from Why do you think it’s a wider audience. I think that’s fun and Words: Nadia Sluer and Rosanna Norman, GÉANT important to work with quite beautiful really. the coach technical professionals from the R&E community? What would you say to Selected students for the Lightning Talks because, as she explained: “As a Picture How did you get involved Explaining technical information to students in this year’s part of the FTP will be able to share their young scientist I need to know how to Top right: Sara Raggiunto, Polytechnic with the FTP and what is a wider audience isn’t always easy. FTP programme? idea on this year’s TNC virtual stage! introduce my work in the right way.” Michael Koenka, University of Marche, GARR. your background? Engineers and high performing Conrad Ekisa (HEAnet) will share an “The problem is that a lot of Koenka & Indoor Localisation service based It’s a profound honour to work with I was approached by a dear friend individuals, such as those from the R&E ingenious idea about combatting cyber- schools, especially engineering and Partners on beacons: a system to save some of these ideas, such as helping of mine and of GÉANT’s, Barbara world aren’t really trained for this, nor attacks on critical infrastructures, while technical schools, focus more on the your life! make it safer to leave emergency Rogosky. Barbara and I worked quite are these kinds of opportunities on offer Hanna Karpenka (BASNET) will take us content and not as much on its delivery. situations fast and efficiently to the closely in several international TED talks in higher education and universities. on a journey to what may lead us to Being able to translate highly technical discovery of unlocking the fountain of where our job was to help presenters At the same time, some of these eternal life. insights into language that everyone youth and empowering us to be able to deliver amazing groundbreaking ideas ideas are so out there, so incredible Conrad Ekisa said: “My supervisor can understand and really get behind Anna Valeria Guglielmi, University live longer, healthier and more fulfilling to wider audiences. and so dense in terms of the amount of introduced me to the FTP earlier this is paramount,” FTP coach Michael of Padova, GARR. Biometrics- lives. It’s mindboggling! To be able to Building on my background in specific knowledge they demand and year and thought that this would be Koenka explains. based scheme for public key give the programme participants the technology and working with some their technical nature, that just giving a a great challenge for me. I had never Nadia Sluer, FTP coordinator from agreement protocol in wireless skills to present these amazing ideas in high-tech firms where I helped synopsis is enough to confuse anybody. heard about GÉANT, TNC or the FTP, GÉANT adds: “This programme focuses body area networks a way that people really get behind, is technology leaders to pitch and present Coming into the FTP allows us to assist so after some research I was soon on the appropriate type of training. profoundly moving for me. And so the their ideas to a larger audience was for young scientists and engineers on how convinced that this would be a good We worked in a safe collaborative first thing I would say to my students me a natural fit with the FTP. to shape their content, share their vision opportunity to showcase my work, environment with the students and is ‘thank you’, thank you for letting me And as we can see, the students’ on where they think the future lies, and but also to give some exposure to my the coach. This helped the students share what I know to help you share Michael Koenka, Koenka & Partners output has been phenomenal. And empower them to share their ideas in a research. It has been exciting to be part to come up with better ideas for Coach: what you know. The second thing I not only that, I’ve had a brilliant time more engaging way. of an NREN community supporting their presentations and help them to would say is, ‘ad Astra’. Keep reaching GÉANT Learning & Development (GLAD) working with them. Whether it’s framing academic research and I am very overcome doubts, shyness and fear.” Organiser: for the stars. Keep pushing yourself to the way they present their information, grateful for the opportunity offered by FTP participant Federico Mason (GARR) come up with better and bigger ideas, HEAnet, UIIP NASB, BASNET, GARR shaping the visual identity of their this programme.” confirms: “The best thing about the NRENs: pushing the limits of technology and presentations, or even just giving them Hanna, a brilliant young scientist training was the opportunity to interact making sure that other people like you the confidence and rehearsal skills to from Belarus learned about the with other participants with similar goals. have the skills, talents and capabilities to be able to articulate their ideas in a way FTP when she participated in the It was very useful to give and receive move the human endeavor even further that’s seamless and at the same time EaPEC (Eastern Europe Partnership) advice on how to prepare and give a in the future. very true to who they really are Conference in Armenia in 2019. Then better presentation.” as individuals. and there she decided to take part

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 04 TNC Feature

2021 GÉANT Community Award – A constant force for good

This year’s GÉANT Community Award panel unanimously chose the successful nominee in the category ‘impactful contributors to the GÉANT project or wider community activities over a sustained period of time’: Maria Isabel GandÍa from CSUC.

Words: Rosanna Norman, GÉANT

The award was presented as part of Claudio Allocchio, Chair of the belongs to all the friends from the SIG- TNC21 by Klaas Wierenga, GÉANT Community Committee added: NOC, to its present and past steering GÉANT Chief Information & “Let me add that Maria Isabel is also committee members and to the GÉANT About Maria Isabel More about the Technology Officer who commented: a very accomplished and experienced community at large. This community, Maria Isabel is a network engineer who loves both Community Award “Maria Isabel has been a constant engineer whose involvement in the use through dedication, commitment, and the human and the technical side of networking. She With the Community Award, GÉANT honours people force for good in the GÉANT of advanced networks in performing creativity – often thinking outside the has been collaborating with the SIG-NOC, since its who have contributed significant ideas, time, and community for many years. Through arts, such as net:art, has enabled box – helps to improve people’s lives inception, helping to make the community stronger expertise to the development of the research and her work in the Special Interest revolutionary multi-site performance by facilitating research, education through knowledge-sharing. Maria Isabel currently leads education networking community’s collaborative Group-Network Operation Centres events. All the people who know her and collaboration. This award also the Networking Department at CSUC and with her team achievements. This year’s panel of judges comprised (SIG-NOC) she has been a remarkable and work with her will agree that she goes to the scientists, researchers she manages the Research and Education Network in Andreas Dudler, Chair of the GÉANT Board, Claudio facilitator, educator, and community is dedicated, modest, welcoming and and enthusiasts in the network and Catalonia, Anella Científica, and the internet exchange, Allocchio, Chair of the GÉANT Community Committee, builder; she is one of the main reasons very open, a great ambassador for performing arts field, a subject so close CATNIX. In the GÉANT (GN4-3) project she works, on Sabine Jaume-Rajaonia Chair of TNC21 Programme why this group remains one of the the CSUC, RedIRIS and the GÉANT to my heart. Being part of this wonderful behalf of RedIRIS, to foster the use of Orchestration, Committee and Erik Huizer, CEO of GÉANT. most active in the GÉANT Community communities.” community is such a privilege, let’s keep Automation and Virtualisation on the network (sharing Programme. She has also worked Accepting the award Maria Isabel working together! And lastly, I would the love of cats with one of the most cat-loving teams tirelessly to promote NREN interests said, “I feel so honoured and delighted like to share it with my family for their in the project!). As she believes that the engagement of in the RIPE community.” because this recognition comes from continuous and relentless support.” women in technology has to start from childhood, she the community, and I want to share it Watch Maria Isabel’s acceptance has mentored several teams of girls to enable them to with the community. This award also video here. present their technology projects.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 05 TNC Feature

Vietsch Foundation awards the 2021 Medal of Honour to Laurel Haak Laurel L. Haak, Founding Executive Director of ORCID, is the recipient of the 2021 Medal of Honour of the Vietsch Foundation.

Words: Rosanna Norman, GÉANT

The medal is awarded annually, with testing, sharing, and finding of new an award ceremony at TNC, to people knowledge,” said Andrew Cormack, About the Vietsch who have made a contribution of lasting Member of the Board of Trustees of value to the research and development the Vietsch Foundation, explaining the Foundation of advanced Internet technology aimed rationale for the award. The mission of the Vietsch Foundation is to promote to support science, research and Laurel currently is the Founder and research and development of advanced Internet higher education. CEO of Mighty Red Barn where her technology for scientific research and higher education. The Vietsch Foundation fulfils its goals in two ways: In the spirit of the award, which work centers on trust-building to foster First, it contributes funding to specific research and recognises individuals who have communities, through practice areas development projects that demonstrate potential proved their organisational skills and of digital infrastructure and identity, value to progress European and global research and whose efforts have led to the creation governance and decision frameworks, education networking. And second, each year it awards of institutions or services of long-term product strategy and practice. She a medal of honour to people who have contributed to value, the choice fell on Laurel as also serves as a volunteer mentor for the development of services or technologies of lasting the best in a range of very qualified the SCORE small business start-up value that are used by the networking community and nominees. “Laurel led the development programme. its users in research, development and education. of ORCID from a concept to a global, Wikipedia page: https:// The Foundation was created through the last will community-led, non-profit service used en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Haak and testament of Willem Karel Vietsch (1952–2014), by more than ten million researchers. a Dutch expert, a leader of the international Internet ORCID IDs are now the essential community, and also the Secretary-General of TERENA, a former association of European national research foundation for research processes Watch Laurel’s acceptance and education networks. For details visit: http://www. in and between institutions, funders, video here vietsch-foundation.org and publishers: enabling the creation,

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 06 Interviews CONNECT Interview Andreas Dudler Andreas Dudler was elected Chair of the GÉANT Board in November 2020, after joining the Board for the first time in 2017. As he is welcoming the community to TNC21, CONNECT took the opportunity to get his views on the past four years, as well as what is next for our community.

Interview by: Laura Durnford, GÉANT

Why was the time right we have done this. For example, the collaboration with other European How do you see the A major challenge Reflecting on your for you and for SWITCH brand new GN4-3N project is building e-Infrastructures are increasingly community and GÉANT facing us all is career and time in in 2017 and 2020 for you a new research network for Europe. important. These elements are tackling challenges environmental change. our community, what We are tackling this with courage, well positioned in the new GÉANT to take on roles in the and 100% EU funding shows that our Association strategy. And strong related to an ever- What do you see as makes you most proud? GÉANT Board? community has built up a lot of support for the EOSC executive increasing demand for our responsibilities My work in the GÉANT community GÉANT is important for higher trust there. committee plus the ongoing EOSC involvement in relatively and opportunities for started in 2012, when I took education and research in Europe, and association board contribution is a new or expanding ‘greening’ our activities? responsibility for SWITCH, the Swiss concrete success in e-infrastructure NREN. I joined the group that prepared therefore for Switzerland too. In 2017, You said our community areas – for example with Part of GÉANT’s innovation strategy collaboration. the merger to create the GÉANT GÉANT was recently formed from the should become EuroHPC, Quantum, and is to “make ecological and climate Association and I am proud that we merger of DANTE and TERENA; there international initiatives? sustainability a priority for all of its work, less dependent on foresaw upcoming challenges and were important challenges for the The 2021-2026 GÉANT striving to be carbon neutral.” This clear EC funding and How can NRENs balance worked towards new, well-functioning future. That motivated me. By 2020, Association strategy statement shows our responsibility in emphasised that Trust being part of a strong structures. as a community, we already achieved included input from this matter. Operational implementation a lot. We are now preparing a new and Identity, Security and unified NREN NRENs and other will have to be defined. Already clear EU framework agreement, which will and seamless access are community that meets is, the new network will substantially integrate the strategic goals of GÉANT stakeholders. What key to providing true these international reduce electricity consumption. Our Andreas Dudler and the GÉANT - an important foundation for our future do you see as its most value to users, meaning challenges together and travel footprint will be another part. Association strategy feature in work. And last, but not least: working in important elements ensuring that they meet The past 12 months has shown what the TNC21 Conference Opening the GÉANT Board is an honour! that GÉANT and NRENs need integrated support and impacts? their local and cultural is possible in that sense. (09:30-09:55 CEST) on Monday 21 June. with each other and We have succeeded in developing needs? In 2017 you said our a common vision for the future of If you could complete other e-infrastructure More requests are being made and this community should “be the GÉANT community. I am very SWITCH: www.switch.ch projects. How has this relates to the trust already mentioned. just one achievement unafraid to change”. pleased that we adopted the strategy That is why it’s important to tackle with GÉANT in the rest been going? unanimously, despite very different Have we been unafraid such challenges together and make of this year, what would Financial dependence on the EU is starting points of the various members. enough? the results available to all NRENs. Not you prioritise? still there. But GÉANT has achieved This consensus is, for me, of particular that all NRENs have to be involved in The formation of GÉANT pursued a strong trust by the EU in our work importance, as is the clear commitment Completion of the new framework all activities. We must not overestimate the important goal of being stronger and our importance for teaching and “to collaborate and share knowledge agreement with the EU. This will set the the possibilities of GÉANT. Concrete together. It was foreseeable that research. I experience this in every to enable NRENs to improve their boundary conditions for the next national implementation will generally digitalisation of teaching and research conversation with EU officials. performance, both individually and seven years. remain the task of NRENs; GÉANT is would bring great challenges; the idea Trust and Identity, Security, collectively.” This collaboration will committed to help NRENs to fulfil of approaching new things with courage seamless access for users, and impact every member and the this role. but without fear referred to this. I think GÉANT Association.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 07 Interviews

really a challenge to select only a few out of the 20+ proposals received. Proposals range from multimedia- mediated new ways of interaction, adaptive security enhancements, A closer look improvements in using cloud services, to new ways to run a backbone network. The second round of evaluations has started earlier this month and soon all the selected ideas will be displayed on the Innovation Programme at the GÉANT webpage. We are positively impressed by, and so thankful for, the level of engagement from the Community!

Claudio, you are one Community of the founders of the Italian NREN GARR and have more than 35 years of experience working with NRENs. What Programme keeps you motivated to serve this community CONNECT Magazine meets Claudio Allocchio, every day? When I started, most of today’s NRENs who chairs the GÉANT Community Committee were not even born yet. Instead, we had groups of users in need of network (GCC), to talk about the Community Programme and services struggling to address their communities’ needs. This is exactly why and how it benefits the wider R&E Community. we needed the GCP! The community speaks to that much-needed feeling of mutual support and, in my opinion, Interview by: Silvia Fiore, GÉANT is one of the few places where we still work to find solutions to real problems, and often succeed! The GÉANT Community Interest Groups, workshops, research a testbed, which then turns into a We do not invent a product and then Programme (GCP) is a initiatives, and forums, regardless of worldwide success! On the other hand, activities remain unfunded. In a short- look for customers to sell it. Instead, we whether they come from an NREN, But we have many more grassroots, voluntary what do you see as the sighted, but understandable, approach, create where there is a need, and seeing a university, or any other research or hidden gems. For example, our AAI our users’ productivity increase because initiative built by world biggest challenges to management from NRENs and education institute. Not only do they (Authentication and Authorisation institutions often tends to prefer areas we delivered exactly what they needed, experts from NRENs work for their own institutions but, Infrastructure) system, which followed bring the community where funds are available. I think makes my day, every day! and beyond. Claudio, recognising the value of knowledge- the same development process of together? if more scientists played a managerial There is no boring routine at the sharing within the community, they are eduroam, is now a must-have our GCP, even when you play a managerial can you tell us in a Our community is very large, and role in such institutions there would appointed as voluntary champions of institutions cannot survive without, as role with more paper-based tasks. I nutshell who these therefore not everyone is always aware probably be a better understanding their specific interest area and liaise with it helps us to have secure and privacy- feel very lucky to enjoy my job and be experts are and how of the activities that GÉANT and the of the value of investing in activities for the rest of the community. compliant networks. challenged every day, and this is for me their work benefits the NRENs carry out and what services they the community. The GCP gives room to These may seem inventions one of the best rewards. wider R&E community? international collaborations across for a niche market, but the GCP’s offer. Unfortunately, the community does different disciplines, and also allows the achievements spread across numerous not always realise that joining forces In February 2021, the The R&E community is behind the very is the solution! The GCP has been existence of NRENs and GÉANT. They community to steer the direction of other fields. For example, the members GCC launched the trying to solve this visibility challenge by Read more about the GÉANT live and thrive to help the community their research. of the Network Performing Arts Innovation Programme familiarising with the community’s needs Community Programme and its grow, bring together its members to Production Workshops (NPAPW) calling for innovative and involving all kinds of experts. activities here experiment new cross-disciplinary Thinking of the GCP’s invented the most advanced multimedia ideas from the GÉANT real-time interaction services, making However, very often these experts solutions, and ultimately to deliver biggest achievements, have busy schedules and getting them Community in need services. Indeed, this can only happen the case that NRENs are fundamental which project sticks in also outside the more scientific areas, to contribute on a voluntary basis of funding. Could you through a bottom-up, or grassroots, can be tricky. And when collaboration approach where experts from the your mind and why? and can have a leading role in the give us a sneak preview humanities as well. Similarly, the TF- is achieved, it is important to find a NRENs and the community work closely eduroam is obviously the first that of the brilliant ideas EDU, the Task Force on Educational common language and ground, given together, identifying issues, exploring comes to mind. It perfectly explains the variety of the fields of expertise. received so far? new ideas, going past the provider vs Technologies, has been playing a how the Community Programme works Funding is a challenge too. The Now that the first round of evaluations consumer mentality. key role in the survival of educational nowadays: there is a problem to solve GCP can sometimes help with funds – has just been finalised, we have seen In the GCP, we gather technical systems during the COVID-19 (roaming access to our networks), a see for example the recent Innovation that the community is very lively in experts, advanced users and pandemic! And the list goes on! tentative solution is brought up, a few Programme, but the majority of the different cross-disciplinary areas. It was researchers in Task Forces, Special experts from the community deploy

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 08 Interviews 35 years of European Research & Education Networking

On 13 June 2021 we celebrated the 35th anniversary since the establishment of RARE (later TERENA and then merged with DANTE to form the GÉANT Association) and the start of formal collaboration among European NRENs. On the occasion, we interviewed Dutch internet pioneer Kees Neggers, who was at the heart of the initiative since its beginning.

Interview by: Leonardo Marino, GÉANT

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 09 Interviews

Although PTTs and governments At my last TERENA assembly Kees, you played How did RARE RARE was also formally only supported OSI initiatives, In 1994 RARE meeting in Reykjavik in 2012, a group a key role in the originate and decisive in the they understood the need and did not finally merged was formed to solve these governance forbid Ebone, which we had presented problems. Ultimately, the proposals from birth of European what was its “Protocol Wars” as an interim multi-protocol activity that with EARN to the Reykjavik Group led to the merger Research and purpose? What between OSI and also included a pilot connectionless OSI form TERENA. of TERENA and DANTE to create the service. Ebone was a major success GÉANT Association, in October 2014. Education was your role in IP standards. and within a year COSINE and the What led to that To summarise, the main challenges Networking. How it throughout its How did we Commission formally approved the next decision? and obstacles were both external generation of European backbones to (Government policies and the In 1993 RARE had established DANTE did it all start? history? end up with the be multi-protocol. monopoly of PTTs) and internal (the as a professional organisation to secure In the early 80’s, there was a growing You could say RARE (Réseaux Associés Finally, in 1992 the predominance governance structures). My impression current IP-based the provisioning of pan-European need for international networking and pour la Recherche Européenne) started of IP led RARE to host the Réseaux is that currently they are overcome, services, so far provided by its CPMU the research communities of several as a reaction to EARN, which was network? IP Européens Network Coordination so in principle GÉANT’s future now (COSINE Project Management disciplines already started their own IBM-dominated. Additionally, computers The European governments strongly Centre (RIPE NCC), which later became looks bright. Unit), after the end of the COSINE network (HEPnet for the high-energy were already connecting to each other, supported OSI over IP and – through a separate entity. implementation phase. physics, SPAN for astronomy, etc.). both nationally and internationally, but the Eureka1 organisation – had asked IP becoming dominant, EARN The first international network in only the same-model computers could RARE in 1986 to start the COSINE To conclude, services were no longer needed and Europe was EUnet1, which was founded talk with each other. project to define and design an What would it became obvious that DANTE would how do you in 1982 and connected Unix computers. We wanted to have an environment OSI-based network, and then to start you say were take the role as pan-European NREN Then in 1984 IBM started to sponsor where everybody could speak to its implementation. imagine the service provider. EARN and RARE so a project called EARN (European everybody via open standards. Even As part of COSINE, RARE had RARE’s main far had played several important and future of research Academic and Research Network). That the big companies and PTTs supported started a joint working group with achievements? complementary roles, but it was useless was my first international networking it, because they realised that - in the EUnet, EARN and HEPnet to define and education to have them continuing as separate experience. Back then I worked at end - they had to provide connectivity a better transport infrastructure. This RARE made the difference by being entities more or less providing the same networks? University of Nijmegen, which became to all. The idea initially took shape in led to an agreement between the pragmatic, by listening to the users services to the same community. the EARN node in the Netherlands and I May 1985 at an informal workshop in Commission and PTTs to deliver the and involving them, by discovering Throughout the years, our organisations I was a linking pin between the was appointed Netherlands’ member of Luxembourg. International X.25 Interconnect (IXI), a and predicting their needs and and NRENs were able to address two worlds, as the only person present the EARN Board of Directors. At the time, in the Netherlands pan-European private X.25 network matching them with our knowledge the demand of our community, by from the beginning in both the RARE To build the EARN network, IBM we were lagging behind. Particularly based on 64Kbps leased lines to about technical possibilities. This developing services that were not yet Board and the EARN General Assembly. managed to convince national PTT Germany, UK and the Nordics already support the research community in was demonstrated again in 2001 by available on the market. To do that, you This was helpful but also quite difficult, (Postal, Telegraph, and Telephone had well established networking Europe. Unfortunately, even before its TERENA’s support of GLIF, the Global need to be agile, adapt to the changing especially due to tensions during the service) authorities in Europe that organisations. We wanted to step in and start, we ran into infrastructural limits: Lambda Integrated Facility, when the circumstances and grab opportunities. Protocol Wars. Sometimes there were researchers needed leased lines, rather established the SURF project to provide we definitely needed more and different Internet alone was no longer capable to GÉANT needs to keep service provision hostile environments, which were than the dial-up lines in use, with the plans for national networking. capacity! In May 1990 RARE, while still support all the researchers needs. at the front of what is possible, completely unneeded and unnecessary, promise to give lines back within three To kick-start more international executing the COSINE Implementation Clearly the main achievements of because that’s what researchers as we had the same ultimate goals! The years and upgrade to X.25. cooperation, I then received 100,000 Phase, expressed the need for support RARE, then TERENA, and following the will always need. challenge was to find the cooperation Very rapidly EARN became a big ECU [*European Currency Unit, of a multiprotocol backbone service merger with DANTE now the GÉANT For the future I suggest keeping a and collaboration to do what was needed. success: it was proven technology, it predecessor of Euro], from the SURF- and NORDUnet had already decided to Association, are that they built and close connection with the user base, worked instantly, and people could not project, soon matched by the European implement one. supported a community, established a looking for opportunities, understanding do without it anymore. At the same Commission. Within a year and thanks Meanwhile, at SURFnet, together close liaison with users, and that they What were the that what you provide today is not time, no one in Europe wanted to rely to those funds RARE was officially with the national PTT, we had started were always open to users’ input and to the ultimate solution and consistently on IBM or IBM protocols for either established, on 13 June 1986. a 2Mbps multiprotocol pilot in 1991, following up on users’ initiatives. main challenges reviewing the current system to national or international networking. I was in the RARE executive for which demonstrated that X.25 could A nice example of that is eduroam. and obstacles improve it. A different solution was needed, and most of the first 15 years, then for the not support more than 360 Kbps and At SURFnet, when Klaas Wierenga Finally, we have to be aware governments and PTTs were quite next 10 years still represented SURFnet showed that embedded X.25 was came to me and proposed the idea you encountered that the internet we have today has keen to support activities towards an in the General Assembly, and finally no longer a solution. As a result, we we immediately recognised that and how did you severe limits, as it was an interim open infrastructure. - after my retirement at SURFnet in introduced a 2Mbps multiprotocol international scale was essential to solution from the start. The problems 2012 - I became more of an interested network in the Netherlands and initiated make it a success, so I suggested him overcome them? at its core need to be solved and the to first get support from TERENA. GÉANT community, which successfully observer. and sponsored a task force to plan for In the beginning there was a lack of He did and today the whole world is introduced the current internet in a European multiprotocol backbone. infrastructure and a lack of support using it! Europe, should now take responsibility This resulted in Ebone, the first pan- from PTTs and industry, all with their Ebone, RIPE NCC, GLIF and for providing its community with a European IP backbone which became own private protocols. Then, due to the eduroam were all bottom-up activities. better network, suited for the next operational in 1992. RARE provided mismatch in needs and possibilities, it This spirit was essential for RARE and 35 years. administrative support and became the was very challenging to find consensus for TERENA and it should remain the Ebone clearing house. on what was possible internationally. main spirit of GÉANT. Furthermore, there were too many discrepancies in the different governance structures. The TERENA General Assembly, the NREN PC (Project Committee for EC sponsored projects) and the DANTE Shareholders were – all in parallel – trying to control the European scene.

1. EUnet provided communication between Unix systems on an operating system specific basis 2. Intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination http://www.eurekanetwork.org/

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 10 Interviews South Eastern Europe (SEE): perspective, opportunities, and challenges Professor Anastas Mishev, Member of the Board of MARNET, principal one. Through projects such There are high expectations that than those offered by the private sector talks about the opportunities and challenges that Research and as NI4OS-Europe, most of the SEE the GN4-3N project will strengthen the for the same qualifications. On the other Education Network (REN) organisations are currently facing in countries are trying to identify their academic networking infrastructure in side, very few of the SEE RENs are relevant EOSC services and offer them the SEE region, especially for the smaller actively involved in the national research the SEE region. Anastas analyses the steps being undertaken to to the wider research community, as and less developed RENs as this will and innovation development processes. bridge the digital divide between SEE and the rest of Europe and well as to develop policies that will enable a further step in the effort to A contrasting example is GRNET, which strengthen the role of Open Science at close the digital divide that exists not thanks to recent legislative changes, has shares his hopes for the future of R&E in this part of the world. a domestic level. only within SEE, but also between the become a leading institution driving the To support their development, region and the rest of Europe. Greek e-Government advancements. some of the RENs, like KREN most Interview by: Rosanna Norman, GÉANT recently, use alternative funding mechanisms such as the World Bank. What are the main Could you tell us KREN was established and equipped challenges and about your plans Anastas, could you through the KODE project, with the obstacles faced by for the forthcoming give our readers a objective to improve access to better quality and high‐speed broadband RENs in this part of 2021 SEE User Forum brief overview of services in Kosovo*. Similar steps are Europe? and your objectives the RENs that make being taken by RASH with the Western RENs in the SEE region, although for this first Balkan Investment Fund, aiming to up the SEE region? different in size and development, share build a national and regional networking conference? a great deal of challenges. Most of Which major R&E infrastructure capable of connecting the SEE countries experience strong Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans projects and funding the regional HPC centres. political influences at REN management for a big SEE regional event had to be initiatives are level, with governments either directly postponed. I am delighted to announce benefitting SEE? What are the major appointing directors or exercising strong that a GÉANT-organised 2021 SEE User influence through the elected board. Forum will take place on 3-4 November In the last several years GÉANT has opportunities for This can be considered a very limiting 2021, from 10:00 -13:00 CET, and been strongly engaged with RENs in SEE on the horizon? factor for the development of RENs as it will be a virtual event. The forum, the SEE region. Through its SEE Forum, crucial providers laying the foundation which will be supported by regional and a platform gathering representatives The GÉANT SEE Forum has become not only for the digitalisation of R&E, but pan-European EOSC-related projects from the RENs in Albania, Greece, a valuable platform for the exchange of of society in general. such as NI4OS-Europe and EOSC North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, ideas and mutual support for RENs in Another limiting factor for the further Future, has the goal to showcase Open Kosovo*, Cyprus, Turkey, Bulgaria, ones, such as CYNET, MARNET, RASH, GÉANT-led projects are among the the region. The more developed RENs development of the SEE RENs is their Science services and user engagement and Hungary, it facilitates discussion BREN, or MREN, or with those that most vital sources of additional funding keep sharing their experience and offer position withing the state administration. along with users’ technical challenges, and collaboration on the common are at embryo stage like the Kosovo* for all RENs in the SEE region, since practical help to the developing and Most of the RENs are state agencies, their needs for these services, and how challenges shared by these Research & Education Network, KREN. all of these RENs use state-funding smaller RENs in the region, building and with their employees being public GÉANT can help address such needs organisations. For instance, Bosnia and models and face huge challenges in strengthening the human connections servants. This affects the remuneration, through the SEE Forum. I strongly The heterogeneous nature of Herzegovina, the only European country personnel retention and the overall on top of the data network. especially of the highly trained technical believe that this will further emphasise these RENs makes this forum even that has not yet established an REN, recruitment process. staff earning salaries considerably lower the important role of RENs as key more useful, since the more developed has been very active in the SEE Forum The RENs and their constituents EOSC enablers and supporters. organisations, such as GRNET, KIFU, drawing experience and receiving are also collaborating on other important or ULAKBIM are able to share their support toward the establishment of a matters for the academic community, valuable experience with the smaller national network. with Open Science currently being the *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 11 Interviews

Professor Black, minded women passionate about understand your viewpoint and are science and technology felt like a ready to support you. Work together, what did you know party: when you are in the majority life support each other, find mentors and about GÉANT and is undeniably easier! That event was people who are ahead of you on the were you familiar a turning point as it made me realise path you have chosen and can guide the power of women’s networks. In you along the way. It is not always easy with our flagship our society girls are brought up to give to find your path, but the availability of conference TNC? priority to the needs of those around people who are ready to support you them, and I am convinced that this will put you in a much stronger position. I was not familiar with GÉANT, and I had approach has detrimental effects on our Social media and the internet are also never heard about your conference, understanding of how to behave in the great enablers of support networks, but I am now very intrigued by the workplace and ultimately on our mentorships and collaborations. Research & Education community and mental health. the areas in which GÉANT operates. I am always excited to meet and talk As a technology What’s around to new audiences and look forward to the corner for Sue presenting at TNC21. evangelist, based on your experience Black? In your TNC21 and knowledge, In 2019 at Durham University, we launched the TechUPWomen keynote “If I can do what do you think programme which aims to create it, so can you” you can be done to fill pathways in tech careers for women tell the inspiring the gender gap for with degrees, from minority groups. For years companies have been and motivating women in STEM? asking us for advice on how to employ autobiographical Not just one thing. Lots of different more women in technical roles, sharing story of one things. It is linked to the way in which with us their struggle in the search for our society sees women. It’s about the right candidates. TechUPWomen woman’s what we can do as individuals and aims to be that link to fill that gap, whilst determination to organisations to embrace a more supporting women graduates who have succeed. Could you inclusive culture. Our history shows how the ambition and the potential, but just women haven’t been treated as equals don’t know how to get into tech. share the highlights and this is accepted and ingrained in Working with 15 industry partners CONNECT Interview: of your talk? our society and our way of thinking, but to create a training programme tailored events such as the #metoo movement to industry needs we identified four I come from an average family, but started to help us all to see more clearly. target roles: software developer, agile life changed drastically for me after It is not about a gender war, women vs project manager, business analyst and losing my mum when I was a child. men, it’s beyond that, it’s about equality data scientist. The TechUPWomen My family transitioned from functional and equity which are fundamental participants (with degrees in any subject to dysfunctional, I left school at 16 human rights. area including music, medieval literature, and ended up getting married quite For instance, at Durham University and geography) go through a six-month young. Unfortunately, my circumstances academic applicants are required online programme at the end of which became worse when, in my early Professor to write a diversity and inclusion they are able to apply for one of these twenties, I had to move to a women’s statement which is a decisive factor in four roles. refuge with my three children. the recruitment process. A small but Our most recent programme took Most of my talk is indeed about significant step in the right direction. 100 women from underrepresented the time after these events because And I can say that I have witnessed communities in North England, retrained gradually, whilst trying to create a better some changes in the last twenty years them, gave them the opportunity to life for my children, I ended up creating and the existence of hundreds of interview with a company, and over 50 a better life for myself. I went back active women in tech groups are the of them now have jobs in tech. Sue Black into education and enrolled at a local living proof. I am currently looking for funding college, my studies led to a degree CONNECT meets Professor Sue Black, one of and partners to scale TechUPWomen in computing, and as my passion for as I would like to run it internationally technology grew, I completed a PhD the top 50 women in tech in Europe and TNC21’s What tips would in Kenya, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. in software engineering and stayed in you give to a girl We know that the programme works, academia. In my keynote I also talk first keynote speaker. Professor Black talked us this is why we are very keen to scale it. about how 23 years ago, during my who is unsure about These are the challenges I enjoy, I love through her inspiring personal story, about her PhD, I set up the first UK online network pursuing a career solving problems that haven’t yet been for women in technology. in STEM when addressed, and thrive in the solution- passion for technology, and the importance to Why? Most of the academic finding process. conferences in computer science I self-belief and self- fill the gender gap for women in STEM. attended had a 90% male participation, determination are in I often felt isolated and excluded until need of a boost? I took part in a brilliant conference Interview by: Rosanna Norman, GÉANT for women in science in Brussels. To Find other girls who feel the same be surrounded by dozens of like- way as you, find other people who

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 12 Interviews

between DeiC and the TU will remain What qualities close and we will be able to represent More broadly, and experiences each other internationally, but DeiC will what are your stay as the official Danish representative do you bring to in GÉANT. views about the the role of DeiC benefits of GÉANT CEO, and to What are your top membership? DeiC’s national three priorities for Collaboration inside GÉANT is very important - the way we work together and international the coming year? to achieve common goals. Having all activities? Of course, one is to get the new the countries represented means that decisions are based on a broad range of Internationally it’s my network; I’ve been organisation established and acting views, cultures, and backgrounds. Any around for many years, and I know a according to the national strategy. country negotiating alone at EU level lot of people. Nationally, I’ve spent a COVID-19 hasn’t been helping and a would have only its own perspective to long time talking with universities and lot of people have been anxious about rely on, but being part of this community know how they organise themselves the future. opens your eyes to other perspectives, in the e-infrastructure area. As head of We will ensure we have synergies which can make you stronger. And secretariat, I had an important role in between national and international sometimes it’s good to look not only the strategic planning towards the new developments, with DeiC being active at what seems important for you, but DeiC, which will be the ‘place’ where where possible and keeping the also for a majority of countries. Through the universities actively collaborate. I universities involved. NORDUnet we have one Nordic voice really appreciate collaboration. My ability We will also get more involved in in GÉANT, and GÉANT does the same to involve people and organise this is EOSC and EuroHPC activities. That in having a European R&E networking very important. doesn’t mean we forget about GÉANT - we are quite involved in GÉANT already community voice towards the EU. and that will continue. Collaboration is very important and “The new DeiC” - GÉANT is the place to do that. what is the plan? You have What would you Today DeiC is a virtual organisation, with participated everybody employed at the Technical like readers to University in Lyngby. We are going to be in GÉANT know about you a company owned by the universities. Community The DeiC name will stay, but the ‘C’ more personally? will become ‘Consortium’. Operation Programme Surprise us! of the network will stay at the TU, but working groups the networking, data management, I think I’m not a very surprising person! and high-performance computing over the years. What might surprise some though, services will be offered through DeiC. What do you see is I have a very strong heart in the We will need our own staff to follow Scout community and spend a lot of international developments, as well as as the benefits of spare time in that world. In the Scouts, CONNECT Interview: have knowledge of the infrastructures, those? collaboration is very important; you but we will be no more than 20 people. are not just yourself, but are part of a It’s now my responsibility to create this I have been both a long-term team. A lot of the way I do things as new company. member and a chair of the marketing a manager comes from the tools I’ve communications group SIG-Marcomms. learned in the Scouting movement. I was also in the NORDUnet What will this communications team. The main change mean benefits are getting to know people, and Gitte Kudsk understanding the differing ways that Learn more about DeiC at On 1 January 2021, Gitte Julin Kudsk became CEO of DeiC (Danish for DeiC’s people and NRENs in different countries https://deic.dk/ view infrastructures and how to use e-infrastructure Cooperation). She has worked with digital infrastructure international them. But also, that we mainly have the since 2000, when she started as a project manager in UNI-C, which relationships? same challenges and goals. And that the same kind of diversity exists among The strategy stated that Denmark became part of DeiC in its establishment in 2012. As the head of the universities within each country would be more active internationally too. These are the important lessons secretariat and communications, Gitte was very active in NORDUnet and and this is in DeiC’s mandate. As DeiC I can use now in DeiC’s national and will be small, we will need the Danish GÉANT activities and well versed in the Danish ministerial and political international relationships. universities to be more active also, landscape. Half a year into her new role, we asked about her goals for which is quite new. The relationship DeiC and its relationship with the GÉANT community.

Interview by: Laura Durnford, GÉANT

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 13 Feature The GÉANT Association is driven by 2021-2026 Eight Strategic Goals GÉANT Association Strategy

The GÉANT Association is the collaboration of Together, we deliver an information ecosystem of European National Research and Education infrastructures and services to advance research, Networks (NRENs). education, and innovation on a global scale. Network Security We are the trusted partner for We provide a safe and secure pan-European and global information ecosystem for advanced R&E networking. researchers, educators, and students. Vision Mission To collaborate to deliver the To empower R&E with an infrastructures and services open, innovative, and that enable the R&E trusted information community to excel. ecosystem. Innovation Community We continually evolve key We are acknowledged worldwide infrastructures, innovate, and as a leader for developing and s develop new services in order to upporting R&E networking full the needs of the R&E communities, and global REN Ambition community in a sustainable way. development. To address and anticipate the needs of the R&E community by o ering sustainable, open, innovative and trusted infrastructures and services. To be a trusted and preferred-choice partner to the benet of the European R&E community. To collaborate and share knowledge to enable NRENs to improve their performance, both individually and collectively. European Union Stakeholders We are seen by the EU as an We forge relationships with indispensable partner for other e-infrastructure providers, their vision. research infrastructures (RIs), and other stakeholders, to benet the R&E community.

GÉANT Association publishes strategy for 2021-2026 Following extensive consultation and discussion with GÉANT Association members, and subsequent approval by the GÉANT General Assembly (GA) the GÉANT Association strategy for 2021-2026 has been published. The strategy is based around eight key strategic goals and aims to frame the activities undertaken under the umbrella of the GÉANT Association collaboration. Governance Funding We have a governance We will ensure nancial On Monday 21 June, at the TNC21 Conference Opening (09:30-09:55 CEST), GÉANT’s Erik Huizer structure that is agile and sustainability to benet and Cathrin Stöver discuss the strategy and what it means for the community. benets from the diversity of our members. our membership. The strategy documents are available here.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 14 Trust & Identity T&I @ TNC21 Supporting global collaboration for Research and Education The past 18 months have demonstrated both the need for global collaboration and also the power that it can bring to both distributed learning and advanced research. From federated access to online courses and classes, to the ability of researchers to access genome data from around the world, AAI services are a vital tool for R&E. At TNC21, Trust and Identity services will be covered in-depth across a number of sessions including:

Words: Karl Meyer, GÉANT

MyAcademicID delivered an Identity Connecting and Access Management Platform How changing Running a cloud Establishment The evolution of services, building and defined an eID scheme for higher the IdP discovery identity provider of new identity eduroam education that allows students to trust and consistently and reliably authenticate process impacts platform — federations (Thursday 24 June, empowering to online Erasmus services and are remote access to technology is the in Africa: the 15-15:40 CEST) students on an important step forward towards scholarly content easy part AfricaConnect3 eduroam is deployed across thousands the digital transformation of Erasmus of R&E organisations in over 100 mobility programmes. (Tuesday 22 June, (Wednesday 23 June, perspective countries and serves billions of roaming (Monday 21 June, 15-15:40 CEST) 10-10:40 CEST) (Wednesday 23 June, end-user authentications each year. The session provides an overview 10-10:40 CEST) SeamlessAccess started its rollout just The Australian Access Federation (AAF) 15-15:40 CEST) eduTEAMS turns of the major milestones in eduroam’s as COVID-19 began to impact our began building a cloud identity provider The procedures that allow European Establishing new Identity Federations development over time, along with a 3: from demo to world. What was anticipated as a soft (IdP) platform in 2016. This followed higher education institutions to in Africa presents challenges the deeper look at recent enhancements. launch suddenly saw a new level of repeated requests from Australian exchange student mobility data remain solution African RRENs – ASREN, Ubuntunet urgency to enable federated identity to universities as they adopted cloud largely paper-based, making students and WACREN – have decided to (Tuesday 22 June, access scholarly content. Dependency infrastructure strategies. dependent on a number of accounts tackle. To support the NRENs and 10-10:40 CEST) on Federated Identity Management The resulting platform, Rapid and documents to apply for mobility. their communities, they are focusing For more information visit (FIM) is creating a demand from all Identity Provider, now has significant As more students go abroad and with eduTEAMS was first presented at on actions aimed at boosting new tnc21.geant.org stakeholders to improve online access adoption across AAF’s subscribers. an increasingly interconnected world, TNC18. Three years later, eduTEAMS is identity federations. This presentation in a way that’s intuitive to the end-user This session provides an overview of Erasmus needs to evolve to align enabling thousands of researchers and provides a view of the current situation, and still protects their privacy. the architecture and covers the major with the European leaders’ vision of a students to access R&E services across the goals and ongoing activities driven This session looks at how FIM product and commercial challenges European Education Area by 2025 Europe. In this session, we recount a by AfricaConnect3 in the process of access models have significantly we’ve faced in making the service - no borders to student mobility. journey that started at TNC18: a journey establishing of new identity federations. in delivering large-scale, production changed in 2020, from the SP, sustainable. Identity and Access Library, and Federation Operator perspectives.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 15 Network

BRIAN (Backbone Router Interface While BRIAN was being developed Picture Analytics) is a framework that aims “We’ve been in 2020 and in the early months of BRIAN to help the whole community by 2021, GÉANT Operations has been screenshot: reproducing the functionalities of Cacti relying on simultaneously migrating from OpsDB aggregate GWS (the classic network monitoring and bespoke, to a new inventory system: VC4’s ingress as of June Welcome visualisation programme) while providing IMS. While this added an element of 3rd 12.20pm convenient and direct access for a complex tools risk to an already complex task, it also wider range of data consumers such for many years. gave the opportunity to leverage this as Grafana, Tableau or external parties. migration and further decouple the new BRIAN decouples data collection, BRIAN brings reporting framework from low-level storage and visualisation, using modern together a suite network access. The result is a data- off-the-shelf technologies wherever driven system, automatically reflecting possible, allowing network managers of tools that and visualising as far as possible the and planners to use the data in new fully automates current network topology, rather than BRIAN: ways as they see fit. being maintained manually and being at (Backbone Router InfluxDB, which is supported almost our network risk from user error. universally by programming languages analytics.” While the GÉANT network and data rendering frameworks, was backbone is now fully monitored by selected as the back-end data storage Keith Slater, GÉANT Service BRIAN, there remain a few services Interface ANalytics) technology. This is in stark contrast to that are still monitored only by custom Manager and BRIAN product the inconvenient and lossy RRD-based owner configurations in Cacti. Following To help network managers and planners more easily (Round Robin Database) storage format BRIAN’s launch to the community in used with Cacti. April 2021, the priority is now to address access, edit, and share traffic data from the GÉANT The visualisation experience, also this and fully decommission Cacti. previously provided by Cacti, is being network, a new solution has been architected by mostly replaced by a Grafana front-end. GÉANT’s software development team based on a Grafana is a widely used tool, familiar Do not miss the presentation on To learn more about BRIAN to networking and IT experts and the Life of BRIAN at TNC21 on and see the real-time data on suite of mostly open-source applications. benefits from regular development June 22: https://tnc21.geant. the GÉANT network, visit and active support. org/presentations/#s474 brian.geant.org Words: Erik Reid, GÉANT

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 16 Network New GN4-3N network rollout

Fibre Fibre or Spectrum continues Connected Regional Network

At the time of writing in June 2021: To date over 140 nodes have been Picture The EC-funded GÉANT (GN4-3N) network rollout deployed, and over 8,000km of dark Less power, Illustrative map • Seven routes fully deployed with fibre lit, with the longest route so bigger network showing planned continues apace, despite ongoing challenges end-to-end testing completed. far (Madrid to Marseille) measuring fibre A key factor in the design and • Eight routes currently being 1,387km! including a global pandemic (see last issue) and procurement stages was how to deployed. At the most recent NIAC (Network ensure the new network could play • Six routes are currently in the Infrastructure Advisory Committee) more recently a global semiconductor shortage its part in supporting the European connectivity delivery phase. meeting, discussions centred on the Green Deal. Thanks to extensive threatening equipment deliveries worldwide! • Nine routes are in the response final stages of the project and the analysis and continuous modelling, evaluation or contract finalisation potential to make further improvements the project is continuing to invest in However, the unwavering efforts and commitment stage. and network extensions outside of the most efficient technologies, which • Five routes are in the active the original project scope. Watch for of the GN4-3N project team, GÉANT’s network will lead to significantly reduced power tendering phase. updates in future CONNECT issues. consumption across the network. And the GN4-3N project team implementation team, our NREN partners, and our We will report on this in the next now look forward to the first service issue of CONNECT. close partner suppliers, means disruption to the migrations onto the new network, expected in the Iberian Peninsula project schedule has been minimised. in June.

Words: Paul Maurice, GÉANT

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 17 Community

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed On 27-28 April, the community gathered online for Picture the 2021 edition of the Network for Performing Arts One of the online music performance as we know it, with musicians Production Workshop (NPAPW), a free event where “Quarantine How NRENs are and artists having to adjust to performing arts experts exchanged experiences and lessons learned after Sessions” organised more than a year without live concerts. Attendees from by the Center for through a screen. In this context, NRENs have NRENs and other institutions from Europe and beyond Computer Research in had a vital role in strengthening the community met online to discuss and assess new ways for musicians Music and Acoustics despite the difficulties posed by the switch to to rehearse and perform collaboratively online. We asked at Stanford University. keeping musicians several attendees to describe their experiences, and The concerts were online learning and performing. Together, they how they have contributed to the success of the global broadcasted live with have successfully been responding to the various arts & humanities community in what has been a very artists performing challenging time. from around the and artists lockdowns with new and innovative services for world. artists, musicians, and students. connected

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 18 Community

Domenico Vicinanza, Bartlomiej Maria Isabel Gandia, Claudio Allocchio, Mårten Frojdo, Sven Ubik, Czech Miloš Liška, Czech Coordinator for the Idzikowski, Poznan Consorci de Serveis Consortium GARR Remote North – National Research National Research Arts and Humanities Supercomputing Universitaris de “GARR, together with Internet2, has Nordic Centre for and Education and Education for GÉANT and Networking Catalunya (CSUC) been pioneering the support for the Digital Presence Network (CESNET) Network (CESNET) arts and humanities users for more “GÉANT and Internet2 have a long Center (PSNC) “Organising remote performances (NCDP) “The objectives of the work in the “The pandemic and consequent than 20 years now. So, when in tradition of working with the arts & through advanced networks NPAPW community, supporting lockdowns isolated artists all “PSNC started supporting artistic 2020 everything suddenly moved “Remote North NCDP is a humanities community, introducing, during the pandemic has been distance collaboration in live culture, around the world and forced them communities already at the very online, we were the immediate network which has developed a supporting, and coordinating the complicated, to say the least. The are not directly related to the to rehearse and perform at home. beginning of the pandemic, thanks reference for a vast community method for low latency two-way development and adoption of network was already in place, COVID-19 pandemic. However, The shift towards home networks to the available equipment and our of worldwide users seeking help. communication. The network advanced network technologies in but almost everybody was at due to the pandemic situation, the led to new and non-traditional team’s broadcasting experience. Queries about online teaching consists of around a hundred this fascinating field. NPAPW is an home using their own internet interest in distance learning and tools for networked performing, A spectacle at Teatr Nowy, one of tools flooded our support services, culture schools, theaters, annual gathering of technologists, connections. Despite the difficulties, collaboration in live culture has such as eduMEET. At CESNET the most famous Polish theatres, both for LoLa and for the SWING universities, organisations in the network experts, performing artists, artists reinvented themselves naturally increased. CESNET has we have supported a couple of was transmitted in less than 32 projects, which were already in performing arts and the creative faculty members and students. and countless amazing initiatives, supported several online music local jazz bands using the proven hours after the official closure place before the pandemic. Our industries in the Nordics. The active Historically it has focused on colorful performances and home events. We used a combination combination of JackTrip and of theatres was announced. It support teams became a worldwide network stretches from Tammerfors, innovative technologies in the concerts have been carried out of low-latency MVTP technology UltraGrid. The expected obstacle was the very first time, since the ’helpdesk’ for the community. Helsinki and Åbo in Finland (incl. performing arts that utilise advanced in these last months. Before and several other technologies was actually using these tools in outbreak, that an event was live We also started to work with the autonomous Aland islands) to networks provisioned by Internet2, COVID-19, we used to receive according to local conditions and connection with home networks. streamed in alternative to a regular eduMEET to create a profile for Stockholm, Hallunda, Norsborg, GÉANT, and partners across queries about remote collaborations latency requirements. An example Their bandwidth was sufficient performance, here in Poland. After music education (now ready to Falun in Sweden and the cities of the globe. This year’s workshop from time to time and we helped is a concert against totalism, for the deployment of both that, tens of other performances be released as “HiFimode”) and Lillehammer and Hamar in Norway. explored emerging solutions and with some of them. In the last organised traditionally on the technologies, but the users were were prepared and delivered via accelerated the development of Recently, Coventry University in lessons learned during 2020, few months, the questions have anniversary of the Velvet Revolution struggling with Native Address Internet both live and pre-recorded: ‘how to’ resources in the SWING the UK has joined the network including the transition to substantial increased considerably, not only in the Czech Republic on November Translation (NAT) and Firewalls. theatre productions, live concerts, project, making them more versatile as well. In 2021 our goal is to reliance on home broadband for big productions, but also for 17. In 2020, the concert took place The pandemic has provided an video clips, festivals, and films. and user friendly. We teamed include six new regions between connections. It was presented in small collaborations of musicians online. Another example is a series unexpected extra motivation to eduMEET played an important up with many educators to help Norway, Sweden and Finland on a virtual, condensed format, with who miss playing together live. As a of online concerts Music Without develop new technologies to role in many of these events, them experiment different ways of the 62-63 latitudes to the culture interactive demonstrations, tutorials, Research and Education Network, Borders, organised by the Bohuslav overcome the obstacles of relying as an easy and reliable tool for teaching music and arts online. We network. Thanks to the NRENs and panels, and will be followed we are here to support them and Martinů Foundation, aimed to on home broadband connections. remote participation and artistic are proud of the feedback received and the regional networks we by a series of webinars offered strive to provide them with the best support Doctors Without Borders, UltraGrid is no exception in this collaborations. Other dedicated from the users, and always work to have been able to share music throughout 2021 focusing on tools and collaboration options.” which helped in the epicenters of sense. Its next version will bring a tools were also developed, such improve our services. Many more in and performing arts experiences advanced networked technologies the COVID-19 outbreaks, and to new NAT traversal functionality, a as Concert Machine - an open the community are now aware that during the pandemic despite tough enabling master classes, bring the music of leading musicians new mode for multipoint audiovisual web instrument intended to inspire networks have also a key role in arts travel restrictions. This shows how remote auditions, and multisite to listeners in this difficult time.” transmissions and hopefully even composers and listeners, as well as and humanities education!” extremely important the networks performances.” to provide a telematic experience to are in supporting the new normal better resiliency under adverse the audience.” where artists, audiences and networking conditions.” researchers need to congregate in this hybrid of physical and virtual presence.”

For more information about the NPAPW21 and to watch the recordings of the tutorials, visit https://npapws.org/virtual-npapw21/

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 19 Community

Now, over three decades later, • CERT forums: CERTs often Picture the threat situation has fundamentally organise themselves into Frank Herberg, changed. The damage caused by geographical and sector-specific Head of SWITCH- cybercrime is growing every year, forums. Here, too, the focus is on CERT Commercial with global damage estimated at $1 exchanging information about – Sectors trillion for 2020 alone. What might be and cooperating during – acute a lucrative business field for attackers security incidents. During FIRST is a growing challenge for IT security conferences, CERTs with the same experts, which is why the issue of sector-specific problems arrange trusted communities has become all themselves into smaller groups, the more important. The reasons are facilitating closer exchange. Clear the same as they were 30 years ago: rules and active involvement are CERTs need to learn from one another vital here too. quickly and work together efficiently whenever an incident occurs. As different as trusted communities A few examples of trusted are, the basic rules for success always communities: remain the same: participants need to make themselves personally known • Sector-specific CERTs: and get involved in the group. And SWITCH operates sector- information must only be used under specific CERTs with trusted the agreed conditions. What’s more, communities for Swiss universities, many of these communities aren’t open banks, industry and logistics, as to the public, and admission is often by well as the energy sector. The invitation only following a security check. parties involved have known one And just like anything else in life, trust is another for many years and openly something that takes time to build up, exchange detailed information but it can be destroyed in an instant. about the latest security incidents in the sector in regular teleconferences and meetings. • Security researchers: Modern Frank Herberg malware and the infrastructure has been working In 1988, one of the first pieces of behind it have become very for SWITCH since computer malware – named the Morris complex. No individual working worm after its developer – incapacitated alone could ever capture all 2012 and, as Head a large share of the internet. This the active families of malware. of SWITCH-CERT development gave birth to the idea of Today’s experts can only succeed (Commercial Sectors), Trusted responding to future online security by working closely together on he is responsible for incidents with Computer Emergency a global scale in confidential, the Banking, Industry Response Teams (CERTs). These teams closed ‘lists’. This requires them & Logistics and Energy of computer experts would be deployed to maintain an excellent reputation whenever someone caused trouble on and an active presence over customer sectors. communities the internet and the resulting damage the years. needed to be contained as quickly as possible. But the teams of IT security experts soon realised that there was often a for greater limit to what they could do on their own. The CERTs had to network with one another so they could coordinate countermeasures to attacks that crossed national borders. Another cybersecurity key factor was also that each team of specialists needed to learn about new security incidents from other groups as Trusted communities are the lifeblood of quickly as possible so it could efficiently protect its own infrastructure. The cybersecurity, even when they work in the global Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) was established background, and they are vital to effectively in 1990 for this very purpose. Its goal was to enable and encourage exchange keeping attackers at bay. between CERTs around the world through networking, communication, building trust and cooperation. Words: Frank Herberg, Head of SWITCH-CERT Commercial Sectors

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 20 Community Grassroots Approach and Authenticity Guaranteed

CARNET, the Croatian Academic and Research Network, is developing a new audio social media platform, Audioroam, aimed specifically at the global academic & research community. Audio social media networks represent the latest trend in social media networking as voice seems to contribute to greater intimacy, focus & the development of collective intelligence. Many big players have taken a seat in this new trend: in addition to the already developed Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces is in the early phase, while Facebook & Reddit are developing their own versions.

Words: CARNET

The new audio-only based platform The name Audioroam does not that CARNET is developing will enable accidentally evoke eduroam, one of its users - the educational & research the most impactful services developed community - to disseminate their ideas by the GÉANT community. eduroam’s and form networks. After the piloting LDAP authentication system will be phase, the platform model, if proven behind identity verification, meaning that successful, will be extended to the all Audioroam users’ identities would global community. Similar to the existing be authenticated and verified, giving cutting-edge platforms (the Clubhouse it an edge over the other platforms and Twitter Spaces), the Audioroam noted above, as their anonymity and platform will have a built-in regulation uncontrolled chatter seem to be causing system as to who can speak and a range of problems, hate speech Audioroam: who can listen - the organising hosts in particular. Finally, Audioroam will will be able to manage these features offer members of the educational & according to their preferences. These research community more opportunity A Clubhouse & Twitter “audiosnaps’’ will be provided in the to connect, find interdisciplinary form of speech acts typical of the synergies and widen their impact, while educational & research community: decreasing excessive data usage. classroom dialogue, panel & lecture etc. All events will be listed and Spaces for Educators searchable via key words directly in To find out more about the search engine. CARNET and its services, visit and Academia https://www.carnet.hr/en/

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 21 Community

PARTAGE: The French R&E community on-premise pooled collaborative email solution In collaboration with various Universities and research centres, RENATER (the French Research and Education Network) has introduced an Email Collaborative Suite, Moreover, PARTAGE has the The worldwide growing concerns called PARTAGE. advantage of being an outsourced of data sovereignty have led RENATER platform with the administrative flexibility to early on make the choice to host and of an internalised one. First of all, each operate all its infrastructures in France. Words: Laurent Aublet-Cuvelier, RENATER institution keeps its own domain name, Data ownership has become more and RENATER does not provide nor impose more relevant with the growth of the 40% a common “edu” domain. Then, the major commercial platforms. Therefore, growth for the RENATER hosts and operates The collaborative suite addresses 3. The extended community who institution’s administrators can easily it is compliant with GDPR and aims PARTAGE as collaborative SaaS the community’s needs through the runs similar incentives which can last three years connect their systems through the to preserve scientific and technical (Software as a Service) complying with following three areas: integrate with PARTAGE. For solution’s APIs or use the dedicated heritage. the French Government data security example, FileSender operated by interface allowing direct management In summary, PARTAGE is the recommendations, including GDPR 1. Day-to-day activities, such as RENATER can be directly drawn and control over their environment. premise of a growing collaborative email (General Data Protection Regulation). keeping the platform available from PARTAGE.`` The second pillar is about the platform that could lead to much more More than PARTAGE is a web-based suite 24/7, preparing newcomers constant challenge of maintaining the to come. where users can benefit from several with scalable infrastructure, and Add-ons are possible through the service availability versus the security other services, including Anti-Spam, releasing the developments open-source solution Zimbra and its and scalability, neither of which videoconferencing by RENATER, and pushed by the community. One web-based implementation with a obviously can be compromised on. To read more about PARTAGE FileSender, and it is available both in example is the integration in the plugin system called Zimlet. It allowed 40% growth for the last three years; visit https://partage.renater.fr/ desktop and mobile mode through Online Office Suite, based on Libre us to create a collaborative platform 99.9% more than 99.9% availability for 2020. or contact the team at standard protocols (imap, smtp, CalDav, Office. which includes instant messaging and availability for 2020 [email protected] WebDav, ActiveSync, XMPP, etc.). 2. The users who help to define the videoconferencing. The platform’s main PARTAGE means “to share” in French. future developments or even share functionalities are also useable both on The name is inspired by one of the their own open-source codes desktops and mobile phones. service’s pillars: putting the community through RENATER qualifying and and its needs at the very centre of integrating processes. PARTAGE.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 22 Community

André Mourão, from the Arquivo.pt This is especially relevant on pages filtering search results (for example, filter Picure team, explains everything about the that have many images, as it allows results by date, website and file type, Bottom left: by functionality of this new feature that users to find the specific image that among others). André Mourão allows users to search for images illustrates their search. Arquivo.pt has already given origin from Arquivo.pt, ‘from the past’. Other functionalities to be to many projects with potential of FCCN highlighted are related to the automatic positive impact in society. In the specific Bottom right: classification of potentially offensive case of this research, a scientific Screenshot of a Arquivo.pt launched content for users, advanced search with article was recently published by Portuguese internet the Dionisius project preserved page multiple content filters and automatic Ricardo Campos and co-authors, containing images on 24 March. Can access from APIs, which allows the data where the image search API is used from Arquivio.pt you tell us what this collected by Arquivo.pt to be used in to find images to illustrate the results images from the past initiative consists of? innovative projects (https://arquivo.pt/ of the temporal division of a news apis). story. Giving a personal example, I At Arquivo.pt, we have a periodic found many records of book reviews release model for new versions of our What kind of made by my great-aunt at the Calouste can now be found at portal. In these releases, we group all Gulbenkian Foundation. These records the improvements made, and these are added value and were scanned from the originals from usually focused on a central goal of the potential does this the 1960s and 1970s, placed on the release. Dionisius had a special impact new functionality Gulbenkian website and are now Arquivo.pt as we launched the new version of available for consult and research at the image search, the result of years of represent for the Arquivo.pt. work. We went from a prototype with 22 Arquivo.pt user? Arquivo.pt is a digital preservation service provided by FCCN to million searchable images, to a system External studies show that around a Is there anything you the Portuguese general public. This project preserves millions that provides more than 1,800 million, quarter of general searches on the web would like to add? of files collected from the web since 1996 and offers a public while maintaining response speed and are for images. In the case of Arquivo.pt, our user friendly web portal. image searches represent around one I would like to reinforce that our web search service over this information. Though it is mainly a fifth of the total searches performed. portal and APIs are open source, free Portuguese project it contains 1.8 billion images Searching on archived data allows us to access and are available for personal information in several languages to have an insight on generalist image use or for research projects without from the web have search engines such as Google Images. prior registration. Finally, I would also and unique content, such as become searchable These are focused on searching images like to mention the annual Arquivo. the first webpage of the on Arquivo.pt. How of the present, especially popular and pt Prize, now in its 4th edition, which Smithsonian Institute, do you classify this recent content. aims to reward innovative works based Arquivo.pt allows a retrospective on historical information preserved by from 1996. result? search with a special focus on time. Arquivo.pt with up to €10,000. The This process went quite well and Old versions of images and pages are works focus on themes from any area far exceeded our most optimistic available for consultation, making it (e.g. Education, History, Sociology, Words: Ana Afonso, FCCN expectations. We processed more than possible to see how pages and images Communication, Health and Information and Fábio Rodrigues 8 billion pages, for a total of 520TB of have evolved. Our search allows greater Technology) so stay tuned to see who archived data, corresponding to the exemption in the results returned, as we wins this year. Some interesting projects time period from 1992 to 2019. By May are not focused on popularity metrics. based on our digital preservation service 2020, we were predicted to find 18 We also allow greater granularity in will be rewarded! times as many images: the end result was an 81-fold increase, in the number of searchable images.

This solution is described as “an innovative system” by Arquivo.pt. How does this version innovate in relation to what has been done by other web archives? Apart from the scale, the greatest innovation of this Arquivo.pt search is the focus on extracting relevant information from the pages for each image. For all images on all pages, we extract a textual legend, corresponding to the portion of the page text that is closest to the image.

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Pictures Bottom left: Niels van Dijk, SURF (Credit: Jelmer de Haas).

Top right: Schematic overview of the Verifiable Credentials SURF investigates ecosystem as implemented in SSI (source: the possibilities w3.org)

For authentication, many NRENs However, how can a service that Self-sovereign use a federated ecosystem, such receives data directly from a user of self-sovereign as the SURFconext federation in the trust this data? For this purpose, the identity aligns Netherlands: students and staff have verifier queries a so-called verifiable with public values an institutional identity that gives them data registry. The registry contains access to various services. This offers information about trusted parties, The conclusions of the survey are a lot of advantages. For example, they and also which information may be positive. Niels adds, “SSI is not fully identity don’t have to create a new account exchanged by these parties. The mature yet, but its privacy-protecting for each service and the credentials registry explicitly does not contain the nature, the fact that the user controls With self-sovereign identity, users - rather than, for example, are managed by the institution, which personal data of the users. data sharing, and the SSI trust model improves security. tie in well with the public values that are the educational institutions - have direct control over A disadvantage, however, is that typical for education and research. We the exchange of their personal data. What are the the entity issuing the identity (the issuer, Better control of therefore want to continue to work with usually an educational institution) has privacy this concept in the Netherlands. SSI is possibilities and challenges of this concept? control over the user’s data. The issuer also attracting a great deal of attention Niels van Dijk, technical product determines which attributes of the user in the international context. The GÉANT SURF investigated it and concludes manager for trust and identity innovation are passed on, and to whom. This Special Interest Group Distributed at SURF, says: “With SSI, we can better that self-sovereign identity is could be improved, for example in the Ledger Technologies was recently regulate the privacy around identities. light of privacy. And perhaps also in the set up, in which NRENs can work very promising. In our technical exploration, we light of flexibility, for example by making together to explore the opportunities investigated, among other things, the it easier to reuse and combine attributes and challenges of this promising scalability, security, privacy protection, from different sectors. technology.” Words: Jan Michielsen, SURF and maturity of SSI.” As a test environment, SURF chose User in control the open-source platform Hyperledger Indy, in which the verifiable data registry Learn more SURF therefore investigated the is implemented on the basis of a Want to know more about SSI? possibilities of self-sovereign identity distributed ledger. Niels states, “Open Wondering what it can do for (SSI). In addition to the educational source is important to us at SURF. research and education at institution, there are other issuers of We really wanted to be able to look your NREN? profile data, for example a scientific under the hood, and understand and collaboration, the government or determine exactly what is happening. 1. Read the research SURF healthcare organisations. In the SSI And a distributed ledger offers potential has done, at concept, users collect their data from www.surf.nl/ advantages, because it eliminates the . the issuers themselves. Profile data en/ssi need for a central component.” 2. Contact Niels van Dijk, via is collected from different issuers and , if you stored in a ‘wallet’, managed by the [email protected] have questions about the user (holder). The user determines research. which data is passed on to which services (verifiers), directly from their Join the GÉANT Distributed wallets. The wallet of the user is thus Ledger Technologies SIG on the central location where the collected personal data is stored. https://wiki.geant.org/spaces/ viewspace.action?key=TFDLT

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 24 Community

Pictures Left: Occupation at the project- operated Digital experience centre in Debrecen, Hungary

Right: Occupation at the project-operated Edu&Fun Digital experience centre in Budapest, Hungary

The project collaborated with a In addition to college courses, number of internationally recognised the project also established digital Zoltán Szijártó, chairman of IT companies to gain a better experience centres, public facilities Governmental Information understanding of labour market needs that gave students and families an Technology Development Agency, and current best practices. Together opportunity to get a hands-on look commented: with these partner companies, the at the IT profession. Visitors can also “After the closure Programme project worked with 22 of Hungary’s get training in basic computer skills of the project, the universities that offer IT coursework to or learn more about such advanced values created and help them create course curriculums technologies as virtual reality and smart implemented will not be that would provide students with skills home devices. lost. The 22 cooperating that matched market needs. As a result of the project, Hungary universities, and the your future A total of 147 lecturers were trained is seeing an increase in the number of faculty members who and 11 industry-certified courses were young people applying for education in have completed the created. It also created a database of IT. For example, in 2016, 5,166 people market courses provided The future is digital. As such, digital companies demand IT professionals willing to give guest applied for a full-time BA university by the project will lecturers at universities. All universities education in IT, whereas in 2021 the continue to educate a talent pool that is equipped with the necessary IT skills were equipped with the latest digital number was up to 8,388 applicants. new students in the equipment and teaching aids. Total investment for the project modern laboratory and competencies. To ensure its citizens have what it With the courses and experience “Encourage and support cooperation environments. Existing takes to compete in the information age, the EU-funded centres in place, the project next between educational institutions and IT students who have launched a promotional campaign ICT” is just short of €25M, with the EU’s participated and passed ‘Programme your future’ project set out to promote IT to raise awareness about how a European Regional Development Fund exams in project- career in IT could prove lucrative. This contributing just over €21.5M through funded courses can courses at Hungary’s leading universities, and encourage included holding guest lectures and the “Economic Development and easily find employment young people to pursue a career in IT. programming at local high schools. Innovation Operational Programme” for in the labour market, Within the framework of the project, the 2014-2020 programming period. so the shortage of IT the training packages and exam professionals in Hungary opportunities sought in the market are is expected to decrease.” Words: János Gombos, Project Professional Leader, GINOP 3.1.1. provided for university lecturers and students.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 25 Community From obstacles to opportunities When Covid struck in March 2020, UK universities took swift action, supporting their home students’ access to remote teaching and learning. But what about international students?

Words: Dr Esther Wilkinson, Head of international, Jisc

Around 20% of the UK’s student flexible to upscale and downscale as exciting. Although, with Alibaba Cloud population are from overseas. Those requirements alter, whether through the and other solutions on the framework, who could not stay in the UK during term or as student numbers change. these are non-NREN solutions, a group the pandemic needed reliable, secure One of the institutions we of global NRENs has been working connectivity in their home territories supported was the University on this project, including Jisc, through for access to UK learning materials, of Birmingham, as its network the GREN Offshore Students Working support and peer networks, as well as development manager Renyk de’Vandre Group (a sub-group of the GNA-G, online exams, assessments and pre- explains: Global Network Advancement Group), sessional courses. And they needed “The solution isn’t about providing to investigate how NREN infrastructure this connectivity to their own homes, unfettered access to the internet, or and services such as eduroam and which is far more challenging than a way to bypass China’s firewalls, but eduVPN could support off-site learning. the traditional campus-to-campus about giving learners as much of a As the UK moves from a Covid connections that NRENs support. guarantee as possible that they will be emergency response to a more steady At Jisc we responded to this clear able to access services they need for state with potentially new and innovative need from our community – more than educational purposes. modes of delivery, the UK higher half of UK universities contacted us “A large part of that project involved education sector expects to see an asking for help – and set up the Global making sure the right services were increase in transnational education – in Education Access Framework (GEAF). available via the solution, provided by particular online and blended learning – We offer a series of solutions to provide Alibaba Cloud, and then using data both in the short term, due to borders secure, high-performance connectivity analytics to understand how those remaining closed and lower levels of for learners to access UK virtual services are being used, which will help global vaccinations, and in the longer- learning environments from overseas. us model for the future. Although it’s term, through the critical interplay The framework is available worldwide been an essential part of maintaining between climate change, digital through preferred suppliers and initial services through lockdown, it has transformation and internationalisation demand was for access from China, also opened up opportunities beyond of education. which we provided via Alibaba Cloud. the pandemic, such as increased We expect solutions such as The preferred solution for China possibilities for transnational education.” GEAF to hold the key to this new that we have been working with can Such future opportunities opened delivery of global education for a be deployed in a matter of days and is up through the GEAF are particularly more sustainable future.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 26 Projects

Picture The Research On 11 May 2021, the AfricaConnect and Education Network of project celebrated its 10th anniversary, AfricaConnect: Uganda (RENU) providing Direct Assistance looking back and reflecting on Engineering to Celebrating 10 years Nsambya Hospital its achievements and valuable in Kampala, Uganda partnerships while preparing of African European for the next step ahead! collaboration Words: Silvia Fiore, GÉANT

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 27 Projects

To date, over 5 million users network organisation, such as the Pictures in 1,600+ institutions benefit from Network Startup Resource Centre Top left: Maps AfricaConnect’s dedicated, high- (NSRC), to offer engineering assistance of connected capacity and affordable internet and technical training on Network countries connectivity and services. Thanks to Management, Cloud and Trust & their bulk purchasing power, African Identity services. Bottom right: Map of NRENs were able to increase the More recently, with the COVID-19 AfricaConnect network capacity up to 60% in Zambia pandemic outbreak, the African NRENs member NRENs and to reduce internet prices by 97% in have once again proved how vital Where are and international Algeria to the great advantage of local they are to the very survival of higher we at now? links as of May researchers and students. education institutions. Their services 2021 Great attention has also been paid have been supporting institutions all The current phase, AfricaConnect3 to strengthening human resources across Africa in the switch to online (2019-2023), is continuing to accelerate capacities and expertise at different education with a vast service offer, Africa’s scientific and educational levels across the R&E communities including online video-conferencing breakthrough at a global scale, to retain local talents and curb brain tools, e-learning management reinforcing relationships with Europe and drain. African NRENs are running platforms, discounted data bundles for beyond. It will continue to develop new women empowerment initiatives, university students, and university wi-fi direct connections, especially from West virtual hackathons and, throughout outside of campuses (see eduroam and Central Africa. AfricaConnect3 the years, have also partnered up story and other examples). is a renewed commitment with local with European NRENs and leading African partners and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), aiming at further extending the reach In 2010, representatives from the Based on a proven model of over the course of the last 10 years. of the regional R&E networks, greatly European Union, African Ministries, building and interconnecting NRENs in African NRENs are now at the forefront improving access for researchers, the African-Caribbean-Pacific regional networks, in 2015 the second of ICT development in the continent by students and institutions to digital Secretariat, the African Union, as well phase of the project, AfricaConnect2, contributing to narrow the digital divide infrastructures and technologies, as African and European NRENs met opened a new chapter in this African and making a meaningful contribution connecting Africa to unlimited in Brussels for the Feasibility Study on success story by extending the scope to the fulfilment of the United Nations’ possibilities. the AfricaConnect Initiative (FEAST) of its predecessor to a pan-African level. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). workshop. More partners joined, including more More specifically, NRENs are able to The FEAST Study had explored African NRENs in Southern and Eastern guarantee quality education (SDG 4) to the modernisation and development Africa, and two more regional networks: African researchers and learners, boost of research and education (R&E) in the West and Central African Research industry and catalyse innovation in novel Sub-Saharan countries by providing and Education Network (WACREN), sectors (SDG 9), create new decent access to the global research and and the Arab States Research and jobs (SDG 8) and narrow the gender education network infrastructure. It laid Education Network (ASREN) for gap in science, technology, education out the foundations of the EU co-funded Northern Africa. Now in its third phase, and mathematics (SDG 5). AfricaConnect project. AfricaConnect3, the project counts 35 African NRENs do not only member countries with a total of 40 establish high-speed networks to R&E organisations enrolled. interconnect universities, colleges, and Who was research centres across Africa, but also deploy a wide range of services that involved? Why allow instructors, scientists and students AfricaConnect set out to plan, procure, to seamlessly access a wealth of build, operate and maintain a dedicated AfricaConnect? invaluable R&E resources and services, high-capacity data-communications AfricaConnect was created to respond such as eduroam and eduGAIN. network for R&E communities across to the need of providing African research Southern and Eastern Africa. By and higher education institutions with connecting to the pan-European access to the global R&E network What have GÉANT network, African NRENs infrastructure so that they could jointly were able to offer direct high-speed tackle universal challenges to humanity African NRENs intercontinental connectivity for their with their peers in Europe and other achieved so far? users, as well as the shortest and parts of the world. fastest possible network routes for their The project acted as an The successful performance of surgical data traffic within Africa, as well as to accelerator to the development of operations in remote hospital facilities and from Europe. African NRENs and a catalyst for with online support from overseas The project kicked off with 20 global R&E cooperation. Key to ignite (see RENU surgery story) and the Partners: the UbuntuNet Alliance, the this momentous evolution for African inclusive initiatives for new African Association of African Universities (AAU) NRENs have been the joint financial voices to be take part in the scholarly as well as various African and European contributions coming both from the communication landscape (see the NRENs. As the activities unfolded, the European Union - for a total of €61.8M, LIBSENSE initiative) are only a few of funds also increased. and the African partners – for €17M , the many examples of AfricaConnect’s societal impact.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 28 Projects

Commenting further, Erik added: “As a member of the BELLA Consortium, GÉANT warmly welcomes the EllaLink Inauguration in Sines, Portugal as part of the wider BELLA Programme. We look forward to an era of unprecedented research collaboration in many important areas. Enabling optimal data exchange between researchers in Europe and Latin America, BELLA will, for example, enable the data of the European Copernicus program – Earth Observation data – created by European researchers, to be accessed by researchers in Chile. These researchers can then use the data on the Atacama Desert, and combine it with local measurements to study the BELLA celebrates EllaLink impact of Iodine mining. The results of that research will help the Chilean government to get insight in the effects cable inauguration at EC’s of pollution, economic development and resource production estimation. This is just one example of the enormous Leading the Digital benefits the BELLA Programme will bring, thanks to the EllaLink cable inaugurated today.” Decade event Commenting on the inauguration, Luis said, “Today is a day of celebration. With the inauguration of the EllaLink cable, we At the recent Leading the Digital Decade, a two-day online event realise this dream of having a direct With the submarine cable now complete and officially digital connection between Europe and inaugurated, the next milestone for the BELLA Programme will focused on Europe’s digital transformation towards 2030, the BELLA see connectivity come online in the coming weeks, to provide Latin America. Taking advantage of the the high capacity and low latency necessary for data-intensive Programme welcomed on the first day the inauguration of the new capacity that we inaugurated today will research and education use. 6,000km EllaLink submarine cable connection that directly links give us an even greater opportunity BELLA receives funding from the European Union Europe and Latin America. to collaborate, to engage more than through the Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement ever before, and will greatly support number 731505 – DG CNECT (BELLA-S1); DG INTPA, under economic and social growth.” number LA / 2016 / 376-534 (BELLA-T), and DG DEFIS. Words: Paul Maurice, GÉANT Complementary funding is provided by Latin American research and education networks.

Marking a major milestone for BELLA, the EllaLink cable was Later in the day, a plenary session on ‘International inaugurated in a dedicated session in Sines, Portugal with Partnerships for the Digital Decade’ saw a welcome To learn more, visit the BELLA website. speeches from Portugal’s Minister of Economy and Digital address from the EC’s Roberto Viola, Director General of the Transition Pedro Siza Vieira, Brazil’s Minister for Science Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content Technology and Innovation Marcos Pontes, EllaLink President and Technology. In the panel session that followed, the BELLA Philippe Dumont, and Nokia President and CEO Pekka Consortium was represented by RedCLARA Executive Lundmark. As part of the session, EllaLink showed a new Director Luis Cadenas and GÉANT CEO Erik Huizer. video describing the journey taken to get to this point.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 29 Projects

Omren Technology Summit: Enabling collaborations for the OMREN Research & Education Community

The event proved an ideal meeting trends, information exchange, cutting- education, strategic and international The OTS (OMREN Technology Summit) which place with power packed networking edge insights and outlooks with e-collaboration with the research and opportunities with diverse global actionable takeaways. education community and improve the took place online on 31 May, is an annual gathering and regional Stakeholders, NRENs, The comprehensive expo provision of world class e-infrastructure of OMREN and Global Research & Education Researchers, solution providers, leading showcased avant-garde solutions, and services continuously meeting the Industry Experts, Decision Makers, specific transverse and latest sector needs. Community to share their knowledge, success stories, Policy Makers and Government Officials technologies, cutting edge innovations, The event anticipates to be from across the value chain. cost-effective products and services to an ongoing catalyst to foster more identify solutions, explore business opportunities, The summit featured an expansive meet the requirements. collaborations between organizations line-up of stellar speakers (including The Summit intended to enable and countries in Research & Education discuss current challenges and needs to improve GÉANT’s Helga Spitaler), case a technically, financially manageable Network and Innovation. services and achieve the objectives of Connect, studies, panel discussions, engaging and sustainable national Information discussions, unique presentations and Communication Technology Collaborate and Innovate. For 2021 the event took providing access to a wealth of industry- infrastructure and services that For more information, see: leading knowledge, sharing best shall effectively contribute to the https://www.ots.om/ place online and attracted over 300 attendees. practices & experiences, spotlighting development of innovation, research,

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 30 Projects

The first exploration of challenges and Medical images’ generation, • An ‘eHealth Baselining Meeting’ solutions for NRENs in supporting storage and usage have been a focus organised by EaPConnect and biomedical research communities was in Moldova. NREN support for the the EU-funded GÉANT (GN4- in 2018. Representatives from the six standard ‘DICOM’ (Digital Imaging and 3) project in January drew 70+ Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries - Communications in Medicine) system participants from NRENs and other Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, and its integration with administration organisations around the world. Moldova and Ukraine – met peers from systems intensified during the Experiences from EaP, EU and Denmark, Israel, Italy, and Poland in a COVID-19 pandemic and has extended Brazilian NRENs broadened the workshop organised with EaPConnect from one to five hospitals in the capital, discussion to include telemedicine, by the Italian NREN GARR, which Chisinau. SME collaboration, and the EaPConnect was already active in eHealth support. These examples were shared in potential role for Clouds. A warning The event highlighted the diversity of two events in early 2021: that technological developments situations in different countries and could mean NREN computing and of needs among relevant research • A virtual event in March, on data handling services become communities, infrastructures and advanced analytics usage in bypassed raised the question projects. medical images, was the first in whether NRENs should widen brings eHealth The complexity of legal, ethical, a series of eHealth collaboration their focus if they are to play a security and computational resource events organised by EU4Digital meaningful role in the changing challenges in supporting biomedical - the initiative through which the eHealth landscape. research were evident. A presentation EU supports the development of from Belarus showed work to develop harmonised national frameworks These discussions continue in a ‘Birds into focus Artificial Intelligence tools to improve for eHealth among EaP and of a Feather’ (BoF) meeting at TNC21, image analysis for medical research, EU countries. The EU4Digital where a new GÉANT eHealth task force With health and online living becoming top concerns in the past year, training, and practice, in which such ‘eHealth Network’ audience of will be presented. the topic of ‘eHealth’ and how NRENs can work together to support it has challenges are particularly pressing. representatives from EaP health also been gaining visibility. For partners in the EU-funded EaPConnect ministries and other relevant institutions heard presentations EaPConnect is funded by the project this builds on activities of the past few years, which now find from RENAM (Moldova) and UIIP European Union within the resonances with GÉANT and with the EU’s EU4Digital initiative. NASB (Belarus). EU4Digital initiative.

Visit https://eapconnect.eu/ Words: Laura Durnford, GÉANT

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 31 Sponsor

Second, we are offering researchers How does Google access to powerful tools and services Why now? serve EMEA that allow them to innovate and The world is changing more rapidly accelerate their research projects while than ever, so it’s important to equip customers? reducing their costs at the same time. the higher education and research Google Cloud They can request a grant to support Google Cloud is helping students community with the right set of tools and faculty, researchers, and higher their projects through our Research and skills to allow them to continue to education institutions across EMEA Credits Program. innovate. As more and more people better access our cloud platform And finally, we strive to help higher access data through their smartphones drives student through our free credits programs education institutions digitally transform or on the cloud, we all need the skills to and our participation in the OCRE their campus to offer services and tools adapt to new ways of learning, working, procurement framework. Our goals for student success. Learn more about and living. We want to address that gap are to address the skill gap in cloud these programs at https://cloud. by offering cloud skills programs for computing, greatly reduce cost and google.com/edu free, for everyone. One great advantage success and time to research, and bring flexibility, of the cloud is it works anywhere, and security, and collaboration to higher across all fields. We want to prepare the education institutions. The OCRE Why is this next generation for the job market that’s framework, for example, offers a important, already here. accelerates streamlined procurement process with especially for ready-made agreements that can be tailored to each institution’s needs; up- students? to-date compliance requirements and Getting started built-in data protections; and special The shift to remote learning at all research discount pricing, data egress waivers, levels of education has highlighted with Google and funding opportunities. It’s win, the challenges of ensuring student Cloud A Q&A with Google’s Head of Strategy for Higher Education win, win. success and maintaining a good student experience. We have recently Faculty, researchers, and in Europe describes the present and future of the cloud for launched Google Cloud’s Student institutions can procure Google faculty, students, researchers, and IT professionals in EMEA. How does this Success Services to help meet these Cloud through one of our four challenges. It is a set of tools that resellers on the OCRE framework, benefit users? aims at supporting students with We recently joined the OCRE framework to expand access depending on their country. First, we are helping students and personalized assistants, real-time Students, faculty and to Google Cloud through four resellers in EMEA. We asked faculty acquire cloud skills, some of insights, and collaboration tools. Our researchers can sign up for our Felix Manoharan, Google’s Head of Strategy for Higher the most valued and in-demand skills goal is to benefit both institutions and on the labour market today. By signing students by improving remote and in- free credits programs at edu. Education in Europe, to explain how cloud computing up for our Teaching and Learning person learning, which together create google.com/programs. impacts key stakeholders. program, they can explore the Google a modern, fulfilling student experience. Cloud curriculum online and receive We believe that digital tools can support free credits to use and experiment on students’ engagement, retention, and Words: Nicole DeSantis, Google Google Cloud. success rates.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 32 Sponsor

Securely connecting research networks in the quantum age

Public key cryptography is an essential Interestingly, quantum technologies or quantum algorithms and computing Research networks and data centers depend component of today’s protective – or more specifically quantum key power. Led by the US National Institute controls. These security algorithms distribution (QKD) – can be applied of Standards and Technology (NIST), on reliable and secure connectivity. The security are, among other things, used for the to counteract the code-breaking corresponding standards will be defined controls applied today – such as AES-256 authentication, creation and exchange capabilities of quantum computers. within the next few years. of session keys. Mathematical The security of QKD does not depend Since 2014, ADVA has encryption or Diffie-Hellman key exchange operations that are difficult to invert on progress in computing power and been investigating quantum- are at the core of such algorithms. mathematical algorithms, thereby safe cryptography. World-record protocols – are considered to be extremely The most famous example is the RSA enabling so-called long-term security. demonstrations of QKD and PQC algorithm. Its security relies on the On the downside, QKD is limited by were showcased in recent years and robust. They can resist attacks from even the computational difficulty of factorizing attenuation, keeping the practical reach quantum-resistant solutions are now most powerful super computers. This situation, large integers into their prime factors. well below 100km. available. ADVA is the first company to In 1994, Peter Shor published Another option is protocols based release optical transport solutions with a however, is set to change with the emergence two algorithms that employ quantum on problems that are also difficult for standardized key exchange interface to properties to allow prime factorization quantum computers. Known as post- efficiently implement QKD solutions as of quantum computers. and enable the calculation of discrete quantum cryptography (PQC), these are well as pre-standard PQC algorithms. logarithms in polynomial time. A large still susceptible to progress in classical quantum computer would be able to solve these problems in hours and Words: Ulrich Kohn, Helmut Griesser, ADVA break today’s public key protocols. MarvinQ Using bigger numbers is only a short-term remedy. Recent progress demonstrated by companies like IBM, Alice Bob Google and Intel suggests that the Session Key e.g. RSA Key Session emergence of sufficiently powerful key Exchange Exchange key quantum computers is likely within the Secret Secret next decade. AES-256 AES-256 Plaintext Ciphertext Plaintext

MarvinQ

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 33 Sponsor

Creating the technology that helps the world act together. Nokia is an innovative global leader in Optical and IP networking, SG and devices, creating the technology that helps the world act together. Customers are using our technology to help solve some of the most fundamental challenges facing our world from responding to climate change through more efficient use and re-use of the world’s resources to restoring productivity growth by bringing digital to new industries and providing more inclusive access globally to work, healthcare, markets and education.

As the world goes digital and data traditionally thought in silos, now they automation tools and WaveFabric surges, the networks that connect us can collaborate and coordinate to Elements solutions with PSE coherent need to deliver ever more performance achieve the massive network capacity digital signal processors (DSP), and scale. Our unrivalled new 400G that today’s organizations need, at the engineering design teams can freely DCO (Digital Coherent Optics) transport cost per bit they want. strategize, plan and optimize price and portfolio across IP and Optical platforms It opens up an array of architecture performance for every application that is helping engineers to meet those options that more narrowly focused runs on their network - from the metro challenges by fundamentally reimagining solutions simply can’t match - enabling edge to across the sea. how networks are architected and network engineers to deploy the right deployed. solutions, with the right performance, for the right cost, right across their network. Find out how to build your That frees organizations to create new application-optimized Optical Unleashing the value and new ways to deliver and IP transport network, your power of incredible cloud content and way. Radically change economics ondemand experiences. and redefine how Optical and IP 400G everywhere. networks are designed, deployed Right now, some of the world’s most and delivered. Partner with Nokia ambitious network operators are No barriers. Only to start planning, performing working with Nokia to build a new kind opportunities. and economizing with 400G of application-optimized IP-Optical everywhere. Now the only barrier Trust the pioneers at Nokia to help network. By putting our game-changing is your imagination. network operators remove design and optical technology in network engineers’ cost barriers to commercial success. hands, we’re helping their optical and www.nokia.com By creating one programmable network IP networks to finally work on the same powered by our unrivalled network wavelength. Where these teams have

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 34 Sponsor 400G ZR+ Revolutionizes How to Fulfill the Need for Speed

Words: Jonathan Homa, Senior Director Solutions Marketing, Ribbon

suppliers. Moreover, the pluggables will also support multi-service agreement Proving the 400G (MSA) standard configurations enabling ZR+ in CFP2 optical interoperability between different suppliers. DCO Pluggable Need for Speed in The smaller QSFP-DD pluggable targets direct incorporation in routers. Advantage 400G Lanes Its very small size and low signal This bold claim is based on two factors, Research and educations networks launch power constrains its use to modulation efficiency and cost. If you have a need for speed to support point-to-point links and simple ROADM compare two transceivers at the same applications such as immersive learning, networks. We do not look further at this line rate, then the one with a “less real-time collaboration, distributed pluggable in this article. dense” modulation scheme will always high performance computing, massive Our focus is the larger CFP2 DCO transmit further. The reason for this is data sharing, and synchronous data pluggable that has the same 1mW that the symbol elements (made up replication. To meet this need, RENs, launch power as proprietary embedded of different phases and amplitudes) in brackets) the Baud Rate (symbols/ where 400G ZR+ pluggables provide a along with most network operators, modules, and can compete in the same will smear less into each other as they second) times 2 Polarizations times GOAL: 400G Lanes power-cost optimized solution, and next have begun embracing 400G lanes application space of providing optical propagate along the fiber, making 80% for FEC overhead. gen embedded provides a performance as the desired link speed to transport transport over sophisticated mesh it easier to distinguish them at the on a 75GHz Grid For metro applications, we optimized solution. Together these will ubiquitous 100GbE client and growing CD/C ROADM networks. receiver. For example, a 400G line using compare two CFP2 DCO pluggable Another advantage of 400G ZR+ is that deliver 400G optical transport lanes for all 400GbE client traffic. In fact, CFP2 DCO pluggables 8QAM (3 bits/symbol) will transmit 400G wavelengths against a single each wavelength uses a regular 75GHz applications on a grid based on multiples Until recently, the only way to implementing 400G ZR+ can deliver further than a 400G line requiring embedded 800G wavelength. At channel width, or 150GHz when two of 75GHz. achieve 400G transmission was to superior performance to embedded 16QAM (4 bits/symbol). 64Gbaud, the pluggable 400G wavelengths are combined for long haul. Ribbon is pursuing precisely this build an optical transport solution using modules at an equivalent cost, for both We use this insight to compare wavelengths require a modulation This compares to the strange 112.5GHz approach. Our just announced TM400_2 proprietary embedded transceiver metro and long haul applications. By 400G ZR+ in CFP2 DCO pluggables density of 3.9 bits/symbol, versus 5.3 channel width used by embedded 800G line card for our Apollo optical networking modules. These modules, which are superior performance, we mean an against embedded 800G transceiver bits/symbol for the 800G embedded wavelengths, which can lead to wasted system is available today. It incorporates hard-integrated onto a line card, have ability to transmit for a longer distance solutions. The math for interested wavelength operating at 95GBaud. spectrum. The 75/150GHz scheme is also two CFP2 DCO pluggables implementing an ability to transmit up to 800G on given the same fiber conditions and parties is that Modulation (bits/symbol) In fact, the 400G wavelengths can consistent with the coming (late 2022) 400G ZR+ technology, which can be a single wavelength, depending on amplification. = Line Rate (bits/second) divided by (all propagate twice as far! Moreover, since generation of embedded technology used in either independent or combined distance and fiber conditions. Their two 400G wavelengths are the same that will use 130Gbaud in a 150GHz modes, providing a superior 400G solution downside is that they are expensive. cost as a single 800G wavelength (and channel width. This next generation for both metro and long haul applications. Moreover, as proprietary technologies Module Type Proprietary 400G ZR+ in 400G ZR+ in likely even lower) it delivers far superior embedded will provide a single 1200G Along with our roadmap 130Gbaud they cannot interwork with similar Embedded CFP2 DCO QSFP-DD cost-performance. wavelength for metro applications, and transceiver, we are ready to revolutionize solutions from another supplier, Pluggable Pluggable The same approach holds true a single 400G wavelength using gold how to fulfill REN’s need for speed. To adding a roadblock to achieving a for long haul applications, where line standard QPSK modulation for long haul learn more please contact the author at disaggregated network where that is Relative cost $$ $ $- rates are by necessity lower. Here applications. This will produce a situation [email protected]. desired. 3 Size 200cm 55cm3 14cm3 we compare two combined CFP2 DCO pluggable 200G wavelengths Maximum line 800G 400G 400G (specifically, 400G ZR+ technology The 400G ZR+ rate operating at 200G) against a single Alternative embedded 400G wavelength. In Signal power 1mW 1mW 0.1mW this case, the two pluggable 200G The good news is that an alternative wavelengths require 1.9 bits/symbol, approach is now starting to be Baud rate 95Gbaud 64Gbaud 64Baud versus 2.6 bits/symbol for the 400G available using 400G ZR+ transceiver Channel width 112.5GHz 75GHz 75GHz embedded transceiver. The same technologies, packaged in two types of argument applies as above, so that the pluggable form factor (see table). These Main CD/C ROADM CD/C ROADM Point to Point pluggable 400G ZR+ solution provides pluggables will have a significantly lower application networks networks superior cost-performance. cost than the embedded modules for two reasons – they are much simpler, Interoperable No OpenROADM OpenZR+ MSA and they have many more competing MSA

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 35 Sponsor

ModelArts: A truly accessible way to deploy AI models in the cloud Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a substantial influence in the no-code models using graphic user ModelArts interfaces, up to full-blown end-to-end AI: transforming academic world and is a tool your internal users are actively making a development utilizing open-source web the world of applications such as Jupyter notebook. seeking out. The technology enables data scientists and difference Developers will appreciate how fast research researchers across all disciplines to handle giant data sets The ModelArts platform is already ModelArts can start, train and deploy AI makes academia more connected, making a difference. Medical research models. accessible, and collaborative, enabling at unprecedented speed to harvest valuable insight. teams in Asia are using ModelArts Data labeling and preparation, exciting discoveries about us and the with cloud computing and big data to for example, is an arduous, labor- world we live in. Don’t let your users build an AI solution in the fight against intensive task. But it is essential if you get left behind in the race for an AI tool ModelArts is available to GÉANT COVID-19. Medical imaging plays a key want to get the most out of your AI to deliver the insight academic data members and combines high- role in diagnosis and treatment. Starting tools. ModelArts has a built-in data science projects need. performance cloud infrastructure with an algorithm, medical teams governance framework for data labeling as a service and computing power collected data in real-time using precise and preparing during AI development together with integrated services. In labeling from a panel of doctors to train that speeds the process up by reducing addition, as a European cloud provider, The ModelArts workshop the system. The detection and accuracy the amount of data that needs to be Orange ensures that you meet all “Straight out of the box AI rate of pinpointing pneumonia lesions manually labeled. ModelArts allows AI data sovereignty and data protection development with ModelArts” has reached 96% accuracy using the developers to share AI data, models, requirements. takes place on Monday 21 June solution. and APIs to accelerate innovation. ModelArts is an ideal solution for (12:00-13:00 CEST). To register, In another use case, scientists are The development platform those with or without AI expertise. visit using ModelArts with high-performance dramatically reduces the training time tnc21.geant.org The out-of-the-box, full-lifecycle AI computing, AI and cloud to explore required for models and incorporates development platform is unrivaled in the universe in many different ways. many capabilities, including automated its speed and ease of use without The aim is to find answers to enduring learning and model design. compromising on the quality of your questions about the universe, such as models. It delivers end-to-end AI its development. The program is part of AI drives data-driven scientific You don’t want your users application development, including data a project to explore new applications for hypotheses and allows scientists to searching out their own AI solutions on labeling and reparation, model training, AI in astronomical research, such as star understand better complex interactions shadow IT, either. For security reasons, optimization, and deployment. classification. between our environment, human, above all else, you want to keep them ModelArts includes raw data social, and economic systems. AI on the same applications on the same collection, data labeling, training job also supports open-source science public cloud platform. creation, algorithm selection, and model Adaptable to all platforms, allowing scientists to creation to manage the AI development collaborate globally in unparalleled lifecycle. It is easily accessible through levels of user from ways. One-stop AI the user console of Flexible Engine, complete novice AI offers enormous opportunities platform allowing users to create and deploy but also challenges. Development can their models directly into the cloud. AI to advanced be highly complex, time-consuming, Orange Business Services offers the models can quickly and easily be made The inclusive platform has been and require large amounts of computing AI development tool ModelArts on for all your use cases, including image, designed to adapt to all levels power, which is expensive and its powerful Flexible Engine public video, voice, object detection, scoring, of expertise. It ranges from pre- sometimes difficult to source. cloud platform to meet these needs. recommendations, and exception integrated models for beginners to Accessed via the OCRE framework, detection.

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 36 Sponsor

Passlogy is very happy and excited to exhibit PassLogic to the European NREN Passlogy is very happy and excited to exhibit PassLogic to the European NREN community at TNC21. PassLogic is a pattern-based authentication platform that community at TNC21. PassLogic is a pattern-based authentication platform that provides tokenless one-time passwords using only a Web browser. provides tokenless one-time passwords using only a Web browser. Passlogy is very happy and excited to exhibit PassLogic to thePasslogy European is very NREN happy and excited to exhibit PassLogic to the European NREN communitycommunity at at TNC21,TNC21. PassLogicPassLogic is a pattern-based authentication platform that isprovides a pattern tokenless based oneauthentication-time passwords using only a Web browser. platform that provides tokenless one time passwords using only a Web browser

PassLogic is a leading solution for major corporations and PassLogic is a leading solution for major corporations and government agencies in Japan. In the education sector, PassLogicgovernment has been adopted agencies by leading Japanese in Japan. universities, In governmental the education education boards sector, and world-renowned researchPassLogic facilities. Every has day, beenover one millionadopted people use by PassLogic leading to access Japanese their computer universities, systems both locally PassLogic is a leading solution for major corporations and government agencies in Japan. In the education sector, andgovernmental remotely. PassLogic is an educationeasy-to-use solution boards that is both and lightweight world and highly renowned scalable; PassLogic utilizes only PassLogicPassLogic has been enablesadopted by leading organisations Japanese universities, to: governmental education boards and world-renowned standard Web technologies. research facilities. Every day, over one million people use PassLogic to access their computer systems both locally research facilities. EveryPassLogic day, enables over organisations one millionto: people use and• remotely.Increase PassLogicsecurity byis anproviding easy-to tokenless-use solution one thattime is both• lightweightReduce deployment and highly scalable; and operational PassLogic utilizescosts by only passwords, along with two factor authentication removing the need for specialized authentication IncreasePassLogic security by providing to access tokenless their one-time computer passwords, along withsystems two-factor bothauthentication locally and device standard Web technologies. and device authentication options devices and reducing the administrator workload authenticationand remotely. options. PassLogic is an easy to use solution that is both PassLogic enables organisations to: Improve operational efficiency by creating a comprehensive single sign-on environment for a wide range of cloud and • Improve operational efficiency by creating a through automated user support onlightweight-prem services and applications. and highly scalable; PassLogic utilizes only Increasecomprehensive security by singleproviding sign tokenless on environment one-time for passwords, a • alongProtect with two access-factor toauthentication Windows desktops and device with Reducestandard deployment Web and operational technologies. costs by removing the need for specialized authentication devices and reducing authenticationwide range options of cloud. and on prem services and tokenless one time passwords for Windows Logon. the administrator workload through automated user support. Improveapplications operational efficiency by creating a comprehensive single sign-on environment for a wide range of cloud and Protect access to Windows desktops with tokenless one-time passwords for Windows Logon. on-prem services and applications. Reduce deployment and operational costs by removing the need for specialized authentication devices and reducing www.passlogy.com/en/ the administrator workload through automated user support. Protect access to Windows desktops with tokenless one-time passwords for Windows Logon. CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 37 www.passlogy.com/en/

PassLogic is a leading solution for major corporations and government agencies in Japan. In the education sector, PassLogic has been adopted by leading Japanese universities, governmental education boards and world-renowned research facilities. Every day, over one million people use PassLogic to access their computer systems both locally and remotely. PassLogic is an easy-to-use solution that is both lightweight and highly scalable; PassLogic utilizes only standard Web technologies. PassLogic enables organisations to: Increase security by providing tokenless one-time passwords, along with two-factor authentication and device authentication options. Improve operational efficiency by creating a comprehensive single sign-on environment for a wide range of cloud and on-prem services and applications. Reduce deployment and operational costs by removing the need for specialized authentication devices and reducing the administrator workload through automated user support. Protect access to Windows desktops with tokenless one-time passwords for Windows Logon.

www.passlogy.com/en/ Sponsor

Technology for Education Education is built on Amazon Web Services Programs for Education

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CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 38 Sponsor

European academic research and science is at the forefront of solving global challenges at a rapidly increasing rate.

To delve into complex questions and How Azure benefits research teams: • No additional investment in capital power scientific enquiry across huge assets or IT infrastructure, freeing datasets, research teams are scaling • Faster discoveries. They can research funding from desktops to supercomputers, work easily with huge datasets and • Sustainable zero emissions requiring big data storage, processing use AI, HPC and Azure discipline- technology and analysis. Many are now using specific tools to arrive at new cloud computing to help them meet the insight faster challenges of scale and collaboration in • Virtual research teams. They Azure at work a cost-effective way. can share and manage code in research, “We are delighted to bring many across research communities using benefits to the research and education GitHub repositories, integrate IoT accelerating community through the OCRE for remote sensing data and enable scientific framework agreement, which builds hybrid working for the team in a on our strong partnership with GÉANT, crisis. breakthroughs NRENs and Microsoft partners • Best practice code. Software John Hefele, PhD candidate at Leiden across Europe. The OCRE framework engineers and researchers can University, used Azure Batch to spin provides a tremendous opportunity for use Azure’s best practice coding up to 200 virtual machines in about 15 research organisations to benefit from toolsets to create custom research minutes. He ultimately scaled to 500 unmatched time to insight, scale, and software to solve new scientific VMs. He was able to generate a million price-performance on the cloud built for challenges. asteroid trajectories in just nine hours high performance computing, data, • Quality control. Students can – a task requiring at least three weeks and analytics,” says Brian Gibson, view project data, upload results on the university’s supercomputer, a EMEA Higher Education & Research and run analytics workloads with shared resource that’s hard to access. Director, Microsoft. role-based access protecting data He used the data to train a neural integrity. network that identified 11 asteroids that • Cost control. Universities pay for could impact Earth and weren’t The benefits computing resources only when yet flagged as a threat. brought by Azure needed, plus they can use Azure A team of engineers at the tools to optimise cloud workload Politecnico di Milano provided Microsoft Azure joins Cloud costs, reducing total cost of archaeologists surveying a restricted Microsoft Azure provides an open, ownership. underground site in Rome with flexible, global platform that supports • Data management and the smart-sensor technology they the OCRE framework to multiple programming languages, tools, governance. They can make needed to determine the impact of and frameworks to enable faster results. research discoverable, apply environmental factors on the sculptures By joining the OCRE framework, data policy and protect university and frescoes. The team used azure to empower over 10,000 Microsoft Azure comes with key benefits IP with a best practice platform create a simplified IoT-based system for universities and research institutions: automating governance. that could deliver the collected data in customizable, easy-to-use graphs, with European Research & • Discounted Azure prices across By using Azure, researchers harness different tabs for different sensors and 40 European countries. one of the world’s most powerful public filters. “When the archaeologists were • Ready-to-use contracts, designed clouds for research: shown they could simply select the Education institutions to satisfy national and European metric and a time window to see the public sector procurement • Infinitely scalable compute data readings, it was fantastic for them. regulations and requirements resources based all over the world The Azure solution provided the data • 99.95% monthly availability with they needed in a way that made to take their research 24/7/365 support it valuable”, says Luca Mottola, • Secure, on-demand access to Associate Professor at Politecnico vast storage and supercomputing di Milano, Italy. projects to new heights resources

CONNECT ISSUE 37 2021 39 Eastern & North Africa & West & Central Southern Canada & USA Latin America Europe Eastern Mediterranean Africa Africa

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We’re bringing you greater content across a wider range of channels: from our Annual Report to showcasing the amazing research projects the GÉANT community supports. And now Canada & USA CONNECT is online with a new website (connect.geant.org) and weekly newsletter. You can also get involved on social media – see you online!

GÉANT is Europe’s leading collaboration on Latin America network and related infrastructure and services for the benefit of research and education, contributing to Europe's economic growth and competitiveness. We develop, deliver and promote advanced Europe network and associated e-infrastructure services, and support innovation and knowledge-sharing amongst our members, partners and the wider research and education networking community. Together with our NREN partners, we interconnect North Africa & Eastern Mediterranean 50 million users at 10,000 research and education institutions; and via extensive global partnerships and GÉANT-managed networking projects, reach over 100 countries worldwide. West & Central Africa October 2019

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This magazine is produced as part of the GÉANT Specific Grant Agreement GN4-3 (No. 856726), that has received funding from the European Union’s 2020 research and innovation programme under the GÉANT2020 Framework Partnership Agreement (No. 653998). The content of this document is the sole responsibility of GÉANT and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. CONNECT/0621