LinkSCEEM - Linking Scientific Computing in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean N ETWORK STUDY INITIAL FINDINGS DELIVERABLE D2 Document identifier: LinkSCEEM_D2v0.4.doc Date: 12/02/2009 Work Package: WP5: Network Study Lead Partner: GRNET Document status: Draft Document link: Abstract: This document describes the first findings of the network study, which aims at documenting the comparative analysis of alternative solutions for providing regional interconnectivity in the Middle East countries and their linking to Cyprus. The present document is not final, and from this perspective can be subject to changes as the update process goes on and new pieces of information are being brought in light. RI-222904 © Members of the LinkSCEEM Project PUBLIC 2 / 27 Copyright (c) Members of the LinkSCEEM Project. Doc. Identifier: LinkSCEEM_D2_v0.4_BR_AC_1. The LinkSCEEM (“LinkingNETWORK Scientific STUDYComputing INITIAL in Europe FINDINGS and the Eastern Mediterranean”)doc project is funded by the European Commission. For more information on the project please see the website http://www.linksceem.eu/ Date: 27/02/2009 You are permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document containing this copyright notice, but modifying this document is not allowed. You are permitted to copy this document in whole or in part into other documents if you attach the following reference to the copied elements: "Copyright (C) 2008. Members of the LinkSCEEM Project". The information contained in this document represents the views of the LinkSCEEM as of the date they are published. The LinkSCEEM does not guarantee that any information contained herein is error-free, or up to date. THE LinkSCEEM PROJECT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, BY PUBLISHING THIS DOCUMENT. Delivery Slip Name Partner / Date Signature Work Package From Yannis Mitsos GRNET/WP5 Reviewed by Approved by Document Log Issue Date Comment Author 0.1 21/8/2008 Table of Contents Fotis Karayannis 0.2 27/10/2008 First draft Fotis Karayannis 0.3 28/10/2008 Inclusion of content in chapter 4 Fotis Karayannis 0.4 5/02/2009 Contribution to chapters Yannis Mitsos, Tryfon Chiotis 0.5 Document Change Record Issue Item Reason for Change RI-222904 © Members of the LinkSCEEM Project PUBLIC 3 / 27 Doc. Identifier: LinkSCEEM_D2_v0.4_BR_AC_1. NETWORK STUDY INITIAL FINDINGS doc Date: 27/02/2009 RI-222904 © Members of the LinkSCEEM Project PUBLIC 4 / 27 Doc. Identifier: LinkSCEEM_D2_v0.4_BR_AC_1. NETWORK STUDY INITIAL FINDINGS doc Date: 27/02/2009 TABLE OF CONTENT 1 INTRODUCTION 7 1.1 Purpose of the document 7 1.2 Definitions 7 1.3 References 7 1.4 Document amendment procedure 7 1.5 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 7 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9 3 LINKSCEEM COMMUNITY NETWORKING NEEDS 10 4 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS 11 4.1 Cyprus-Syria, Hiast 12 4.2 Cyprus-Lebanon, Hiast 12 4.3 Cyprus-Jordan, Junet 13 4.4 Cyprus-Israel, IUCC 13 4.5 Cyprus-Palestine, Junet or IUCC 13 4.6 Cyprus-Egypt, GRNET, Junet (Jordan-Egypt-Cyprus) 13 4.7 Cyprus-Europe (Greece, Italy) – GRNET 13 4.8 Cyprus-Turkey (GRNET-CyI?) 15 4.9 Other regional connectivity options (JUNET, HIAST) Erreur ! Signet non défini. 5 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY COSTS 16 5.1 The Eumedconnect Experience 16 5.2 Estimates for the next phase 17 6 LEGAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES 18 6.1 Cyprus, GRNET 18 RI-222904 © Members of the LinkSCEEM Project PUBLIC 5 / 27 Doc. Identifier: LinkSCEEM_D2_v0.4_BR_AC_1. NETWORK STUDY INITIAL FINDINGS doc Date: 27/02/2009 6.2 Egypt, JUNET 19 6.3 Jordan, Junet 20 6.4 ISRAEL, IUCC 21 6.5 Lebanon, Hiast 22 6.6 PalestinEAN AUTHORITY, Junet 23 6.7 TURKEY, GRNET 24 6.8 OTHER COUNTRIES, GRNET Erreur ! Signet non défini. 7 INITIAL CONCLUSIONS 27 RI-222904 © Members of the LinkSCEEM Project PUBLIC 6 / 27 Doc. Identifier: NETWORK STUDY INITIAL FINDINGS LinkSCEEM_D2_v0.2.doc Date: 27/02/2009 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT This document describes the first findings of the network study, which aims at documenting the comparative analysis of alternative solutions for providing regional interconnection of the Middle East countries and their linking to Cyprus. In addition, it aims at investigating potential funding sources for the regional network, as well as interacting with the EUMEDCONNECT project and its local EU and Mediterranean partners. In Chapter 2 an Executive Summary can be found presenting the main goals of the project in subject. Chapter 3 summarises the first findings with regards to the scientific communities needs per country as evaluated by WP2 (Assessment of needs), focusing on the identification of communities that would be requiring to use the CSTRC facility and their networking needs. Chapter 4 presents the regional connectivity options mainly between Cyprus and the Middle East countries, as well as with some European and other cities. The current and envisaged connectivity costs (order of magnitude) are outlined in Chapter 5, while Chapter 6 outlines some initial foreseen legal and political issues. 1.2 DEFINITIONS 1.3 REFERENCES [R1] Project LinkSCEEM– RI-222904– Annex I – Description of Work [R2] LinkSCEEM D3 draft: “Assessment report” [R3] The Eumedconnect project www.eumedconnect.net [R4] CYTA, www.cytaglobal.com [R5] 1.4 DOCUMENT AMENDMENT PROCEDURE In case of omissions or mistakes the Project Manager of LinkSCEEM in consultation with the appropriate Work Package managers may alter this document, in which case a new version will be uploaded to the LinkSCEEM website and possibly also be submitted to the European Commission. 1.5 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS RI-222904 © Members of the LinkSCEEM Project PUBLIC 7 / 27 Doc. Identifier: NETWORK STUDY INITIAL FINDINGS LinkSCEEM_D2_v0.2.doc Date: 27/10/08 CREF-CyI The Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation (Cyprus Institute) CSTRC Computation-based Science and Technology Research Centre EC European Commission EU European Union GA General Assembly; The LinkSCEEM governing body GRNET Greek Research and Technology Network; The Greek NREN HPC High Performance Computing; Computing at a high performance level at any given time; Often synonymous with Supercomputing ICT Information and Communication Technologies IUCC Inter University Computation Center, Israel; Israel’s NREN NREN National Research and Education Network WP Work Package RI-222904 © Members of the LinkSCEEM Project PUBLIC 8 / 27 Doc. Identifier: NETWORK STUDY INITIAL FINDINGS LinkSCEEM_D2_v0.2.doc Date: 27/02/2009 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The overarching objective of LinkSCEEM is to ensure that in its planning and early development phases the Computation-based Science and Technology Research Centre (CSTRC) of the Cyprus Institute (CyI) develops strong anchors in both the European ICT infrastructure and the Eastern Mediterranean scientific community, and thereby helps to build scientific and technological bridges between Europe and the Middle East, thus narrowing the digital gap between the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western World. This will be achieved through the action of a consortium of European and US leaders in the fields of HPC and computational science, and of prominent Eastern Mediterranean research institutions, that will conduct studies, prospective work and outreach activities relevant to the future integration of CSTRC in the EU HPC landscape, and to the achievement of its regional dimension. The need for improvement of the regional network connectivity is a central issue in ensuring transparent access to HPC resources and in allowing large datasets to be transferred to computing facilities where they can be analysed and processed. Thus, the execution of a feasibility study for the creation of a regional high-speed research network is deemed essential in the aim of interconnecting the Eastern Mediterranean countries with each other and with Cyprus. The following actions are foreseen: • The exploration of several possible solutions for providing regional interconnection of the Middle East countries and their linking to Cyprus. • The execution of a comparative analysis (e.g. SWOT analysis) among the different solutions, addressing the major components of the feasibility issue, in particular technical, financial and political aspects. • Coordination with the studies concerning the assessment of needs for computing resources, so as to maximise the impact of the network study, by bringing more emphasis on countries and areas where obvious major users exist (e.g. SESAME in Jordan). • The investigation of potential funding sources for the regional network, in coordination with the local EUMEDCONNECT partners (mostly the NRENs in the region). RI-222904 © Members of the LinkSCEEM Project PUBLIC 9 / 27 Doc. Identifier: NETWORK STUDY INITIAL FINDINGS LinkSCEEM_D2_v0.4.doc Date: 12/02/09 3 LINKSCEEM COMMUNITY NETWORKING NEEDS The use of high performance computing (HPC) has become crucial in many fields of research, examples include the simulation of how galaxies collide and merge or how proteins fold, how molecules move through the wall of a cell or even how tornadoes and hurricanes form, as well as many other complex natural and engineered phenomena. The deployment of robust, high-performance computing resources is an objective of utmost importance for the Eastern Mediterranean region – in which such resources are currently scarce - so that research communities can benefit from the use of increased computing power and can be supported to develop new computing and software technologies. The LinkSCEEM project parallels the planed development of the Cyprus Institute/CSTRC’s HPC infrastructure,