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Shaping the Future of REN Infrastructure & Services in Qatar

Antonio SanfilippoResearch Director, QEERIQatar Foundation

e-Age 2014, 10-11 December 2014, Muscat, Oman

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Workshop: REN infrastructure & services in Qatar

• Organized by Qatar Foundation R&D with GUQ, HBKU, NWUQ, VCUQ, WCMCQ, UCLU, TAMUQ and MEEZA

• 52 members from the scientific and academic community in and outside Qatar, including the private sector

• Guest speakers from APAN, TERENA and Internet2

• Breakout session on• Global connectivity• User expectations• REN as a locus of innovation

• Held at QNCC, Doha, 6/1/14

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Global connectivity

• Protected higher connectivity (≥10Gbps) needed now • Fast connection to data centers is a priority

• Historical trends help forecast future needs • Plan for the future, benchmarking against established NRENs

• Wider community requirements to avoid doubling up of resources• Governance is very important – peer-based model is best• Leverage QF high performance computing facilities• Ensure local TELCOs provide the connectivity Qatar needs

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User expectations

• More bandwidth!• High quality service for data transfer, teleconferencing,

library services, social media analytics, data sharing, networking, high performance computing, …

• Security remains a significant concern• Standard entry level for free and charge for add-ons• 24/7 user support, fault tolerance, shared authentication• Training/outreach/education to optimize infrastructure usage

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REN as a locus of innovation in Qatar

• Technologies most likely to foster innovation• Mobile and cloud services, Internet of things

• Bringing innovative technologies to users• Talk to users to understand goals and requirements• Talk to funding sponsors to learn about grand challenges

• Current applications that are driving innovation• Domains: Energy/water/food security, cybersecurity, healthcare• Science: Climate modeling, particle physics, astrophysics,

genomics, health informatics• Methods: Crowdsourcing, collaborative problem solving

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REN as a locus of innovation in Qatar

• Expected scientific and societal impacts• Interdisciplinary collaborative research • Social and technical modeling using media and sensor data to

support applications in energy/water/food security, cybersecurity, and healthcare

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Conclusions

• Qatar is well-poised to grow a REN that will act as a catalyst for research and education in the region

• Rich constellation of research and education institutes, and good opportunities for high connectivity

• Inclusive, collegial, and collaborative policy to create a REN that includes all research and education institutions in Qatar

• Non-profit, academic, government, and private sectors

• The workshop offers an initial example of such an endeavor • Open dialogue among all local stakeholders• Interaction with the international community

Thanks!Workshop report, agenda and

presentations available at http://qfrd.cloudapp.net/qfren/