Production Services Over Networks- or, Working on the other side of the stack

T. Charles YunProgram Manager EXPReS Project JIVE

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 2

Introduction• Leaving the network stack• EXPReS- using the stack

• Goals• Who, how, when

• Where we are now- middle of the stack• Unstacked... • Questions

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 3

So, a network guy walks into the bar...• Very briefly...

• How do user communities benefit from network “free agents” (people like Charles)?

• How do networks benefit from dispersion of expertise?• Human and Computer networking• Sharing expertise and contacts• Trading, sharing, combining visions

Leaving the network stack

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 4

What is EXPReS?• EXPReS = Express Production Real-time e-VLBI Service• Three year project, started March 2006, funded by the European

Commission (DG-INFSO), Sixth Framework Programme, Contract #026642

• Objective: to create a distributed, large-scale astronomical instrument of continental and inter-continental dimensions

• Means: high-speed communication networks operating in real-time and connecting some of the largest and most sensitive radio telescopes on the planet

Leaving the network stack

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 5

EXPReS’ Goal

The overall objective of EXPReS is to create a production-level, real-time, “electronic” VLBI (e-VLBI) service, in which the radio telescopes are reliably connected to the central supercomputer at JIVE in the Netherlands, via a high-speed optical-fibre communication network...

- or -

Make e-VLBI routine, reliable and realistic for astronomers

EXPReS- Using the Stack

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 6

Who, How, When• EXPReS is an EC funded project

• March 2006 start date• Funded by the European Commission (DG-INFSO), Sixth

Framework Programme, Contract #026642

• A consortium of 19 Partners from every continent• Europe: Netherlands, UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden,

Spain, Finland, Latvia• Africa: South Africa• Asia: China• South America: Chile• North America: United States• Australia: Australia

EXPReS- Using the Stack

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 7

EXPReS Partners• Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (coordinator)• AARNET Pty Ltd., Australia• ASTRON, the Netherlands• Centro Nacional de Informacion Geografica, Spain• Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola Aktiebolag, Sweden• Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia• Cornell University, USA• Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe Ltd. (DANTE), UK• Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy• Instytut Chemii Bioorganicznej PAN, Poland• Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V., Germany• National Research Foundation, South Africa• Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China• SURFNet b.v., The Netherlands• Teknillinen Korkeakoulu, Finland• The University of Manchester, UK• Universidad de Concepcion, Chile• Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika, Poland• Ventspils Augstskola, Latvia

EXPReS- Using the Stack

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 8

Telescope sites participating

Image courtesy of Dr. Francisco Colomer, <http://www.oan.es/expres/status.htm>

EXPReS- Using the Stack

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 9

Activities# Description LeaderPC Project Coordinator Michael Garrett, JIVENA1 Management of I3 T. Charles Yun, JIVENA2 EVN-NREN Forum John Chevers, DANTENA3 eVLBI Science Forum John Conway, ChalmersNA4 Public outreach Kristine Yun, JIVESA1 Production Services Arpad Szomoru, JIVESA2 Network provisioning Francisco Colomer, CNIG-IGN JRA1 FABRIC Huib Jan van Langevelde, JIVE

Where we are now- Middle of the Stack

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 10

Successes• The interesting stuff

• First science, Garrett• SMART-1, Szomoru• Network provisioning, FABRIC

• Dull stuff, left for the project manager• Contractual documents completed• Operationalization

• Network usage (an ongoing process)• Maintaining list of contacts (science, networking,

distributed support)• Common Ground, proceduralization

• Organizational Activities• Project meetings (kickoff, Board)• Publicity

Where we are now- Middle of the Stack

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 11

Teachable moments• Management

• Playing catch up (w/r/t coordination)• Network saturation

• Saturation continues to be difficult • “Dynamic” networks (last minute modifications to

infrastructure)• Last mile issues at certain sites

• Why do we need to be networking experts?

• What is next for eVLBI• What is needed• How do we get there

Unstacked

2006 September 19 Tuesday EXPReS- Introduction and Overview Slide #: 12

Leaving the network stack

Questions/Answers• Contact information

T. Charles YunProject ManagerEXPReS (JIVE)tcyun at jive dot nl

• Additional Informationhttp://expres-eu.org/ [note: only one “s”]http://www.jive.nl/

• EXPReS is made possible through the support of the European Commission (DG-INFSO), Sixth Framework Programme, Contract #026642