Clara CLARA Update Internet2 Members’ Meeting - ITF Austin, Texas September 2004 Michael Stanton CLARA Technical Committee Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa – RNP, Brazil

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept The Latin America and Caribbean Region – LA&C Geography South, Central and part of North America, plus Caribbean islands Over km diameter Demography Around 400 millions (more than 40% in Brazil) History Formerly mostly colonies of Spain and Portugal and autonomous since c Languages Mostly Spanish and Portuguese (just Brazil) Many Amerindian languages English is first foreign language

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept A Brief Story of Networking in LA&C Political, linguistic and cultural considerations have traditionally led to considerable interaction between countries within the region However, networking has not followed this model: First connections (BITNET) starting 1986 using satellite links between the US and each country separately Same topology inherited with transition to Internet Even multilateral initiatives (RedHUCyT in mid 90s and AMPATH from 2001) have used traffic hubs in the US. Recent developments (CLARA and the ALICE project, 2003) have sought to alter this tendency.

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Scientific User Community Needs in LA&C The provision of high-capacity networking infrastructure in LA&C countries is in good part to meet the demands of international collaboration It is hoped that such provision can be made by a combination of networking interconnections at the regional/inter-regional levels, combined with renovation of national research and education network (NREN) infrastructures

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Global connectivity supports science user communities Scientific research increasingly dependent on access globally to resources, collaborators, data, scientific instruments. 1.Access to scientific instruments with specific geo-location needs: optical telescopes: e.g., Gemini South and SOAR, Chile; operated by US, Brazil and other countries 2.Unique instruments: impractical or unfeasible for each country to “afford” for its own community: Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva: thousands of collaborators around the world 3.Access to/collecting geo-specific data and getting it back for analysis, visualisation, sharing Environmental data from the Amazon or Antarctica

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Some of the scientific community connectivity needs in LA&C Some areas of interest: –Astrophysics Argentina, Brazil, Chile –e-VLBI Brazil, Chile, Mexico –High Energy Nuclear Physics Brazil –Geosciences Chile, Mexico –Marine sciences Chile –Environmental studies Brazil, Costa Rica –Health and Biomedical applications Several countries –Grid computing in general

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept LA&C connectivity Phase 1:by satellite with US hub (up to 2000) –bandwidth limited to 2 Mbps Phase 2:submarine optical cables (from 2001) –initial bandwidth of 34 or 45 Mbps –no upper limit in sight –Phase 2A:based on US hub AMPATH project ( ) –Phase 2B:region-centric CLARA network ( )

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Phase 2A: US-centric connectivity ( ) AmPath uses Global Crossing 45 Mbps (one size fits all) for 3 years connections to Miami, and thence to Abilene (US NREN) connects Argentina, Brazil (2), Chile, Panama, Venezuela other LA&C countries not so benefited Mexico 3 cross-border connections to US (Texas and California) AmPath until 2004 until 2005 until 2007

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Where do we go from here? AMPATH´s achievements –Initial boost for Advanced Networking in LA –Stimulus for advanced connectivity inside each country –Motivation for collaborative projects BUT It makes technical and economic sense to build a regional network to interconnect LA&C countries  CLARA Network (RedCLARA)

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Association of NRENs open to all LA&C Countries –constituted in Uruguay (like LACNIC) in Dec 2003 Created in response to initiative ( ), but not limited time scale and restrictions CLARA regional network will connect to Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific Argentina (RETINA) Brazil (RNP) Chile (REUNA) Costa Rica (CRNET) Panama (REDCYT) Paraguay (ARANDU) Peru (RAAP) Uruguay (RAU) Venezuela (REACCIUN) Ecuador (CEDIA) El Salvador (RAICES) Guatemala (RAGIE) Mexico (CUDI) Nicaragua (RENIE) CLARA Member NRENs (July 2004) (NRENs in formation indicated in RED)

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Phase 2B: region-centric networking ALICE – Latin America Connected to Europe ( ) Project to build CLARA network, supported by programme (cost-sharing: EU 80% - LA&C 20%) Coordinated by DANTE, with participation of NRENs from Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and some LA&C countries, and CLARA itself –(target countries include present 14 CLARA members, plus Bolivia, Columbia, Cuba and Honduras) August 2004: CLARA network to commence operations ALICE website: ALICE brochure (in English, Spanish and Portuguese):

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Expected CLARA network topology Initially connected to Europe Tijuana (Mexico) PoP planned to be connected by dark fibre to CENIC (California) –access to US, Canada and Asia - Pacific Rim Initial backbone ring bandwidth of 155 Mbps Spur links at 10 to 45 Mbps (Cuba at 4 Mbps by satellite) Initial connection to Europe at 622 Mbps from Brazil Network to be operated by CLARA (through CUDI and RNP) Expected also to support future scientific collaborations involving US partners

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Current situation First links (Chile – Brazil – Spain) were activated on August 31 st, 2004, permitting REUNA (Chile) to communicate with GÉANT and on to Abilene. Brazil connected from September 20 th. By October expected activation of complete 155 Mbps ring (Brazil – Argentina – Chile – Panama – Mexico) and also spur link to Venezuela (45 Mbps) By December, add spurs to Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay Central American connectivity from Mexico to El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica currently in final stages of contract negotiation  13 of 14 CLARA member networks by early 2005

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept IRNC - International Research Network Connections – new NSF program launched in March, 2004 Synopsis of Program: Support for international collaboration for: –access remote instruments, data, and computational resources located throughout the world –Remote access to large-scale science and engineering facilities located both inside and outside the U.S. utilized by multi- national research and education collaborations NSF expects to make awards to provide network connections linking U.S. research networks with peer networks in other parts of the world. –Links funded by this program are intended to support science and engineering research and education applications. –Funded projects will enable state-of-the-art international network services similar to and interconnected with those currently offered or planned by domestic research networks.

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept CLARA response to IRNC CLARA’s major interest in this program is to leverage good quality connectivity between the US and countries served by the CLARA network through new links from the US to backbone nodes of the CLARA network Cross-border dark fibre between Mexico and US Direct access to the “Southern Cone” countries (Argentina-Brazil-Chile) CLARA believes the region’s interests are best served by working with all US institutions proposing IRNC-funded links to LA&C. CLARA has therefore freely collaborated with both proposals for Latin American connections we have learned about.

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept CLARA preferred topology for IRNC 2004 Rationale leverage the RedCLARA connectivity by links to RedCLARA PoPs “good” access to high demand centres in S. America Components Dark fibre Mexico-US Link US-East to Brazil Link US-West or Mexico to Chile Link Brazil-Argentina-Chile to US West Coast to US East Coast Europe

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Global R&E connectivity from LA&C The CLARA initiative is altering the way in which LA&C countries communicate among themselves, and with countries outside the region. In particular, LA&C traffic will be aggregated within the region enabling more effective routing to other parts of the world. The greatly improved connectivity will also support improved and new collaborations with partners in other regions.

Clara Michael Stanton - I2MM Austin, Sept Thank you! Questions?