1. SA1: overview, first results
Arpad Szomoru

2. Outline Overview New hires Current status EXPReS: first results
Next steps

3. SA1
Aims at establishing a real-time production e-VLBI facility, connecting up to 16 telescopes simultaneously at 1 Gbps to the EVN correlator at JIVE. The work packages of this service activity will concentrate on:
Improving the real-time operational efficiency of the correlator
Investigating data transport issues (e.g. protocols, use of light paths)
Providing target-of-opportunity support
Creating real-time monitoring functions
Upgrading the correlator at JIVE
Seamlessly incorporating e-MERLIN telescopes (UK) in the EVN array (through VSI interfaces).

4. New hires EXPReS support scientist (Zsolt Paragi, 1/3/6)
Two scientific software engineers (Bob Eldering, 1/5/6, Des Small, 12/6/6
Network engineer/Linux specialist (Paul Boven, 1/12/6)
Electronical Jodrell Bank (Jonathan Hargreaves, 1/12/6)

5. SA1 Workpackages Operational improvements for e-VLBI
Data transmission developments
Target of opportunity support
Real-time monitoring functions
Data processor upgrades
Addition of e-MERLIN telescopes
Tests and demonstrations

6. Practical constraints
Delays in hiring staff
Availability of hardware
Development of e-MERLIN
Encounters with reality
Highly complex system: learning curve of new staff
Other external dependencies

7. Current status
Practically on schedule (as regards deliverables) thanks to additional efforts of regular JIVE staff
..although not necessarily in right order..
‘Routine’ science e-VLBI runs
Ease of operation through new software modules, increased robustness through new hardware
Current capacity:
6-station fringes at 256 Mbps
first European 512 Mbps fringes (Jb and Wb, May 18)
3-station 512 Mbps fringes (Cm, Wb, On, August 21)

9. 1 Gbps
10 Gbps
155 Mbps
2.5 Gbps

10. e-VLBI control interface

11. Interface to station Mk5s

12. Integrating fringe display

13. Data status monitor

14. Streamlining of post processing

15. Web-based Post-processing

16. Next steps
A thorough evaluation of timeline/types of deliverables (before end of year 1)
Increase of guaranteed bandwidth to 512 Mbps
VSI-e (Mark5B)
UDP based protocols
Home-grown TCP mods (Mark5A code dependency..)
Lightpaths
Establishment of e-VLBI procedures
Start of design of e-MERLIN interface

17. Future network/hardware upgrades
Connection of Shangai Observatory via lightpath to JIVE (end 2006/beginning 2007)
Correlation of data from Australian telescopes in real-time at JIVE
Effelsberg online (2007)
Establishment of lightpaths across Europe
Upgrade of network equipment at JIVE
Phasing out of ageing Station Units
Upgrade of Mark5 hardware across EVN

18. ..and software developments
Tools for monitoring of data quality, telescope status, network status
And tools to supply this monitoring information to the stations
Near real-time pipelining for rapid evaluation
Adaptive scheduling of observations