1. Networking for Research and Education in Brazil US-Brazil Technical Workshop Rio de Janeiro, April 2006
Michael Stanton Director of Innovation Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa - RNP
© 2006 – RNP

2. Networking for Research and Education in Brazil
Summary
New optical transmission and switching technologies allow significant reduction in the costs of setting up and operating research and education networks.
By means of examples we show how these opportunities are being exploited in Brazil.
Our agenda:
A brief look at RNP
Project GIGA – an optical networking testbed
IPÊ – the next-generation national network
Redecomep – Community-based Optical Metropolitan Networks
International connectivity
New services
Some special user application areas
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

3. RNP – Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa
RNP is the Brazilian national research and education network
maintained by the Brazilian government (since 1989)
provides national (inter-state) and international connectivity for more than 400 universities and research centers through the provision of advanced networking infrastructure
collaboration – links to other similar networks internationally (Internet2, ESnet, NASA, GÉANT, APAN, RedCLARA)
commodity – links to the commercial Internet
supports the development of advanced networking and applications
RNP is managed for the federal government by a non-profit private company, RNP-OS
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

4. Evolution of academic networks in Brazil
RNP Phase
Year
Technology
Link capacities
Comment
1988
BITNET
up to 9.6 kbps
first national network 1
1992
Internet
9.6 and 64 kbps
first national IP network (RNP) 2
1995
up to 2 Mbps
also: commercial IP deployed 3
1999
IP/ATM,
IP/FR
VC up to 45 Mbps,
access up to 155 Mbps
RNP2 national backbone;
testbed metro networks in 14
cities (using ATM/dark fiber) 4
2003
IP/SDH
34, 155, 622 Mbps
also: IP/WDM interstate
testbed network (Project GIGA) 5
2005
IP/WDM
2.5 and 10 Gbps
IPÊ national backbone;
metro networks in 27 capitals
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

5. Evolution of academic networks in Brazil
(Link capacity)
Phase 5 Ipê
Phase 4 RNP2+
Phase 3 RNP2
Phase 2 comercial Internet
Phase 1 Internet
Phase 0 BITNET
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

6. Phase 4 backbone network (until Nov 05)
RNP2 – April/2005 (2 Gbps)
Introduced in 2004/5
Provides links to state capitals (complemented by intra-state connectivity)
Link speeds except to Amazonia:
mostly 34 Mbps
155 Mbps to some states
622 Mbps Rio-SP
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

7. Project GIGA – optical networking testbed
Partnership between
RNP and CPqD ( – joint coordinators
R&D community in industry and universities
Objectives:
Build an advanced networking testbed for development and demonstration purposes
Support R&D subprojects in optical and IP networking technology and advanced applications and services
Industry participation (telcos provide the fibres; technology transfer of products and services to Brazilian Industries and telcos required)
Government funding of US$ 20 M (via FUNTTEL/Finep) – project started December 2002
FUNTTEL
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

8. Project Organization R&D areas IP and Optical Testbed Network
Telecom
Services
Scientific
Applications
IP and Optical Testbed Network
Executive
Board
Advisory
Committee
Universities, R&D Centers,
Industries, Telecom Operating Companies
RNP
CPqD
Protocols and
CPqD + RNP
R&D areas
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

9. GIGA testbed network - objectives
explore user control of optical fibre infrastructure
interconnect 20 academic R&D centres in S.E. Brazil
provide Networking Research Testbed (NRT) for optical and IP network development
provide Experimental Infrastructure Network (EIN) for development and demonstration of applications
(NRT and EIN are terms defined by NSF in 2002)
Network was inaugurated in May 2004
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

10. GIGA testbed network - localization
dark fiber-based 700-km inter-city backbone in states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro
Initially 20 universities and R&D centers in 7 cities
Optical equipment supplied by Padtec (
2.5G DWDM in the inter-city backbone
2.5G CWDM used in the metropolitan area
testbed network
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

11. GIGA testbed network - localization
Universities IME PUC-Rio
PUC-Campinas UERJ UFF UFRJ Mackenzie UNICAMP USP
R&D Centers
CBPF CPqD CPTEC
INCOR CTA FIOCRUZ IMPA INPE LNCC LNLS
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

12. Networking for Research and Education in Brazil
R&D activities
2/3 of the GIGA project budget is for R&D activities in the following areas:
Optical networking (CPqD)
Network protocols and services (RNP)
Experimental telecommunications services (CPqD)
Scientific Services and Applications (RNP)
Many of the R&D activities are contracted out to research groups in the university community (at more than 50 different institutions throughout Brazil)
Incentives for technology transfer to industry
The network is also being used for the development and/or demonstration of high capacity networking applications by scientific researchers in various areas (HEP, computational biology, earth sciences, environmental sciences, etc), often using grid computing.
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

13. Optical networks: benefits for the R&E community
Based on practical experience with the testbed network of Project GIGA, RNP began to deploy in 2005 a multi-Gbps network for the national R&E community
This has two main components:
IPÊ multi-Gbps backbone network
ipê: (a word in Tupi pronounced “ee-pay”) is Brazil’s national flower (Tabebuia chrysotricha)
i-pê: IP (Internet Protocol) in Portuguese
IPE: Inovação, Pesquisa, Educação (Innovation, Research, Education)
Redecomep: community-based optical metropolitan networks
for shared local Gbps access to IPÊ PoPs
yellow ipê in blossom
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

14. IPÊ: next generation network (2005)
IPÊ – Nov 2005 (60 Gbps)
Fortaleza
Recife
Salvador
Rio de Janeiro
Belo Horizonte
Brasília
São Paulo
Curitiba
Florianópolis
Porto Alegre
use of multiple Gbps for interstate links initially between 10 cities
unprotected 2.5 and 10G waves from two telcos
routers from Juniper Networks (M320, M40)
commissioned in November 2005
2.5 Gbps 10 Gbps
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

15. Redecomep - Optical Metropolitan Networks for the R&E community
Long distance networks arrive in a particular point of each city served – Point of Presence (PoP)
To serve a set of clients in the same city, necessary to provide individual access to the PoP – “Last Mile problem”
A similar problem arises when we wish to provide connectivity between branches of a single organisation in the same city
Traditional telco solution to the “Last Mile problem” :
Rent telco point to point data services to get to PoP
Recurrent cost a function of bandwidth
Often results in “under-provisioning” due to high cost
Alternative solution (DIY networking):
Build and operate your own optical metro network
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

16. MetroBel: pilot project in Belém do Pará - 12 universities and research centers
CESUPA
Campus Almte Barroso
UNAMA
Campus Sen. Lemos
0 km
1 km
2 km
UEPA
UEPA
UEPA
CPRM
EMBRAPA
UNAMA
Campus Alcindo Cacela
CEFET
CCS UFPA
UEPA
NPI UFPA
CESUPA
Campus Nazaré
MPEG campus
UFRA
UNAMA
Campus Quintino
UFPA PoP of RNP
Belem
CESUPA
Campus Gov José Malcher
MPEG
parque
IEC Campus I
Hospital BB
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

17. MetroBel: a possible topology (30 km ring)
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

18. RNP activities in metro networks 2005/6 (www.redecomep.rnp.br)
In December 2004, RNP obtained US$15 financing from Finep to build optical metro networks in all 27 capital cities in Brazil (projects MetroBel and Redecomep)
Situation of MetroBel project in Belém:
Cabling tender published in August 2005
Cabling begun in March 2006 (to be ready by June)
Currently projects under way for installing metro networks in the following cities: Manaus, Belém, Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Salvador, Vitória, Brasília, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Porto Alegre, …
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

19. International connectivity
Two kinds of traffic: “commodity” (Internet1) and “cooperation” (Internet2, or Research and Education)
We will limit ourselves to talk about cooperation traffic, i.e. relationships with similar research and education networks in other countries and continents
This area has advanced greatly in the last 4 years due to government initiatives in the EU and the US:
EU’s ALICE project and the RedCLARA network.
NSF’s IRNC program and the WHREN/LILA project
An important result has been the creation of the CLARA organization.
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

20. Networking for Research and Education in Brazil
Cooperação Latino Americana de Redes Avançadas
Open association of national research and education networks (NRENs) in LA formally constituted in Uruguay
similar to TERENA (Europe) and APAN
target member countries are the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries of Central and South America and the Caribbean
Main objective: Build a regional network to interconnect LA NRENs and provide them with connectivity to Europe, North America and other regions
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

21. Building RedCLARA: the ALICE project
ALICE - América Latina Interconectada Con Europa
Coordinated by DANTE (manager of GÉANT), with participation of NRENs from Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the CLARA countries, and later CLARA itself
May 2003: ALICE Project approved by European Commission with EUR 10 millions (80%) financing (remainder from LA users)
Aug 2004: Network operational
Mar 2006: Connects 14 CLARA countries
CLARA now represents the interests of LA users
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

22. Current RedCLARA topology (1Q2006)
backbone ring: 155 Mbps (Global Crossing + Cisco)
Access links of 10 to 45 Mbps
Connection to Europe (GÉANT) at 622 Mbps from Brazil (Sep 2004)
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

23. New links to RedCLARA (2005-2006)
MIA SD
WHREN/LILA (NSF)
1 – 1.2 Gbps
Tijuana – San Diego São Paulo – Miami
Part of NSF’s IRNC program for connecting US to LA
LAUREN (3Q2006)
2.5 Gbps
155 Mbps
45 Mbps
Various additional links to reinforce existing RedCLARA connectivity for serving US – LA collaborations.
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

24. Development of new services: RNP Working Groups (GTs)
Objective Promote innovation in services and applications offered by RNP
How? Create Working Groups, coordinated by research workers from the academic community (normally in ICT)
financed by RNP (through the management contract)
participation of RNP and academic community
as many as 7 groups per year (5 in 2002, 7 afterwards), chosen through na open, public process
12 month duration
production of pilots of services (prototypes) with demonstration at annual RNP workshop
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

25. History of Working Groups
VoIP
Advanced VoIP
Network storage
Digital Video (VD)
VD-II
Reliable Multicast
Digital TV
Vídeoconf. In education
Configuration
Pervasive grids
Wireless Mesh network
Diretories in Higher Education.
Diretories and Applications
Middleware
Remote Visualization
Quality of Service (QoS)
QoS-II
Measurements (MED)
MED-II
Public Key Infra. (ICP-Edu)
ICP-Edu-II
ICP-Edu-III
Peer to Peer (P2P)
P2P-II
Management of Video
Basis for new service
Expected future basis for new service
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

26. Some special user application areas
Health / Medicine
High-Energy Physics
Astrophysics
Cyberinfrastructure
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

27. RNP interactions with Health/Medicine
Project GIGA
Subproject “Advanced Network for R&D in Distributed Systems in Medicine”
Coordinator: Marco Gutierrez (INCOR/USP)
Partners: LARC/USP, FCM/UERJ
Participants: UNIFESP, UFPB, UFF
Objectives include:
Remote access to medical images in a context-sensitive database
Processing of 3-D medical images
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

28. RNP interactions with Health/Medicine
ONCONET ( ), ONCONET2 ( ): Pilot TeleHealth network in pediatric oncology
Coordinator: Marcelo Zuffo (LSI/USP)
Partners: many
Objectives:
Set up a national research network focused on TeleHealth and Tele-Medicine
Establish basis for a future national Cancer register
Offer advanced services to support medical practice
Digital patient records
Protocols and treatments
Distance Learning
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

29. Networking for Research and Education in Brazil
ONCONET: Phase I
Hospital Base de (Porto Velho-RO)
Hospital NS Glória (Vitória-ES)
LSI- USP (SP)
UNIFESP (SP)
Hospital São Marcos (Teresina-PI)
CACON-II (Florianopolis-SC)
EDUMED (Campinas-SP)
Fund Centro Controle Oncologia (Manaus-AM)
SOBOPE (SP)
Hosp de Apoio CACON-I (Brasília -DF)
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

30. Networking for Research and Education in Brazil
Onconet Phase II
Strategic partnership with INCA (Instituto Nacional do Câncer)
Extension to adult cancer
Deployment of nacional cancer register
Depoyment of onco-grid
Data mining
Video-conferencing
Distributed database
Integration Onconet with Datasus (Ministry of Health)
Expansion of the university network
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

31. RUTE: University Network for Telemedicine
Launched April 24th, 2006, in Rio de Janeiro
Coordinated by RNP, with financial support from Finep
Objectives:
Support improvement of existing telemedicine initiatives
Encourage new collaborations
Initially 20 institutions in 14 states:
mostly teaching hospitals attached to federal and state universities
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

32. RNP interactions with High-Energy Physics
The Brazilian HEP community participates in international collaborations associated with large accelerators, such as those at Fermilab and CERN
A prominent example is the CMS project for the future Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, expected to come online in 2007
4 experiments (ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, ALICE)
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

33. HEPGRID (CMS) in Brazil
HEPGRID-CMS/BRAZIL is a project to build a Grid that
At Regional Level will include CBPF,UFRJ,UFRGS,UFBA, UERJ & UNESP
At International Level will be integrated with CMS Grids; Focal points include Grid3/OSG and bilateral projects with Caltech Group
France
Italy
USA
Germany
BRAZIL
622 Mbps
UFRGS
UERJ
UFRJ T1
Individual
Machines
On line
sys ``tems
Brazilian HEPGRID
CBPF
Gigabit
CERN
Gbps … 10 Gbps
UFBA
UERJ HEPGrid T2 Working T4
T0 +T1
T2 T1
T3 T2
UERJ: T2T1, 100500 Nodes; Plus T2s to 100 Nodes
T2 Inauguration + GIGA/RNP Agreement December 2004
UNESP/USP
SPRACE Working
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

34. RNP support for HEPGrid participation in Supercomputing 2004
Support for participating in the winning consortium, led by Caltech, in the Bandwidth Challenge (BWC) during SC2004 in the US
participation by HEPGrid group from UERJ (Rio de Janeiro)
used GIGA testbed + Red CLARA GÉANT Abilene (Rio to S. Paulo) (to Madrid) (to New York) (to Pittsburgh)
peak traffic 500 Mbps, sustained traffic 400 Mbps (Nov 10-11, 2004)
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

35. RNP support for participation in SC2005
With the inauguration of the IPÊ network and the WHREN/LILA link to Miami, connectivity to the US has greatly improved.
The new route from Rio to the US used
IPÊ network WREN/LILA Abilene (Rio to S. Paulo) (to Miami) (to Seattle)
2.5 Gbps was provisioned between S. Paulo and Miami to accommodate 2 HEP flows of 1 Gbps.
bandwidth effectively used was around 1 Gbps
Group from Rio transmitted around 600 Mbps (see below)
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

36. RNP interactions with Astrophysics (new projects)
SOAR (Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research), Cerro Pachón, Chile
30% viewing time is for Brazilian scientists
demand for “assisted remote observation”
Brazilian Virtual Observatory
provide access to remote databases of astrophysical images for data mining
will be integrated into IVOA (International Virtual Observatory Alliance)
e-VLBI using ROEN (Radio-Observatório Espacial do Nordeste) in Eusébio, near Fortaleza (collaboration with US and Japan)
expected to transmit initially 100 Mbps to MIT starting 4Q2006, when GIGAFor metro network to be deployed
bandwidth needs should double in 2007
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

37. Cyberinfrastructure for e-Science
Growing tendency to provide remote distributed computing resources for scientific users – grid computing
RNP naturally involved due to provision of high-capacity national and international connectivity
International partners in many countries including US, EU and LA.
Important projects:
SINAPAD
EELA
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

38. SINAPAD (National System for HPC)
Currently comprises 7 HPC centers, interlinked by RNP
Originally based on supercomputers in many cases
Tendency to adopt cluster computing using grid middleware
Expected growth to include new centers starting 2006
International collaborations, e.g. NCSA
Center
Equipment
LNCC
National Laboratory for Scientific Computing
initially IBM SP2, later updated with SUN and SGI
UFRGS
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
initially Cray XMP and later updated to a Cray T90
UNICAMP
State University of Campinas
initially IBM SP2, later updated with SUN
UFMG
Federal University of Minas Gerais
UFRJ
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
initially CRAY, recently updated with SGI Altix
UFC
Federal University of Ceara
INPE/ CPTEC
National Space Research Institute/
Climate and Weather Forecasting Center
initially NEC SX 4, later updated to a SX 6
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

39. EELA – Extending e-Infrastructure to LA
EELA is a 2 year EU-financed project involving a consortium of 21 institutions from 7 LA and 4 EU countries
Main partners in Spain and Brazil
CLARA, RNP and REUNA (Chilean NREN) are partners
Objective:
Investigate the feasibility of extending the EGEE model of grid computing to LA
This involves:
extending range of applications on the grid
demonstrating Pilot Grid network
CLARA leads network support activity
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

40. EELA: Pilot grid testbed
Brazil
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

41. Networking for Research and Education in Brazil
Conclusion
RNP is engaged in extending
the quality and capacity of its networking infrastructure,
the range of the services offered to the end-user, and
its participation in multidisciplinary collaboration projects
Networking for Research and Education in Brazil

42. Michael Stanton (michael@rnp.br)
Thank you!
Michael Stanton