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Romanian University Builds Network for Collaboration in Research

Polytechnic University in Bucharest (UBP) has developed a high-performance grid platform to increase research capacity and enable students and teachers to collaborate more closely in national and international research projects. The next-generation, IP-based research network is IPv6-ready, and the new protocol is already enabled on those parts of the network dedicated to IPv6 research.

The new research network connects to existing grid resources, enables the development of high-performance applications, and improves resource monitoring and control. It uses Cisco routing, switching, and security solutions, including Cisco ASA 5500 firewalls and Cisco IPS 4200 Series intrusion prevention systems. The computing power of the grid infrastructure is open for collaboration with other universities. Eventually, it will evolve into a cloud infrastructure where any researcher, anywhere, can submit research projects to be distributed by the cloud system to multiple grids in different universities and research centers.

The network was implemented through the university's GEEA High Performance Multi-Core GRID Resource Center (GEEA) project, which was created to implement a high-performance grid center for the purpose of increasing the capacity of research networks of universities and other academic institutions in Romania. The GEEA project provides researchers with 918 processing cores, 49.5 TB of storage, and a high-speed network infrastructure compatible with international CCIE topology requirements. The GEEA project is directly connected to the GEANT research network, the pan-European data network dedicated to the research and education community, through a high-speed, 10 Gbps redundant uplink.

"The grid platform is helping us raise the scientific competitiveness of the university and our affiliated institutions on the international stage, through participation in joint research projects," said Prof. Nicholas Tapus, project coordinator, UBP. "The new Cisco network infrastructure enables access to a very rich information base and provides a powerful computing infrastructure to Romanian researchers, enabling them to simulate different situations, environments, and laboratory conditions."

Polytechnic University in Bucharest (UBP) serves more than 22,000 students and employs 3,500 faculty members. It is the oldest engineering school in Romania.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

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