This project broadly improves Carleton's cyberinfrastructure design and integration to ensure system performance and reliability, including rate and security of data transfer, in support of computational science. Project goals include (1) Upgrading campus Internet2 connection to the Northern Lights GigaPOP to a speed of 10Gbps; (2) Designing and building a prototype Science DMZ to provide immediate support for researchers constrained by the current limitations of the campus building and data infrastructures; (3) Blending the experience gained from the prototype Science DMZ with the ongoing work of the Carleton Science Planning Group to formulate the most effective plan for end-to-end research connectivity, with attention to proposed expansion and remodeling of campus science facilities; (4) Leveraging the knowledge and experience gained by the faculty and staff in this process into the ongoing collaboration efforts to facilitate shared research nationally and internationally. The project's design and implementation is based on best practices developed by successful NSF-funded projects, with particular focus on design of a Science DMZ to meet the needs of researchers at a research-oriented liberal arts college. The design and implementation of the project improves high bandwidth connections accessible to end-users in order to improve network performance and predictability for a wide range of applications. The project addresses specific cyberinfrastructure limitations that impede faculty research with external research partners. Project leaders will present findings regarding design challenges and innovations at national workshops, meetings, and conferences in order to advance small-institution understanding of SDN across wide-area and campus cyberinfrastructure.
