ACE proposes to provide multi-gigabit bandwidth and services connecting researchers in the US with their counterparts in Europe that will continue to serve current needs well but also extend the transatlantic exchange into further scientific fields and disciplines. ACE will deploy several 10Gbps waves between Europe and the US, starting with 40 Gbps and growing over the lifetime of the award.
Indiana University (IU), as the lead institution, will function as a cooperative partnership with Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe (DANTE), Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association (TERENA), New York State Education and Research Network (NYSERNet ), and Internet2. DANTE is the operator of the pan-European network GÉANT, which interconnects all of the national R&E networks in Europe, acts as the operating partner in several intercontinental research networking projects across Europe and Asia, and has long provisioned and operated multiple 10Gbps links across the Atlantic to interconnect its European partners with North American networks. NYSERNet is a partner in Manhattan Landing Exchange Point (MAN LAN) and is the optical terminus for many US telecommunications carriers and transatlantic cables. MAN LAN is owned and operated by Internet2 in partnership with NYSERNet and with NOC and engineering services from the IU Global NOC. Internet2 is the leading US research and education networking organization, representing 300 member institutions and connecting thousands of US educational, research, cultural, and related institutions, with partnership agreements with nearly 60 R&E networks around the world. Through cooperative partnership with NYSERNet and the DANET/GÉANT community of more than 34 national R&E networks that will be reachable through these connections, the ACE award will provide the best economies of scale in transatlantic connectivity, supporting a very broad community of users.
One explicit goal of the ACE project is to develop tools and mechanisms to facilitate close operational integration among these network operators. IU and Internet2 have extensive experience in joint software development and deployment centered on the perfSONAR and dynamic circuit networking activities. As a part of DICE, the ACE project will immediately deploy, expand, and enhance services in security, measurement, identity management, and operational integration in coordination with ongoing DICE activities.
Intellectual merit As part of the DICE collaboration, the ACE partners will expand and enhance services in security, measurement, identity management, and operational integration. Close cooperation among the DICE participants? efforts will maximize US-EU connectivity, increase collaborations (particularly with respect to security), ensure deployment of accurate and useful measurement technology, deploy dynamic circuit services to meet the needs of high-bandwidth applications, and decrease costs by eliminating duplication of effort.
Broader impact This project will procure significant additional bandwidth between the US and EU to support a wide range of collaboration between scientists and engineers. In addition, it will support collaboration on technical, operational, and planning exercises that are critical in supporting science and engineering research. Through cooperative partnership with DANTE and the GÉANT community of more than 34 national research and education networks, the ACE project will provide the best economies of scale in transatlantic connectivity, supporting a very broad community of users.
Integrating diversity with research and education is a strong component of the proposal. IU will partner with the existing Gerald L. Bepko Internship Program at IU, which has as its goal of identifying, connecting and working with students in populations under-represented in information technology, to extend educational reach and integrate diversity into the ACE program.
