The CC-NIE Networking Infrastructure project overcomes geographical and technological barriers at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) with major upgrades to network infrastructure, connectivity, and the science DMZ. These upgrades support expanded research and teaching capabilities and improve capacity for data-driven research across a variety of STEM disciplines.
Network enhancements under construction consist of two fiber optic installation builds, one enabling a protected 10 Gb/s Ethernet connection from the SFA main campus to the Internet2 and the Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN) point-of-presence in Houston and the other from the SFA main campus to the remote SFA Observatory and Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research complex. Upgrades in progress increase the capacity of the science DMZ from 1 Gb/s to 10 Gb/s to allow for the rapid exchange of large datasets outside of the university's protective firewall. Installation of a 10 GB/s PerfSONAR node allows SFA to benchmark performance to relevant sites and to monitor network performance.
Applications include research endeavors in physics and astronomy, agriculture, biology, biotechnology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics and statistics, forestry, and geospatial sciences that will directly benefit from the ability to manipulate, manage, and transfer larger data sets. Additionally, the enhanced infrastructure will improve capacity for collaborative research on campus, nationally, and globally, and afford full use of existing networks, such as LEARN, internet2, REDDnet and AmericaView. The networking improvements will also enhance both graduate and undergraduate curricula in these and other STEM disciplines and allow for increased student participation in data-intensive research.
