The Capital Area Advanced Research and Education Network (CAAREN) is an initiative designed to build a high-performance research and education infrastructure serving the Washington, DC and Northern Virginia areas. CAAREN facilitates world-class research, education and knowledge sharing in the nation’s capital.

CAAREN offers research network services to government, education and research organizations, as well as some private-sector organizations within the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. CAAREN is partnering with DC-Net, a program managed by the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), to reach public and private K-12 schools, public libraries, museums, hospitals and independent research organizations as part of the Internet2 Community Anchor Program (CAP).

CAAREN will enhance collaboration and reduce barriers to research, education and health applications, supporting the national capital region as a center of cutting-edge knowledge.

NYSERNet is a private not-for-profit corporation created to foster science and education in New York State. Its mission is to advance network technology and related applications to satisfy needs common to the institutions comprising New York State’s research and education community, providing a forum for exploration of the opportunities and challenges these innovations present.

NYSERNet has delivered next-generation Internet services to New York State’s research and education community for more than 25 years. NYSERNet members include New York State’s leading universities, colleges, museums, health care facilities, primary and secondary schools, and research institutions. NYSERNet’s Board of Directors is composed of CIOs and other senior personnel drawn from and representing New York’s leading research universities and institutions.

Founded in 1985, NYSERNet led efforts in 1987 to deploy one of the nation’s first statewide regional IP networks, the first in a succession of high-performance networks built by NYSERNet, two of which resulted in commercial spin-offs. NYSERNet nowadays offers members commercial Internet access via The Quilt, leveraging the aggregate buying power of its combined membership to secure attractive terms and pricing from major ISPs.

The NYSERNet Data Center is the newest addition to the suite of facility-based services now offered to members.

The Data Center is located adjacent to NYSERNet’s network POP in Syracuse, extending NYSERNet’s optical and Research & Education (R&E) networks to the center. The resulting network infrastructure is robust and flexible, enabling participants to connect to their equipment via GigE, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel SAN, the NYSERNet R&E network, and the commercial Internet.

NYSERNet’s original facility went live in June of 2007. It was designed to be commercial grade in all of the best ways. A shortcoming determined several years after construction was that the building’s floor loading capacity was insufficient to handle heavy cabinets. As the machine room grew to near capacity, the NYSERNet Board of Directors opted to build another in an adjacent space. The key modification to this space was the steel deck being built underneath the raised floor to accommodate 2,500-pound cabinets.

Stephen R. Kankus, NYSERNet Chief Operating Officer, explained that the concept for the original data center was that it would serve as a shared colocation site for systems integral to NYSERNet members’ disaster recovery/business continuity strategies. A working group composed of 23 individuals representing more than a dozen member institutions worked to develop specific requirements and to assess potential locations and designs.

The final design called for a 50-cabinet facility. Syracuse was chosen as the location because it would allow NYSERNet to leverage existing staff in the Syracuse office, it is close to all but one of NYSERNet’s largest member institutions, and is not prone to any natural disasters – other than getting a lot of snow in the winter.

The expansion was approved in January 2014, with construction commencing in August.  Kankus said he expects the project to be complete by end of the year.

The new space looks like most any machine room except that underneath the raised floor there is a platform of steel beams and girders that transfers the weight of the raised floor and everything that rests upon it to six columns, which then transfers the load to the building’s foundation three floors below. As a result, the expansion can accommodate 53 2500-pound cabinets.

The new space leverages most of the power plant (generator and UPS) assembled in 2007, which has plenty of capacity remaining. This helped keep the cost down to about $1 million, or $20,000 per cabinet.  In order to accommodate the target of 53 cabinets, NYSERNet likely need to add UPS capacity, but that is years off, according to Kankus.

Participating members for this project included NYU, Columbia University, Cornell University, Hofstra University, Stony Brook University, Marist College, the American Museum of Natural History, RIT, University at Buffalo, and SUNY Geneseo. Most participants are extending their LANs to the facility using waves or Ethernet services provided by NYSERNet.  Kankus added that most applications are DR/BC, but it is expected to see more production applications in the future and that some members already are deploying production applications in the facility.

“Our ability to provide affordable, high-bandwidth connectivity between the center and member campuses is a key differentiator between NYSERNet and commercial data center providers,” said Kankus. “However, this is secondary to the trust that exists between NYSERNet and its members, which is the really key differentiator.”

NYSERNet continues to grow participation in existing services and to evolve new ones. Market influences and member demand lead NYSERNet to expand the number of commercial ISPs it offers members from two to six. NYSERNet also formalized an education program, offering members a suite of hands-on technical training courses, revitalizing its annual technical conference, NYSERTech, and expanding its role in promoting and delivering the annual New York State Conference of Higher Education CIOs.

Leveraging its core competency in network operations, NYSERNet continues to innovate and looks forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

The Illinois Century Network (ICN) began in 1997 with the recommendation from the Higher Education Technology Task Force to create a single, statewide educational network. The ICN became reality in May of 1999 with the signing of the legislation called the Illinois Century Network Act. The ICN has evolved significantly since 1999 and is now a 2000 mile state wide high speed broadband network serving K12 and Higher Education, Public Libraries and Museums, State and Local Government and Commercial service providers. The ICN is managed and operated by the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology.

The Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research (KINBER) is Pennsylvania’s statewide research, education and community network. The non-pro t organization is a trusted technology partner that provides a strategic and competitive advantage to 100+ Pennsylvania-based organizations through high-speed broadband connectivity, collaboration, and innovative use of digital technologies. KINBER is committed to delivering equitable, reliable and affordable digital infrastructure and tools to inspire tomorrow’s scientific discoveries, enable the exchange of ideas and culture among diverse populations, educate the next generation of citizens, and revitalize Pennsylvania’s economy.

Networkmaine is a unit of the University of Maine System providing Maine’s Research & Education (R&E) community with access to high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity and complimentary services that enhance their ability to successfully deliver on their missions. In addition to servicing higher-education and research, Networkmaine provides K-12 schools and public libraries in the state with Internet connectivity at little or no cost through the MSLN project.

MDREN, the Maryland Research and Education Network, provides advanced network services to education, research, and public service institutions throughout the State of Maryland and connections to regional and national resources. The organization’s charter was signed in March of 2011 and its initial open meeting was held on March 11th of that year. MDREN supersedes UMATS – The University of Maryland Academic Telecommunications System – with an expanded mission and scope of membership. UMATS, under the guidance of the University System of Maryland Telecommunications Council (USMTC) since 1993, was established to oversee the telecommunications connective infrastructure of the USM family of institutions. MDREN inherits the data network and facilities from UMATS and will offer expanded services to the entire Maryland educational and research community.

MDREN consists of a state data network and a growing list of services that provide the Maryland education, research, and public service community access to cutting edge services at an affordable price. MDREN leverages partnership opportunities to provide services that would be unaffordable otherwise. This network of services connects the many segments involved in Maryland education to include the University System of Maryland members, other Maryland public and private state universities, community colleges, and K12 LEA institutions into a community of shared interests and projects. MDREN provides its members connections to the Internet and the national research network Internet2, as well as access to teleconferencing and distance learning facilities, over facilities ranging from 1.5Mbps to 10 Gigabit Ethernet using MDREN’s own fiber core infrastructure.

Governance of MDREN is through its Board. The MDREN Board is composed of a representative from each of the USM institutions and representatives from each of the educational segments. The Board normally meets quarterly and provides oversight and direction.

MDREN is co-located with other USM organizations at the Elkins Building located at 3300 Metzerott Road, Adelphi, Maryland although it has presence and equipment located at almost a dozen sites across the state. As new services are added there will be an increasing number of partnership sites across the state.

The Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network (ARE-ON) and its members comprise a community of thought leaders focused on collaborative learning and innovation through advanced networking, technology, and research in Arkansas. ARE-ON is a not-for-profit consortium of all public degree-granting institutions in Arkansas and other selected higher education organizations connecting all four-year universities, almost all two-year colleges, and more than 400 health care institutions to a robust and resilient broadband backbone.

Since 2007, ARE-ON’s affiliation with the University of Arkansas has enabled the organization to provide a high-speed fiber-optic backbone network throughout the state with 1G and 10G Ethernet connections to its members, affiliates, national research and education networks, regional optical networks, and commercial service providers. The network consists of approximately 2,200 miles of long-haul fiber and about 85 miles of metro fiber in 24 cities and four neighboring states. ARE-ON’s extensive reach allows institutions to connect, collaborate, and innovate within the organization’s core agendas of education, telemedicine, research, and emergency preparedness.

ARE-ON was a subrecipient of one of the largest BTOP grant winners in the nation; it received $41 million to expand its fiber backbone to connect two-year colleges, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences received $61 million to connect health care institutions for telemedicine, videoconferencing, and other health care consultations through the ARE-ON network backbone. Although ARE-ON does not provide service to any public schools in the state, a small but mighty team of six employees operates this vast broadband infrastructure for the betterment of mission-critical endeavors by community institutions across the state.

The SURA Optical Networking Cookbook was published in December 2001 listing Arkansas as an emerging state-based regional optical network. In December 2005, the University of Arkansas was presented with $6.4 million to begin construction of this network. A little more than a year later, ARE-ON received $9.4 million to connect all remaining four-year universities to the network. The University of Arkansas then transitioned to ARE-ON for commodity Internet service in November 2007. The first phase of the network was completed in June 2010 with BTOP funding awarded in August of that year to UAMS and ARE-ON for the Arkansas e-Link Project.

Internet2 is a member-driven advanced technology community founded by the nation’s leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2 provides a collaborative environment where US research and education organizations can solve common technology challenges and develop innovative solutions in support of their educational, research and community service missions. Our community touches nearly every major innovation that defines our modern digital lives—and continues to define “what’s next.”

Internet2 operates the nation’s largest and fastest, coast-to-coast research and education network that was built to deliver advanced, customized services that are accessed and secured by the community-developed trust and identity framework, with Internet2 Network Operations Center powered by Indiana University. Internet2 serves 317 U.S. universities, 60 government agencies, 43 regional and state education networks and through them supports more than 100,000 community anchor institutions, close to 1,000 InCommon participants, and 59 leading corporations working with our community, and 70 national research and education network partners that represent more than 100 countries.

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association that helps higher education elevate the impact of IT.
We are a community of IT leaders and professionals working together to tackle challenges and leverage opportunities that are constantly evolving within higher education. We welcome diversity, in viewpoints and experience, and believe in the transformative power of uncommon thinking for the common good.

The University Corporation for Internet Development (CUDI), is a non-profit civil association that manages the National Network for Education and Research (RNEI) to promote the development of our country and increase synergy among its members. CUDI was founded in April 1999 and is the body that seeks to promote the development of applications that use this network, promoting collaboration in research and education projects among its members.

In order to have telecommunications services adapted to the needs of research and higher education, in more than 130 countries, universities and scientific communities have created Internet protocol networks called “National Networks of Education and Research” (RNEI).

RNEIs are essential for a modern university , they increasingly depend on Internet protocol-based services to operate: emails, learning management systems, cloud computing, storage in independent data centers, videoconferences, distance education, information repositories and digital libraries, etc.

In order for our country to have an RNEI comparable to that of the most advanced countries, current telecommunications legislation mandates the collaboration of the Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT) and the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) for the creation and sustaining an RNEI.

The construction of the NREN in Mexico was based on the willingness of the country’s leading universities to absorb, pro rata, the cost of installing and operating the network and its interconnection to high-speed university networks in the United States and Canada.

Currently the CUDI membership is made up of the main universities and research centers in the country. Additionally, they are part of the CUDI membership, companies that support research and education in the country.