Speaker
Dr
S. Ravot
(Caltech)
Description
In this paper we describe the current state of the art in equipment, software and
methods for transferring large scientific datasets at high speed around the globe.
We first present a short introductory history of the use of networking in HEP, some
details on the evolution, current status and plans for the Caltech/CERN/DataTAG
transAtlantic link, and a description of the topology and capabilities of the
research networks between CERN and HEP institutes in the USA. We follow this with
some detailed material on the hardware and software environments we have used in
collaboration with international partners (including CERN and DataTAG) to break
several Internet2 land speed records over the last couple of years. Finally we
describe our recent developments in collaboration with Microsoft, Newisys, AMD,
Cisco and other industrial partners, in which we are attempting to transfer HEP data
files from disk servers at CERN via a 10Gbit network path to disk servers at
Caltech's Center for Advanced Computing Research (a total distance of over 11,000
kilometres), at a rate exceeding 1 GByte per second. We describe some solutions
being used to overcome networking and hardware performance issues. Whilst such
transfers represent the bleeding edge of what is possible today, they are expected
to be commonplace at the start of LHC operations in 2007.
