Introduction:

What is The gcrNet?

Gate City Research Network (gcrNet) is a multi-institutional Science-DMZ created by UNC Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University for the purpose of supporting data intensive research. The gcrNet is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Office of Advanced Cyber Infrastructure and is available to faculty at UNC Greensboro, NC A&T, and their research collaborators. The gcrNet follows the Science DMZ architecture developed by the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) to meet the needs of high performance science applications in a network that is shared by multiple institutions. The science DMZ network is designed to facilitate the transfer of big science data across wide area networks (WANs), typically at rates of 10 Gbps and above.

Features

A Science DMZ provides a network environment customized to the demands of high-performance science applications, such as massive data transfers, distant experiment control, and data visualization. The main characteristics of a Science DMZ are:

  1. Friction-free network path
    • Design choices are made to optimize network throughputs.
    • Typical enterprise network filters are forgone in favor of Access Control Lists.
    • Routers and switches with large buffer sizes absorb transitory packet bursts and prevent losses.
  2. Dedicated Data Transfer Node (DTNs)
    • The DTN is central to high speed data transfer.
    • Optimized data transfer tools such as Globus are deployed on the DTN.
    • General-purpose applications (e.g., email clients, document editors, media players) are not installed.
    • Having a narrow and specific set of applications simplifies the design and enforcement of security policies.
  3. Performance measurement and monitoring point
    • Network performance is monitored to maintain a healthy path.
    • Identifying and eliminating soft failures in the network is critical for large data transfers.
    • High throughput can no longer be achieved when soft failure occure.
    • Soft failures include failing components and routers forwarding packets using the main CPU rather than the forwarding plane.
    • The performance measurement and monitoring point provides an automated mechanism to actively measure end-to-end metrics such as throughput, latency, and packet loss.
    • The most used tool is the perfSONAR.
  4. ACLs and offline security appliances The primary method to protect a Science DMZ is via router’s Access Control Lists (ACLs). Since ACLs are implemented in the forwarding plane of a router, they do not compromise the end-to-end throughput. Additional offline appliances include payload-based and flow-based intrusion detection systems (IDSs).

Get Started

  • Accessing The gcrNet
  • Accessing the Data Transfer Node(DTN) through Globus
  • Accessing the network performance-measurement tools.
  • Accessing Shared storage (Can researchers mount it on their device?)
  • Layout of the gcrNet (Final diagram from network and systems)

Background

A Science DMZ has the following elements as described by the US Department of Energy’s Energy Science Network (ESnet):

  • High-speed, low-latency network with equipment, configuration, and security policies that are optimized for high-performance scientific applications, rather than for general-purpose business systems.
  • Dedicated high-performance data transfer nodes that optimize the transfer of large datasets over long distance.
  • Performance-measurement nodes.
  • Access to shared storage

Roles and Responsibilities:

This is still to be defined but below are examples

  • Help select system/network hardware and software
  • Develop specifications for new equipment
  • Configure hardware, software, and operating systems.
  • Optimize the network stack for high-speed data transfer.
  • Provide consultation services for how to connect to the Science DMZ or Data Center hosting.
  • Provide an estimate for one-time and ongoing costs for direct connection to the Science DMZ, for connections outside the Data Center.

Client Responsibilities

  • Learn how to use Globus
  • Move data to the DTN
  • Review ESnet usage policy
  • Maintain your hosts in accordance with security best practices
  • Review related services.
  • Follow Prescribed security best practices at all times.

Availability

Change Management and maintenance calendar to come! Because the Science DMZ is not a normal administrative or production network, but rather a research-driven service, changes are deployed in a more dynamic/agile manner than a regular network. High availability is not expected. Support is provided during business hours. Users will also be added to an event email list and notified of changes that impact services.

Data Security

  • We have said this is for open science
  • Sensitive data will go somewhere else

Cost

  • Would services be charged?

More about The Science DMZ

Policy Information

Standards

Get Help

The Science DMZ team will provide best-effort support, including configuration and troubleshooting for:

  • Transfer issues for large dataset.
  • Remote-transfer techniques, including using Globus
  • Using perfSONAR to monitor end-to-end network performance If you have a use case you think might not be covered by these services, we’d still like to hear about what you need. Researchers’ needs will be used to shape these services in the future. Contact the Science DMZ team.