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Last mile optical networks are the highlight of the Eighth RNP Workshop

Event was held for the first time in the Amazon region

The RNP Workshop RNP (WRNP) was held in the Amazon region the first time in history. The event, which gathered around 200 people, took place in Belém (PA) on the 28th and 29th of May, within the schedule of the Brazilian Symposium of Computer Networks(SBRC). The regional optical networks, which will take high development to the last mile, were the highlight of this year.

Furthermore, the schedule included lectures on communication infrastructure in the Amazon, e-science and public policies for information and communication technologies (TIC). Results of the research projects in innovation coordinated by RNP (GT-RNP Program) and scenarios of the evolution of the Brazilian advanced network infrastructure and of teaching and research metropolitan networks were presented.

The 8th WRNP was considered excellent or good by 94% of the public. The most successful presentation was panel 20 Years of RNP, followed by the GT’s Lecture of Mesh Network. The organization of the event involved more than 40 professionals and around one ton of pieces of equipment. The workshop was broadcast live through the Internet. The lectures were recorded and are available at the site of the event.

Support to the evolution of advanced networks

In the opening session of WRNP, Avílio Franco, of MCT, Hélio Chaves Filho, of MEC, and Francisco Campos, of MS, said that they are engaged in the evolution of the networks in Brazil for use in teaching and research and the promotion of social inclusion. According to them, the ministers are aligned with RNP’s objectives and there should not be lack of funding for the Brazilian academic networks.

The creation of metropolitan networks and the investment in campi networks are part of the academic and scientific communication infrastructure development structure. On the 28th, during WRNP, the first academic metropolitan optical network in the country was created, Metrobel, which connects 12 teaching and research institutions in the state of Pará’s capital.

The high speed networks are fundamental for the improvement of e-science, since a few knowledge areas, such as Physics, Astronomy, Climatology and Environment, require major funding in computing and network. In this regard, Gilvan Augusto Alves, from the Brazilian Center of Physical Research, said that “RNP is doing an excellent job, offering a high quality network”.

GTs make demonstrations

As it has been occurring since 2003, the RNP innovation work groups (GT-RNP) presented their prototypes in a separate room. The public could, among other things, check the operation of a mesh network, interact with a video management tool developed for RNP, observe the use of access and measurement data visualization tools, learn about the prototype of a digital TV portal and create a personal PGP key for use in the ICP-EDU (public and academic key infrastructure pilot).

In addition to the exhibits, the seven GT’s of period 2006 – 2007 – Video Management 2, Digital TV 2, Wireless Broad Band University Access Mesh Network 2, Infrastructure for Remote Teaching, Virtual Community Grid, and Automation of Diagnosis and Failure Recovery – opened the lectures on the 28th accompanied by the coordinators of the pilot project ICP-EDU and of the network project of the program One Computer per Student (Ruca), both subproducts of groups concluded years before.

Post-WRNP

After o WRNP, still in Belém, RNP fostered three events. Workshop VoIP4all, on the 30th, relied on technical lectures, reports on the experience with the implementation of servicefone@RNP at institutions, company presentations, and discussions on a transfer policy of calls to a public network. On the same day, Workshop Measurements had the objective of presenting the basic measurement tools that are being implemented at the Ipê Network by GT Measurements and show how they help improve the end-to-end performance of the applications.

On the following day (31), the 3rd Redecomep Meeting was held, with the objective of presenting the status of the project and promote the exchange of experience between the participants in the initiative. In addition to the presentation of the methodology for intermediary measurements and final construction work approval, the management model of the networks were also debated.

The 8th WRNP was sponsored by companies Embratel, Padtec, Cisco, Extreme Networks, Plant Engenharia, Global Crossing, Inter Quattri, Metrocable, Oi and Omega.

Full coverage of the 8th WRNP: https://www.rnp.br/wrnp/2007/noticias.html.

[RNP, 05.30.2007]