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Ringrid

The Ringrid project (Remote Instrumentation in Next-Generation Grids) provides an integration architecture for e-science. Its principal objective is to evaluate and propose standards for the use of remote instrumentation in computer grids. Its directives are:

• Identify and define requirements for instruments and communities of users;
• Promote synergy between remote instrumentation, high-speed networks and grid infrastructure;
• Analyze trends and recommendations for the design of new generation remote instrumentation services;
• Promote equal opportunities of access to European infrastructure; and
• Disseminate the results of the project to the scientific community and to groups of private users.

Ringrid began in October, 2006 and is scheduled to last for 18 months. Financing, of around one million euros, comes from the Information Society Technologies (IST) program, of the European Union. Countries participating in the project are: Poland, Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Brazilian participation

The Brazilian institutions involved in Ringrid are the National Astrophysics Laboratory (LNA) and the National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS). The source of synchrotron light and the LNLS electronic microscopes will be some of the instruments studied. The greater dissemination of remote usage of instruments, one of Ringrid’s objectives, will make the work of researchers from other institutions easier and reduce the costs of experiments and observations, as researchers will be able to have access to the use of the instruments, without having to physically travel, with savings in time and travel expenses.

Ringrid will also evaluate the simultaneous usage of images by astronomers in different parts of the world. These images, generated by the Soar telescope (Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope), located in Chile, will be captured in computers in the remote observation rooms set up at LNA, at the Observatório Nacional (National Observatory,) at the Rio Grande do Sul Federal University (UFRGS) and at the Santa Catarina Federal University (UFSC), and other Brazilian institutions.

Brazil and Chile participate in Ringrid through the Clara Network (Latin American Cooperation for Advanced Networks). The Brazilian institutions are connected to Clara through the Ipê network, maintained by the National Network for Teaching and Research (RNP).