The Australian Research and Education Network

1
The Australian Research and Education Network
(AREN)
The Australian Research and Education Network
2
Background leading to HEBAC

• Recognition by government of success of AARNet
• Recognition that AARNet3 must be a gigabit
  network to support e-research
• Experience that competition for funds is not the
  best way to build a network

The Australian Research and Education Network
3
HEBAC Vision for the AREN

• a gigabit national RE network of networks
  built as a collaborative venture
• AREN to connect all significant university
  research sites, with notional capacity targets
  set
• A substantial increase in connectivity to the
  global terabit research network

The Australian Research and Education Network
4
Key HEBAC Recommendations

• ARENAC to develop strategies and plans for the
  AREN and to monitor and review its evolution
• ARENMC (APL) to manage the AREN, develop peering
  relationship etc.
• Allocate 42.5m from 2003/2004 SII funds
• Priority to sites where location/ lack of
  competition is restricting sustainable solutions

The Australian Research and Education Network
5
Conceptual AREN Backbone
The Australian Research and Education Network
6
AREN Interactions
The Australian Research and Education Network
7
Process agreed at ARENAC

• Seek locally informed proposals that fit the AREN
  framework
• Review and respond to proposals, with advice on
  further issues to be addressed
• Maintain an interactive process with proponents
  to develop proposals into fundable propositions
• Provide ongoing recommendations to Commonwealth
  for funding

The Australian Research and Education Network
8
Objectives Musts

• Contribute to development of AREN backbone
• Deal with issues of lack of access or capacity
• Bring together stakeholders for mutual benefit
  (i.e. consolidate investments)
• Maximise benefits for s invested
• Provide a realistic est. of cost and firm
  stakeholder commitments

The Australian Research and Education Network
9
Objectives Shoulds

• Address issues of high relative cost due to lack
  of true competition
• Be structured so there are flow on benefits to
  unis/res. org. beyond the immediate bandwidth
  aims
• Be project orientated

The Australian Research and Education Network
10
Possible Shape of a Proposal

• Identify bandwidth needs of each stakeholder
  involved and expected benefits
• Present realistic approaches to address the needs
  (liaise with AARNet and ARENAC)
• Explain how the proposal fits with the AREN
  national backbone framework
• Show leverage in use of Cwealth funds (ie. focus
  on aggregating investments)

The Australian Research and Education Network
11
The Australian Research and Education Network