Inter-NREN meeting in Trondheim 30th November 2011

Minutes

1. Welcome

Participants:

Martin Bech (MB), Uni-C
Jorgen Qvist (JQ), NORDUnet (VC)
Juha Oinonen (JO), CSC/Funet (excused)
Harri Kuusisto (HK), CSC/Funet (VC)
Tiina Leiponen (TL), CSC/Funet (VC)
Teemu Kiviniemi (TK), CSC/Funet (sec)
Jari Miettinen (JM), CSC/Funet (chair)
Marius Olafsson (MO), RHNet (VC)
Magnus Strømdal (MS), UNINETT
Olaf Schjelderup (OS), UNINETT (excused)
Morten Knutsen (MK), UNINETT (excused)
Roger Skjetlein (RS), UNINETT

The meeting started at 10:06 CET

1.1 Agenda bashing

  • lunch break at 12:00 CET, meeting continues at 13:00 CET.
  • Agenda was revised and accepted
2. Last meeting

2.1 Minutes from last meeting

  • JM reviewed the minutes of last meeting.
  • There's no comments or additions. The minutes were accepted.

2.2 TODO-list

Comments: DONE items

  • MS sent an e-mail about the eCampus programme.
  • OS: Arrange a workshop on HA systems. DONE
  • "Negotiate with the Uninett about the practicalities for the next inter-NREN meeting". JM: Done.
  • "Compose a draft version of a common logo". Action point done.
    • TL told that the logo has been produced. The logo can be used, but the use of the logo is not mandatory.
    • JQ: A service could be marketed as a service of the NREN that produces it.
    • HK: Funet will not use the logo in brochures for the time being.
    • MB: There could be for example a common fact sheet for services.
    • TL: Could PR group or Inter-NREN work to produce marketing material on Kalmar union? At the moment there is not much material available.
      • JM: Could this issue be discussed in the next meeting? 
    • decision: Kalmar union will be discussed in the next meeting.

Comments: pending items

  • MB told that "IPTV mailing list" is still pending.
  • "Group wiki: content structure": Still not done, JQ will complete the task by Christmas.
  • "Filesender service: study on possibilities to provide", JQ told that Filesender needs more development for connecting it to Kalmar.
    • The name of UNINETT's Filesender service is CloudStor.
    • HK would be very interested to see a nordic Filesender service. It would make Kalmar more popular. Kalmar is not widely used in Finland, probably because of lack of applications.
    • MS told that UNINETT's version requires the Feide federation.
    • JQ told that it would be good if UNINETT could provide the service to others.
    • New due date: January 2012.
  • "Cloud: update on Uninett plans". MS: The plan is not finalized yet. It should be available by the end of the year, but it requires still some work. New due date: December 2011.
  • "Shared services table: update on the content". JM has tried to revise the table, but little new content has been added. New due date: December 2011.
  • "Compose a draft version of technical instructions". TL told that NORDUnet PR had discussed the topic. The conculsion was that this is not necessary. decision: Item closed: It will not be done.
  • "Notify the NRENs about the service matrix update". JM asked for more time to do it. Rescheduled to December 2011.
  • "Write first version of the administrative framework for common Nordic cloud services". JQ can't do it this year: Not very easy to do, because the relations between NRENs and universities vary between countries. Rescheduled to January 2012.
  • "Create a list of NORDUnet caching and gateway services". New due date: December 2011.
    • About a common Tor exit node. JQ: Will have to see if this causes problems for acceptable use policy.

2.3 New work area in the Wiki

  • This meeting item was tabled until next meeting.
3. Short update for the last 3 months (approximately 3 main issues)

3.1 Funet

  • HK sent the presentation slides to the mailing list.
  • New Funet router service. Funet offers a managed router for organizations. There was a clear customer need. Three different types of service are provided.
  • New HD MCU service from NORDUnet. Going in production in 01/2012.
  • Adobe Connect: A centralized service and a common license is planned.
  • Kajaani data park contract signed.
    • JQ: There could be a need for a trusted community cloud service.
    • new AP: HK will find out if a private cloud service is planned.
  • Funet will do another customer survey in 01/2012.

3.2 Sunet

  • JQ provided an update.
  • New modular media storage/playout/transcoding service is being developed for universities.
  • Ongoing tender process for desktop/laptop/mobile device synchronization service.
  • Adobe Connect usage has continued to grow.

3.3 FSKNet

  • MB provided an update.
  • FSKnet has procured much new fiber to new sites. Organizations connect their branch offices to their main premises with light paths
  • Research infrastructure organization is being restructured in Denmark. In the future the NREN, scientific computing, grid computing, storage databases, etc. will be provided by a single organization in Denmark.

3.4 RHNET

  • MO provided an update
  • The Network of Icelandic secondary schools and adult education centers (FSnet) has applied for membership in RHnet
  • RHnet has established a new POP in Hafnarjordur for connecting the Nordic HPC and other RHnet members hosted at the TDC facilities

3.5 UNINETT

  • MS provided an update.
  • Reorganization at UNINETT. Innovation group is no longer a separate group. A single group coordinates security, architecture and innovation.
  • UNINETT has started to look at how services and servers are deployed. The activity aims to reduce the work needed to operate servers.
  • eCampus: new pilot services to capture/record lectures are being developed. The services include a central media repository. Lecture capturing has created the need to be able to use federated user IDs to authenticate non-web-services.

3.6 NORDUnet

  • JQ provided an update.
  • Power incident in Stockholm: A black out caused a major service disruption. A lot of work has been done to get rid of the issues found. The lessons learned document will be written and published.
  • Dynamic light paths: Géant uses AutoBAHN. NORDUnet is deploying OSCARS. OSCARS and AutoBAHN are able to interconnect now. NORDUnet is asking for more participants.
    • MB: FSKnet is interested to participate
    • JM: CSC/Funet also has a test installation of OSCARS and is interested in joining.
  • MCU video conferencing service: platform is going to be upgraded to support multi-tenant mode, where each NREN gets its independent interface: admin rights, statistics and customization.
  • Green Cloud: Service development looks good. It supports federated login. There are plans to support extending university local networks to the cloud.
  • NORDUnet Conference Services: the NORDUnet service covers conference recording, live streaming and storage. The service is ready and fully production quality. It will be used at TNC2012. NRENs can contact if they're interested in using the service.
4. Service Matrix

4.1 Status for the Service Matrix

  • JM has changed the "red cross" symbol to "blue dot"
  • There were no comments on the content of the table

4.2. Cloud services

  • news from TF-MSP meeting
    • MB: All research networks are providing or planning cloud services. In Greece, physical servers are replaced by a central cloud.
    • HK: Some SURFnet cloud services are almost ready.
    • MB: (about legal matters of clouds): Legal people of NRENs should communicate with each other more, join the Terena mailing list.
    • HK: Next TF-MSP meeting will be held in Helsinki, Finland in the beginning of February (7th and 8th).
    • the two-year charter of the TF-MSP group is nearing its end
  • feedback yesterday's HA workshop
    • JM: There's some need for a shared Nordic cloud
    • MB: Nordic procurement of commercial cloud services could be done.
  • The next steps were discussed.
  • decision: Next meeting will be a special cloud meeting. Instead of recent events update, each NREN provides a cloud service strategy update.

4.3. Update of the shared services

  • JM: Does the table need updating?
    • HK: Funet will use HD-MCU and Adobe Connect provided by NORDUnet.
    • MS: UNINETT has several eLearning/eTeaching services in pilot phase. These could be added to the table.
    • MB: FSKNet uses NORDUnet's HD-MCU as well.
  • there's an existing action point for updating the table
5. Next meeting
  • The next meeting will hosted by FSKNet in Lyngby, Denmark, 15th of March 2012.
  • The next after that will be in Reykjavik at TNC2012. Exact time and date will be decided later.
6. AOB

6.1. Co-operation and outreach

  • Ideas for the next two-year period of the new TF-MSP group charter were brainstormed
    • the possible areas of fruitful co-operation could be: cloud services, legal matters concerning cloud services, cloud service classification, discussion of service ideas, basic requirements/guidelines for new NREN services, tendering of services, the widening the use of service matrix and security
    • TF-MSP is an important collaboration forum between all the other task forces ("inter task force")
    • Conclusion: the TF-MSP work is valuable and it should continue.

6.2 Nordic co-operation on high-availability services

  • High Availability Workshop was held yesterday in Trondheim.
    • Workshop brainstormed a table about possible common HA services. JM sent the table to the mailing list.
    • Some HA service cases were described in the workshop
    • RS: There are opportinities for Nordic collaboration.
    • MB: We should select the services we start working on.
    • MS: Many of the discussed services are cloud services as well.
    • decision: the next Inter-NREN meeting will discuss joint HA service development.

6.3. Dynamic light path services

  • the existing experiment setups in the Nordic countries were discussed
  • OSCARS requires MPLS. Some are cautious about deploying MPLS.
  • MPLS could be run on a parallel network.
  • NORDUnet plans to run dynamic light paths on separate virtual router instances.
  • the work will continue in the development projects

6.4. Baltic Ring

  • JM told news from the Riga meeting.
    • Situation looks promising.
  • JQ: A technical workshop could be held, to agree on technical details.
7. Closing
  • Meeting ended at 14:53 CET.
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