ASREN, a Step Closer to Setting Up a Pan-Arab R&E Network

ASREN, a Step Closer to Setting Up a Pan-Arab R&E Network

Posted on: 13 Dec, 2023

As a first concrete step towards the Pan-Arab R&E network, ASREN is proud to announce its first R&E PoPs to serve the Arab NRENs get connected to the global R&E networks. ASREN will complete the installations of its own rack space in London Telecity (Europe"s industry-leading provider of premium carrier-neutral data centers). This space will be equipped with high end state-of-the-art routing systems to be connected to the GEANT network via DANTE by which it will be connected to the rest of the R&E networks in the world.

Another PoP will be established in Amman to be then connected to the PoP of London via a dedicated circuit at STM1 (155Mbps) as a startup. By this, ASREN will be able now to provide connectivity to the Arab NRENs either to London or to Amman. Connected NRENs can benefit from the following services and more:

• Connection to the Regional research and education networks in the world including GEANT2, Internet2, RedCLARA, CANARIE, TEIN, AfricaConnect, and others. By this connectivity, researchers can access services and data repositories provided in these networks. They can conduct joint research and education activities and utilize the shared resources.

• Public Internet. As an extra added value, and at a very low price, institutions can have direct access to the worldwide Internet sites and resources around the world, keeping in mind that this PoP is connected to the largest and fastest Internet Exchanges in Europe.

• Euro-Med Grid Infrastructure network, providing high-performance scientific computing infrastructure that can be used through ASREN.

• Access to the world wide Science Gateway services, providing several services, tools, applications and data integrated via a portal dedicated scientific communities and research groups.

• High- performance computing services at the Cyprus Institute under the project: Linking Scientific Computing in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean LinkSCEEM2 which can provide these services to the scientists in Jordan and the region. Negotiations are going on with other HPC providers around the world.

• Federation of Identities to allow economies of scale and single sign-on services to digital repositories and highly sophisticated services and applications.

ASREN is investigating the possibility and feasibility of adding new hubs in the Arab Region, mainly, UAE and Alexandria.