CEF Networks workshop 2005 successful

On the 16th, 17th and 18th of May, 72 representatives of national research and education networks from 26 countries and representatives of vendors met in Prague to exchange experience in the design and operation of Customer Empowered Fibre (CEF) Networks and to formulate major guidelines for their research and development. The host of the meeting was the CESNET association, which operates the CEF national research and education network CESNET2 (connected to GEANT), and facility based network CzechLight (connected to GLIF) in the Czech Republic. The three-day workshop opened by the director of CESNET Jan Gruntorad. Presentations selected by Stanislav Sima covered the most important CEF networks development worldwide.

Presentations are available at http://www.ces.net/doc/seminars/20050516/.

The basic characteristic of CEF networks is the fact that the operators are the actual users, who just lease the fibre (or have it laid) and take care of the technology that transmits data over it on their own. Thus they have fibres at their disposal, or the right to use them, making their own decisions on the method of construction of the network (in particular, its optical transmission system) and on network control. As the users of customer empowered networks – often scientific and research facilities – have specific requirements for transfer parameters and prices, CEF networks are tailored to their actual needs.

The workshop participants concluded that CEF networks have been successfully implemented at metropolitan, national and continent-wide level of research and education networks, and now CEF approach is followed by city authorities, companies, hospitals, military etc. Some vendors recognised this emerging market segment.

Participants

• appreciated presentations and workshop preparation,
• recommended next CEF Networks workshop,
• recommended continue with information exchange. Main topics are:
  
  • Experience with design, procurement, deployment and documentation of CEF networks,
  • connection to NREN PoPs by Regional Cross Border Fibres (RCBF) and implementation of neighbourhood and transiting network services,
  • design kit of transmission equipment and solution for CEF-design,
  • references to emerging transmission technologies, equipment for all-optical networks etc.,
  • advanced transmission systems for long-distance fibre lines
  • feasibility of PC WAN CEF networks,
  • design of customer transmission equipment for CEF-networks with optical modules and/or programmable hardware,
  • the foreseeable future of CEF networks.

The CESNET association was founded by Czech universities and the Academy of Sciences. It is funded with resources from the Government Council for Science and Research and from its members. Today it operates the national CESNET2 gigabit network and cooperates in building the worldwide Global Lambda Integrated Facility (GLIF). With research activities in networking technologies, CESNET is the Czech Republic's representative in the European GÉANT project and participates actively in its implementation.