Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS)

Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC)

Operation and Development Team Communication Networks

The Operation and Development Team Communication Networks is responsible for planning, realizing and operating the campus-wide communication networks of the research centre as well as the connections to external networks. It also provides communication services and applications.

Contact

Thomas Schmühl

Deputy Head of the Division Communication Systems & Services Leader of the ODT Communication Networks

Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS)
Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC)

Building 16.3 /
Room 306

+49 2461/61-6422

E-Mail

Operations and Development Team Communication Networks

Campus Network JuNet

The Team is responsible for the campus network JuNet and its connections to external networks. This includes

the cable-bound campus network JuNet
its wireless network extension W-JuNet
the connection to the German Science Network X-WiN (Deutsches Wissenschaftsnetz) and the Internet
external access via VPN for Forschungszentrum Jülich staff
network connections for branch offices of Forschungszentrum Jülich and PTJ
planning and operation of special network needs.

HPC Networking

Supercomputers process extreme amounts of data at high speed. This creates extreme demands also for networks, ranging from interconnects inside the HPC systems, the attachment of mass storage, the data centre integration, the connection to users on campus and world-wide, and last but not least the networks between HPC centres in German and European cooperations such as GCS, HGF and EuroHPC hosting sites. These requirements often push current technologies to its limits. Therefore, JSC does not only plan and operate the data networks of the Research Centre – for HPC as well as for the campus network JuNet, but also conducts research and development in communications networks.

Essential parts of this work is performed in the context of third party funded projects and cooperations, which enables the JSC to play a driving role in Europe also in this area of supercomputing.

Activities include

Planning, operation and evolution of the communication networks in the supercomputer centre. Here, different networking technologies are deployed, tailored towards the respective requirements. For their selection, results from national and international cooperations and research projects are leveraged.
Participation in national and international test-beds for future networking technologies.

Thanks to the know-how gained in these activities, JSC is and has been e.g. responsible for the following tasks:

Planning and coordination of a dedicated pan-European 10 Gbit/s network between the partners in the European HPC Research Infrastructure PRACE, relying on the GÉANT backbone and the national research networks.
Planning and operation of the German network- and data-node of the European radio telescope LOFAR.

Research & Development in the network area are focused on the development and exploitation of concepts and methods of communication and networking techniques and services.