The EGEE project officially ended on the 31 March 2006
EGEE II started on 1 April 2006 and the new EGEE website can be found at:
http://www.eu-egee.org
EGEE3 Networking Connectivity
GRNET provided the Internet connectivity for the EGEE03 conference using two fibre-optic Gigabit Ethernet connections at 1 Gbps each. The two fibre pairs were provided by our connectivity sponsor OTE (the incumbent operator) connecting the hotel to the Acropolis, the closest nearby GRNET node in the Athens Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), with one of the two pairs operating as a backup connection. All the networking equipment used for the conference, including routers, Ethernet switches, wireless access points etc. were provided by CISCO Systems, the networking infrastructure sponsor.
The Athens MAN is a three node DWDM-based 2.5 Gbps network forming
a logical triangular topology. International connectivity is provided through
GRNET's connection to the GEANT2 network via two 2.5 Gbps links to
Milan and Frankfurt. The GRNET national backbone consists of network
nodes in 7 major Greek cities, all but one being Gigabit PoPs: Athens,
Thessaloniki, Patras, Ioannina, Xanthi, Heraklion and Larissa.
For a graphic representation of GRNET network please see the following
maps:
Metropolitan Map of Athens' GRNET network
Greek map of the GRNET network
You can also view the MRTG traffic diagrams for the EGEE3 and GEANT network
connections:
MRTG Traffic
MRTG Traffic (second view)
It should be noted that the conference venue was virtually completely covered by wireless and wired network connectivity, all of which was planned and installed by GRNET technical support staff. Conference halls, lounges and lobbies were covered by 802.11b wireless hot spots, while the vast majority of hotel rooms were re-wired and connected to GRNET installed network equipment, providing Fast Ethernet network access ports, all free of charge for delegates. The 22 wireless access points, connected to more than 15 switches, were being monitored through a custom application developed by an engineering student who has collaborated with GRNET staff in this effort. The application provides usage statistics for the wireless network in real time, and was being displayed on a large screen in the lobby.