International cooperation in research has become the norm. That generates a huge need in data traffic for research centres. The Inter-University Institute for High Energies (IIHE), linked to VUB and ULB, is such an organization in need of a high-performance connection with other research institutions worldwide. Recently, the bandwidth of the IIHE was upgraded by Belnet.
Scientists at the IIHE and their colleagues at the University of Antwerp and Ghent University analyse masses of data coming from the CERN and other sources. That amount of data is rising exponentially, year after year. The IIHE, which is connected to the Belnet network via the VUB, came up against the limits of its research bandwidth. An upgrade was absolutely necessary to be able to further expand its activities in the future.
Last month, Belnet increased the capacity of its primary connection to GÉANT to 100 Gbit/s. The upgrade was part of a general review of the external connectivity of its network. Its implementation has been accelerated in order to respond better to the needs of the IIHE.
The result for IIHE? They’ll soon have 20 G of research bandwidth, as well as a separate virtual network for commercial bandwidth. This will allow the centre to continue to carry out pioneering research into the physics of elementary particles in the future.
The Belnet network has been affiliated with the GÉANT European research and education network since 2001. As a result, over 200 organisations in its community have a high-performance connection with other research and educational institutions worldwide.