=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2267/185-189-paper-34
|storemode=property
|title=Modern e-Infrastructure for science and education in Moldova, based on the renam-geant platform
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2267/185-189-paper-34.pdf
|volume=Vol-2267
|authors=Peter Bogatencov,Grigore Secrieru,Nichita Degteariov,Nicolai Iluha
}}
==Modern e-Infrastructure for science and education in Moldova, based on the renam-geant platform==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2267/185-189-paper-34.pdf
Proceedings of the VIII International Conference "Distributed Computing and Grid-technologies in Science and
Education" (GRID 2018), Dubna, Moscow region, Russia, September 10 - 14, 2018
MODERN E - INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SCIENCE AND
EDUCATION IN MOLDOVA, BASED ON THE RENAM-
GEANT PLATFORM
P. Bogatencov 1, G. Secrieru 1,2, N. Degteariov 1, N. Iluha 1
1
RENAM Association, 5 Academiei str., Chisinau, Moldova
2
The Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of ASM 3
E-mail: a bogatencov@renam.md, b secrieru@cc.acad.md, c ndegteariov@renam.md,
d
nick@renam.md
The article is devoted to the analysis of approaches and solutions for the development and use of the
electronic infrastructure for offering services to science and education in the Republic of Moldova. In
the paper are considering the trends in the development of e-Infrastructure and services in the national
Research and Educational network RENAM, which provides effective information support for various
scientific and educational processes. The prospects of creating new optical CBF (Cross Border Fibers)
links and other components of the electronic platform RENAM-GEANT development with support of
EaPConnect project funded by UE are described. The strategy of development of modern regional e-
Infrastructure resources and the provision of services that are focused on satisfying requirements of
scientific and educational communities in the countries included in the European EaP program are
considered.
Keywords: IT infrastructure, information systems, electronic resources and services.
© 2018 Peter Bogatencov, Grigore Secrieru, Nichita Degteariov, Nicolai Iluha
185
Proceedings of the VIII International Conference "Distributed Computing and Grid-technologies in Science and
Education" (GRID 2018), Dubna, Moscow region, Russia, September 10 - 14, 2018
1. Introduction
Recently a huge part of societal activities, including research and education, began moving in
digital space and is supporting by the Internet technologies. Therefore, the evolution of the digital
infrastructure for science and education is inextricably linked with the progress of the Internet
technologies development. The formation of modern ideas about the role and extension of functions of
Internet technologies occurred in the early 2000s when new mass practices of interaction between
people with the help of new information and communication technologies (ICT) became predominant.
This contributes to the development of a digital environment that favors the acquisition of new
knowledge, increasing the level of science and education, enhancing transition to a new model of
digital economy.
An important development of electronic infrastructure in the Eastern Partnership (EaP)
countries has been achieved over the past few years [1], but there is still a significant gap between the
developed Western Europe countries and the Eastern Partnership region. Hence support from National
Governments and EU for the further development of e-Infrastructure in the region is essential for the
integration of scientific potential of these countries in the European Research Area. That is why since
2015 EaP countries are participating in the regional initiative named EaPConnect [2] that is supported
by European Commission in a form of co-funded project and is intending to fill the existing gap.
E-Infrastructure offers a new generation of integrated resources and services based on ICT,
and is widely regarded as a key tool for scientific and social development. A modern network
infrastructure is one of the basic components of e-Infrastructure supporting the requirements of e-
Science and e-Education. However, the insufficient development of NREN from the Eastern
Partnership countries is an obstacle for their integration with Pan-European academic network
GÉANT.
GÉANT network is the common platform uniting all national research and educational
networks (NREN) in Europe [3]. This platform was created on the basis of cooperation between 43
partners. GÉANT and NRENs represent a high-speed world class networking infrastructure that
connects thousands of educational and research institutions in Europe and offers tens of millions of
users, from students and teachers to scientists and researchers, network and specific services for
accessing, exchanging and managing data seamlessly on the continent, regardless of their location.
This infrastructure now is supporting also mobile applications and users.
Over the past several years the dependence of research and education on access to high-speed
networking infrastructures, to large-scale computing and other e-Infrastructures’ services is rapidly
increasing. At the Eastern Partnership e-Infrastructure event, organised by GÉANT Association and
held in Chisinau, Moldova, on 11-12 December 2012, a Joint Declaration supporting development of
ICT-based e-infrastructures for research and education in the Eastern Partnership region was signed.
This Declaration was used for elaboration of Concept Note that contains an assessment of the needs of
research and educational institutions in the six countries that belong to the Eastern Partnership region
and investigates their requirements of connectivity to GÉANT network.
2. EaPConnect project: goals and prospects for RENAM e-Infrastructure
development
The overall goal of the EaPConnect project is to provide the integration of research and
educational communities of the Eastern Partnership countries with their EU counterparts by
developing high-speed connectivity, fostering the deployment of new services, and providing
opportunities for scientists, students and researchers from the region to publish their results and freely
access scientific publications and research data collections. Nationally, Eastern Partnership countries
have to reach the level of EU countries in the area of e-infrastructure and usage of informational and
computational services by the research and academic communities. In the EaP region modern
technologies are especially important for e-learning and the provision of digital information services
[4, 5]. Universities, research institutes, libraries and cultural centers should participate in activities for
the digitization of information, as well as promote new technologies for the development of access to
186
Proceedings of the VIII International Conference "Distributed Computing and Grid-technologies in Science and
Education" (GRID 2018), Dubna, Moscow region, Russia, September 10 - 14, 2018
digitized information. Access to digital libraries, e-services for support of cultural heritage and e-
learning resources is one of the highest priorities for regional R&E communities.
The NRENs of Eastern Partnership countries, in conjunction with GÉANT Association, play
an important role in terms of providing the underlying data communications infrastructure for
education and research as well as offer and develop of specific ICT services for R&E [2, 4-6].
GÉANT Association together with EaP regional NRENs with assistance of the NRENs of Romania
and Poland studied the options of regional network integration to GEANT and elaborated solutions
that were proposed as recommendations to the European Commission for launching a new regional e-
Infrastructure project - EaPConnect. The new project focuses on improving connectivity of the region
to the GÉANT network. The main goal of the project is to ensure that each NREN from EaP countries
has at least one direct connection to GEANT and a backup connection through another NREN.
The new project presumes development of existing and creation new connections for
Moldova. The general scheme for connecting RENAM to the GÉANT network as a part of the
EaPconnect project presented in Figure 1.
Figure 1. MD-RO topology scheme
Located geographically in the Southeast Europe, Moldova can use two options of the optical
telecommunication infrastructure development based on CBF connections to Romania
implementation. The both options will use available internal optical infrastructures in Moldova and
Romania and comply with EaPConnect project concept [2, 5]:
1. Chisinau (MD) - Iasi (RO): developing of the optical connection that is physically exists
(RENAM ownership) and is operating jointly by RENAM and RoEduNet. This connection can (and
should) be developed (taking in account that this link is operating since 2009) by upgrading installed
optical equipment using EaPConnect project funds. This solution based on upgrading of the existing
DWDM equipment;
2. Chisinau (MD) - Bucharest (RO) by creating new optical link Cahul (MD) - Galati (RO).
We have examined possible options and have started negotiations of construction of the optical
segments for fiber installation Chisinau – Cahul – Djurguleşti. There are several operators that have
and can offer existing optical resources for cover Djurguleşti (MD) – Galati (RO) span. RoEduNet has
its own optical infrastructure for providing connectivity Galati - Bucharest.
The availability of cross-border connectivity in Eastern European countries provides a basis
for re-enforcing the existing infrastructure, offering more bandwidth and path diversity. This shall
result in a sustainable, scalable infrastructure enabling international access and national infrastructure
development. Expected results of the project include:
• The infrastructure procured by the EaPConnect project will serve for many years after
the end of the project (sustainability);
187
Proceedings of the VIII International Conference "Distributed Computing and Grid-technologies in Science and
Education" (GRID 2018), Dubna, Moscow region, Russia, September 10 - 14, 2018
• This created infrastructure, owned and managed by the NRENs may be re-used for
both international connectivity as well as national NREN development (creating new
Points of Presence and connecting new customers);
• Dark fibre infrastructure will be equipped with highly cost effective communication
facilities (like 10Gbit/s transmission) and its capacity can be further improved at
incremental cost, when necessary (scalability).
Now there is no cross-border links between NRENs of Ukraine and Moldova. One of the
priorities of the project is to develop cross-border communication between NREN of Moldova and the
both neighboring countries Romania and Ukraine in order to improve existing communication
infrastructure and use it to support backup connection. The logical structure of implementation of
connections between Moldova and Romania within the framework of the EaPConnect project is
presented in Figure 2.
The final version of the proposed architecture presumes that the relations between Moldova-
Ukraine-GEANT can be developed on the base of general and specific technical solutions that
coordinated with URAN (NREN of Ukraine). The developed topology and possible technical solutions
of the connections implementation proposed for reviewing and approval by the EaPConnect project
Advisory Board and the technical staff of GEANT.
Figure 2. Logical structure of MD – RO connections implementation as a part of EaP network
3. Main services and resources delivered over RENAM e-Infrastructure
RENAM as a NREN of Moldova is a member of GEANT Consortium and all services
developed and operated by GEANT community are accessible for national R&E, cultural and medical
institutions via RENAM networking infrastructure. Among these services the following can be
mentioned as the most important for users’ community of Moldova [5, 6]:
• World-wide secured access to academic networks and global internet through the
GEANT network infrastructure;
• Provision of high-speed dedicated connections between national and international
institutions;
• Interconnection of main national research and educational institutions: ASM, UTM,
ASEM, USM, UPSC, USMF "N. Testimiţianu", USEM, State University in Cahul,
AMTAP and others;
• Support by Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT);
• EDUROAM (education WiFi roaming) - secured WiFi network access service over
the world (see – www.eduroam.org);
• EDUGAIN – Federated Identity Management service that is using global inter-
federation mechanism (as it shown in Figure 3) that is uniting National identity
federations.
188
Proceedings of the VIII International Conference "Distributed Computing and Grid-technologies in Science and
Education" (GRID 2018), Dubna, Moscow region, Russia, September 10 - 14, 2018
• GCS (Digital Certificate Service) - access service to DigiCert digital certificates via
GCS (GEANT Certificates Service). The service includes issuing personal certificates
(email signature, documents, access, etc.), server certificates (SSL, EV SSL, Grid etc.)
and some other on users request;
• GTS (GEANT testbed service) - access to virtualized resources for testing information
systems and new communication protocols. GÉANT Testbeds Service (GTS) provides
dynamically created, fully isolated, production-grade, packet testbeds as a service for
the research and education community worldwide.
RENAM is developing its own Cloud-based computing infrastructure and providing access to
various Cloud services. RENAM cloud infrastructure offering the following basic services: mail
(Zimbra), Help Desk (GLPI), Wiki (BlueSpice MediaWiki), Video conference (Big Blue Button),
LDAP (OpenLdap), OwnCloud, Eduroam (Radius server), network monitoring tools (Zabbix), etc.
Through RENAM users can get access to Cloud computing resources of the world-class cloud
infrastructures (Amazon, Microsoft, CloudSigma, etc.). Access to these resources is offering via long
term GEANT Framework Contract. For gaining access to various cloud resources is using federated
access supported by EDUGAIN.
5. Acknowledgement
The work was supported by European Commission project EaPConnect, Grant Contract No
2015/356-353 / 11.06.2015.
6. Conclusion
Described results of works on the development and widening usage of the modern electronic
infrastructure for science and education RENAM in the Republic of Moldova. The development of
new external connections is considered as important outcome of the implementation of the UE funded
EaPConnect project in Moldova. The main activities within EaPConnect project are dealt with creation
of new cross-border links between Moldova and neighboring countries Romania and Ukraine in order
to improve connectivity with the Pan-European network GEANT.
References
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Partnership
[2] Project https://www.eapconnect.eu/
[3] GEANT Pan-European Network: https:// www.geant.org
[4] Secrieru G., Bogatencov P., Rusu O., Rosca P. RENAM – RoEduNet – GEANT gateway:
approaches for connectivity development. Proceedings of the 15th RoEduNet IEEE International
Conference – Networking in Education and Research, 7-9 September 2016, Bucharest, Romania,
p. 82-88, ISSN 2068-1038.
[5] Bogatencov P., Secrieru G. “Regional e-infrastructure and services for research and education in
E&P Countries. Eastern European Journal for Regional Studies (EEJRS)”. Vol.3/Issue1, June 2017.
Pp. 89-101. ISSN: 2537-6179.
[6] Bogatencov P., Secrieru G., Degteariov N., Iliuha N. Scientific computing infrastructure and
services in Moldova. Springer Link, Journal Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters. Vol.13, Issue 5,
September 2016, pp 685–688, DOI: 10.1134/S1547477116050125.
189