A new acquisition will allow NC State to move large quantities of cutting-edge research across its campus network and beyond. The university is the first customer in the world to acquire Cisco’s new 40Gb/s Ethernet cards that will be subdivided to provide 10Gb/s uplinks to campus facilities. The seven Ethernet cards are expected to arrive this week.

 

OIT Communication Technologies Lead Network Architect William Brockelsby says, “Our strategic partnership with Cisco has permitted the university to have early access to the latest networking technology that will increase our capability to transmit more data for researchers on campus.”

 

The 10Gb/s functionality will also allow campus researchers to share large datasets of information with external groups via the university’s dual 10Gb/s links to the NC Research and Education Network (NCREN). NCREN, a service of MCNC, is recognized as one of the world’s leading statewide regional optical networks.

 

ComTech will install the Ethernet cards after the campus backbone routers are upgraded on May 15. Campus units and locations that will be employing the 10Gb/s links include: the Department of Computer Science, Engineering Building II; NCSU Libraries, James B. Hunt Jr. Library, which is currently under construction; College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS), SAS Hall; College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/PAMS, Bioinformatics; the College of Education, Poe Hall; and Urban Affairs, Poe Hall and Material Management locations. 

OIT is currently collaborating with several campus groups to apply for a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to fund 10Gb/s uplinks to other areas on campus.