CENIC 2024 Conference program
Monday, March 25, 2024
△Regency Foyer
Breakfast
Regency Foyer
Ask a CENIC Engineer
Ballroom
Announcements
Ballroom
A Community of Innovation: National Research and Education Networks in North America
This panel will focus on global grand challenges — the climate crisis, our need for clean energy, public health emergencies like COVID-19, conserving our marine resources, and many others. These challenges require global scientific collaborations supported by robust broadband networks. To ensure we meet the future data transfer needs of big science, collaborative research, cultural and artistic exchanges, transnational education, global scale scientific instruments like the Square Kilometer Array of telescopes, and to foster more multidisciplinary partnerships and data-sharing in and among numerous disciplines — all of these require a global fabric of National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), a resilient, coherent, and secure architecture that provides reliable high-speed connectivity and customized services that ultimately bolster scientific discovery and innovation.
Ballroom
Next-Gen Stewardship of Urban Sea Systems: Balancing Economic Vitality, Environmental Decline, Homeland Security, and Social Justice
Many large port-related communities across our planet play vital roles in regional and global supply-chain economies. However, these urbanized coastal centers suffer severe environmental and ecological decline and are vulnerable to natural and manufactured disasters. Rising sea levels and intense storms may soon render low-lying, near-shore urban enclaves unlivable for lower-income communities. This session will discuss how next-generation stewardship of heavily populated shorelines requires bold strategies and cutting-edge technology to ensure constant, up-to-date assessment of rapidly changing conditions triggered by the combined impacts of urbanization and climate change.
Ballroom
Meet the Speakers
Regency Foyer
Break
Regency 1/2
Quantum Networking
While California hosts several national laboratories, other states’ NLs have garnered more traction in developing quantum networks. Private-sector partners have also made advancements in making quantum networking more accessible to various telecommunication networks, such as with Toshiba, NuCrypt, and HyperLight in the Illinois‐Express Quantum Network (IEQNET) and Advanced Quantum Networks for Scientific Discovery (AQNET-SD) project (ANL, FNAL, and its AT&T/Caltech/NASA-JPL extension), Chattanooga’s EPB Quantum Network (ORNL, LANL) supported by Aliro and Qubitekk, and Brooklyn’s GothamQ (BNL) by Qunnect. Several consortia have even been formed, such as six U.S. Government agencies under the DC-QNet, and IEQNET/AQNET-SD. The INQNET consortium is linked to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED‐C), and the AT&T/Caltech/NASA-JPL extension is one of the few examples of a California project.
Ballroom
Automated Volumetric DDoS Mitigation in Research and Education
This session will examine Stanford University’s successful implementation of Corero's automated DDoS mitigation tool, Smartwall Threat Defense Director (TDD).
TDD uses telemetry, machine learning analytics, and network programmability to protect the network automatically.
Unlike traditional methods of DDoS defense, such as RTBH routing, the use of out-of-band scrubbing centers, or other manual interventions, Stanford’s Corero solution from Juniper Networks automatically identifies and immediately mitigates volumetric attacks within seconds, protecting the Stanford network from sophisticated and malicious attacks without interrupting operations.
Regency 4/5
Balancing Virtual and In-Person Programming in Cultural and Educational Institutions
Pandemic closures prompted cultural and educational institutions to shift resources to virtual programs and online content. Now that doors have reopened and crowds are returning to museums, science centers, and theaters, many students have returned to their educational institutions in person. Money and staffing are needed elsewhere, but the demand for virtual and online experiences hasn’t disappeared. This moderated discussion will explore the issues this shift raises.
Session attendees will be invited to share their stories and brainstorm ways to deliver relevant, timely, and accessible content to our diverse audiences.
Regency 1/2
CENIC Services
In this session, we'll explore CENIC's NGI Services from SPaaS to L3VPNs. We'll cover use-cases and benefits these technologies can bring.
Regency 4/5
Navigating the Post-COVID Landscape with Transformations for Sustainable Student Internet Access
Ballroom
"Oh, the AI Things You'll See in Higher Ed Tech!" A Guide to Navigating AI Technologies in University Networks
Your students and faculty are demanding seamless connectivity. Your university network is tasked with supporting an ever-growing number of devices and applications, putting strain on resources, and affecting productivity. How can you effectively manage these challenges within the confines of limited resources? An AI-driven educational enterprise can optimize user experiences and preemptively address potential issues. Leveraging a microservices cloud platform, you can ensure that your university network is consistently reliable, and a virtual network assistant can proactively troubleshoot issues, preventing them from escalating into major problems.
Regency Foyer & Terrace
Lunch
Ballroom
Bootstrapping Cyberinfrastructure in the CSU: Making the Right Connections to Networks, Hardware, and Collaborators
The multi-institution panel will discuss a collaborative effort within the CSU system, the largest public university system in the United States, to leverage existing state and federal investments in cyberinfrastructure to provide shared services to the research community across our campuses.
Panelists will share insight on the multiple strategies undertaken to understand the research infrastructure needs of faculty on our campuses, the collaborative development of specific and funded NSF proposals to support these efforts, an elaboration of the services and infrastructure open to CENIC members now available, and a set of emerging best practices for other campuses as they begin their researcher engagement journey.
Regency 4/5
Bridging the Digital Divide: Empowering Underserved Families Through Innovative Education Initiatives
In today's increasingly technology-driven world, access to digital resources and connectivity is not a privilege but a necessity for educational success and social mobility. However, many families, particularly in underserved communities, lack access to reliable internet, affordable devices, and the digital literacy skills to fully utilize these resources. This digital divide exacerbates existing educational disparities, hindering students' ability to engage in online learning, access essential educational materials, and prepare for a future increasingly reliant on technology.
Regency 1/2
Broadband Innovations in Rural California
This session will examine two projects in rural Fresno County that positively impact the lives of residents.
Rural Broadband Cooperative
Brian Boomer, Jeff Seed, Keith Taylor, and Robert Tse will highlight the West Hills Broadband Cooperative (Co-op). This project aims to create a locally controlled broadband Co-op that identifies and focuses on unserved populations, with the outcome of providing equitable and affordable broadband service to all.
Wireless Broadband Connection to Farm Field Precision Agriculture
Linda Thomas will discuss how the Cal.net – Microsoft – Terranova Ranch Project is bringing fixed wireless internet access and LoRaWAN to 100 acres of working tomato fields on the West Side of Fresno County.
Regency 4/5
ConnectEd Nebraska: Bridging the Digital Divide through Innovative eduroam Expansion
Nebraska’s statewide education network, Network Nebraska, has made great strides in expanding broadband services and fostering digital equity in the state. By significantly expanding access to eduroam* in community anchor institutions, such as K-12 schools, community colleges, and libraries.
Ballroom
Broadening the Path of Totality: Sharing the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse as a Live Experience
There are few more awe-inspiring and educational experiences than a total solar eclipse. Still, one must typically be in a narrow strip of Earth’s surface – the path of totality – to experience it.
This session will outline and, where appropriate, demonstrate how this experience and its educational value can be shared well beyond the path of totality, including but not limited to:
- Livestreams on eclipse day
- Downloadable, free educational materials and curricula
- Utilizing OpenSpace software to create an eclipse experience
The session will also discuss collaborative “citizen science” projects, such as gathering data on flora and fauna before, during, and after totality and measuring other environmental responses that can be made more powerful with broadband connectivity.
Regency 1/2
CENIC Network Automation
In this session, software and network engineers from CENIC will discuss two recent areas of advancement. One is a new system built to standardize and streamline configuring network devices to manage connections by taking laborious use of device command lines out of the picture. How does this system interact with devices, how did we build the web UI, and how are existing network services being brought into this new system?
Regency Foyer
Break
Regency Foyer
Ask a CENIC Engineer
Regency 4/5
Top Findings from Three Years of Penetration Testing in K-12 Schools
Our mission is clear: to protect the next generation by identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening defenses. Join us as we reveal the top vulnerabilities encountered from extensive penetration testing experience in educational institutions. These findings shed light on the challenges unique to school districts and offer actionable solutions to mitigate risks effectively.
Ballroom
ESnet's OSCARS Modernization for LHC Data Challenge and IRI
This session will present the recent developments in ESnet’s OSCARS software, and our Layer 2 Virtual Private Network (L2VPN) resource scheduling and service provisioning application.
ESnet expert will explain the capabilities that OSCARS has provided to the US and international scientific community for its almost 20-year lifespan, its niche in the upcoming LHC data challenge and IRI ecosystem, and its integration with co-scheduling applications such as SENSE / RUCIO.
Regency 1/2
Leveraging Technological Advancements for a New and Inclusive Era in Education: A Rural Counties Perspective
Imagine a world where the color blue didn't exist. It's a fascinating thought that takes us back to when certain things were yet to be discovered or defined. Similarly, in education, there was a time when schools operated without the lightning-fast broadband speeds and robust cybersecurity measures we now consider essential.
Just as the discovery of blue marked a turning point in our perception of color, the advent of high-speed internet and cybersecurity represents a transformative era in education. The analogy of the "new blue" perfectly aligns with introducing advanced technological infrastructure in schools. In San Benito County, we've harnessed these technical connections to redefine education and create a metaphorical "new blue" for our community.
Regency 1/2
Segment Meeting: California Community Colleges
Join CENIC's California Community Colleges Project Manager, Ken Roberts, as we speak about CENIC's current service offerings. Afterward, participants will meet fellow members of the California Community Colleges community and members of the CENIC Program Management Office, Operations, Engineering, and Security teams.
Cypress 1
Ask a CENIC Engineer
Bring your questions about RPKI, MANRS, IRR, and ARIN resources. This interactive Q&A session will focus on the technical challenges that CENIC associates may face in implementing routing security best practices.
Regency 4/5
Segment Meeting: California Universities & Research Institutions
This session will be presented by CENIC's CSU Project Manager, Lisa Purewal, and CENIC's Associate Project Manager, Tristan Gaspas, who assists with the UC and Private Segments. They will discuss CENIC's current service offerings, including High-Performance Research (HPR), DDoS Mitigation Service (DMS), and Cloud Services. Afterward, participants will meet fellow members of the California universities community and members of the CENIC Program Management Office, Operations, Engineering, and Security teams.
Windjammer 1-4
Segment Meeting: K12 & Libraries
Meet CENIC's K-12 Project Manager, Son Nguyen, and CENIC's Libraries Project Manager, Stella Kwon, as we introduce our partners at the California State Library and Imperial County of Education, the K-12 High-Speed Network manager, and the new aggregator for libraries. This casual session is a chance to mingle with your fellow K-12 and library community and members of the CENIC Program Management Office, Operations, Engineering, and Security teams.
Library members, please bring a library card for your respective jurisdiction, as we would like to display them!
Presidio Board Room
Q&A with Tom DeFanti & Larry Smarr: All about the CENIC-AI Resource (CENIC-AIR)
Tom DeFanti & Larry Smarr, architects of the National Research Platform (NRP), will be available to answer questions about the California portion, the CENIC AI Resource (CENIC-AIR), its infrastructure, and the communities that already use it.
CENIC-AIR provides California’s research and education communities a platform to enable their faculty and students to contribute constructively to this transformation and collaborate extensively with colleagues nationwide over the same infrastructure. For California to continue its leadership in AI, faculty, and students need access to training, research, and class lab facilities in a persistent, sustained infrastructure that will continue to evolve well into the future.
Monterey Ballroom & Terrace
Cocktails, Dinner, & Networking
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
△Regency Foyer
Breakfast
Ballroom
Announcements
Ballroom
Advances in the CENIC-AI Resource (CENIC AIR)
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (ML/AI) research and development (R&D) in the United States is advancing rapidly, and they present opportunities to pursue cutting-edge research and education and open new career paths for students who will become the next facilitators of academic research and private sector innovation, with the potential to transform society in positive and beneficial ways. To facilitate this transformation, there is a need for a national-level cyberinfrastructure that is open-access, scalable, and grown through the contributions of its user community.
This resource, the infrastructure, and the communities that use it already exist in the United States in the form of the National Research Platform (NRP), and the California portion called the CENIC AI Resource (CENIC-AIR).
Regency 1/2
Pushing 400 Gbps Domestically and Internationally
This talk will showcase developments on the Internet2 domestic and international infrastructure to support 400 Gbps applications for commercial cloud and research computing. We will discuss how the confluence of emerging optical technologies (pluggable optics on flex grid), submarine transport, innovative architectures, and new software developments (Insight Console) is being applied to meet the needs of the R&E community.
Regency 4/5
AMON-SENSS DDoS Detection Use at CENIC
This session will cover AMON-SENSS DDoS Detection and how CENIC worked with developers to tune it for its use in our environment. Jelena will cover the background and development of the tool and explain how it got to where we are today. We will show the progress of how CENIC has moved away from our Machine Learning DDoS detection model to a new and improved method using this tool.
Ballroom
Building Public-Private Partnerships to Close the Digital Divide
The need for affordable, reliable broadband internet access has never been greater in disadvantaged communities across America. Leveraging our years of experience building public-private partnerships to close the digital divide, Lumen has empowered these groups to harness the power of the internet so that they can fully participate in the digital economy and society as a whole. Jason Yoho, who leads this initiative at Lumen, will provide best practices and examples for approaching partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments to help fulfill their connectivity and digital equity goals.
Regency Foyer
Break
Regency 4/5
AI's Transformative Role in Education
How is Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforming education? In today's tech-driven era, AI offers significant enhancements in teaching, learning, and operational efficiency. This session emphasizes AI's ability to create tailored student learning experiences and optimize professional development.
Ballroom
Safeguarding Academic Ecosystems: Navigating the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Landscapes in Education
Join this panel discussion on current threats, incident response, data privacy, and mandatory reporting requirements. What threats target higher education and research networks, and what are some approaches and best practices for responding to problems? What are the implications of new Federal requirements such as CIRCIA and the SEC ruling on mandatory incident reporting? How do California data privacy requirements affect CISOs and CIOs? Please bring your questions to this interactive discussion with our cybersecurity practitioners and experts.
Regency 1/2
Empowering Libraries: Navigating Grant Opportunities for Enhanced Technology and Networking
The recent influx of state and federal grant monies for broadband plays a crucial role in supporting advancements in library technology and funding for library network improvements. Many of these grants boast a significant monetary match, reaching as high as 97-100%. However, the challenge lies in choosing the most fitting ones. In this session, we will explore several key grants, such as California Library Connect (CLC), California Collaborative Connectivity (CCC), American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BiL), and possible future opportunities for funding.
Regency Foyer & Terrace
Innovations in Networking Awards Luncheon
Ballroom
Hop on the HPC Highway with California State University San Bernardino
California State University, San Bernardino, is a preeminent intellectual and cultural activity center in Inland Southern California. Opened in 1965 and set at the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, the university serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually.
Regency 4/5
Federal Broadband Programs
The panel presents an opportunity to learn about these broadband programs from senior representatives of six agencies - USDA RUS, DOC NTIA, DOC EDA, HUD, Treasury, HHS HRSA. This opens the door for network collaborations among federal, state, local, tribal, and telecommunications organizations.
Regency 1/2
AMON-SENSS DDoS Detection Hands-On Setup Workshop
This session will cover AMON-SENSS DDoS Detection and how CENIC worked with developers to tune it for its use in our environment. Jelena will cover the background and development of the tool and explain how it got to where we are today. We will show the progress of how CENIC has moved away from our Machine Learning DDoS detection model to a new and improved method using this tool.
Ballroom
Digital Navigators: Bridging the Broadband Divide in California
This session brings together experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by digital navigators in expanding broadband access across California, focusing on the contributions of higher education institutions, public libraries, and other anchor institutions.
The panel will provide a comprehensive understanding of how digital navigators, supported by educational and public institutions, are essential in driving broadband adoption and addressing the digital divide in California.
Regency 4/5
The Impact of Latency - Esports' Perspective
This presentation explores the pivotal connection between low latency and students' success, particularly regarding esports. As we delve into the world of competitive gaming, it becomes evident that a seamless, high-performance internet infrastructure is not only desirable but imperative. This proposal outlines the significance of low latency in esports and advocates for continued investment in superior internet capabilities for the optimal development of esports and other online programs in education.
Regency 1/2
Addressing the Future Needs of Regional Education Networks and their Customers
Regional research and education networks are increasingly tugged in different directions. The R&D community at research universities requires the highest level of performance. At the bleeding edge of research are emerging communication technologies such as quantum computing and networking; however, the same network must often support K-12 and library establishments with different needs and use multiple types of wired or wireless technology. In addition, these regional networks are often called to support middle-mile connectivity for access networks to close the digital divide, enable distance learning, and provide remote healthcare for all. Moreover, the network must protect all users from rogue agents while protecting the environment. How to accomplish all of those needs? The answer, of course, is a secure, multi-service, and multi-access high-performance network that serves a broad and ever-increasing set of demanding customers who all deserve the best and most suitable connectivity options. But how does one build and design such a network? In this presentation, we describe our view of the evolutionary opportunities and the innovations necessary to fulfill the secure, multi-service, and multi-access vision common to all Regional Education Networks and their customers.
Regency Foyer
Break
Ballroom
Network Orchestration Panel Discussion
Network orchestration plays a key role in creating a reliable network and handling modern operational challenges. ESnet, Internet2, and NORDUnet leverage network orchestration to automate large parts of their network deployment and operation. All three organizations started with very similar technological approaches but advanced their software tooling in different directions.
Regency 4/5
Strategies for Public Computer Management
Access to the Internet and computing devices is a central service in public and academic libraries. Join us for an engaging session where we explore impactful strategies for delivering secure and dependable internet access to our users. This session will be a brief presentation followed by an open discussion, inviting valuable insights from all participants. During our conversation, we'll delve into several key areas: device functionality, security measures, privacy, web filtering, inclusive technologies, and more.
Regency 1/2
Broadband Infrastructure Grants in K-12 Education
Luis Wong from K12HSN and Tim Chia from CENIC will lead a discussion on how broadband infrastructure grants have benefited California K-12 schools and improved connectivity across the state. Several grant recipients will share how these programs helped schools and students and enhanced instruction and learning.
Windjammer Meeting Rooms
CENIC Community Technology Affinity Group Meeting
Join the new CENIC Community Technology Affinity Group (C2 TAG) for our first meeting.
The C2 TAG has been created to foster an R&E community of networking enthusiasts at all levels. While the purpose of the CENIC TAC was for our members to provide technical guidance to CENIC, the C2 TAG aims to establish a dynamic, bi-directional collaborative discussion. Join the new CENIC group and share your ideas for strengthening our R&E community.
Regency Foyer & Terrace
Reception
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
△Regency Foyer
Breakfast
Regency Foyer
Ask a CENIC Engineer
Ballroom
Announcements
Ballroom
Connecting California: From Community Perspectives to Funded Project
California, the world’s fifth biggest economy, is 30 months into the state’s $6.8B digital equity initiative, including the $3.8B middle-mile component and $2B last mile grants, significantly exceeding the available funding with 483 proposals totaling $4.6B.
Join community and broadband leaders from California for a conversation about creating the state’s middle-mile and last-mile networks. Learn about key strategies, lessons learned, next steps in creating digital opportunities, and roles that community anchor institutions might play to ensure digital equity in California and beyond.
Ballroom
Meet the Speakers
Regency Foyer
Break
Regency 4/5
Countywide Partnerships Addressing the Digital Divide
The state of California launched the Access To Technology (ATT) program to reduce learners’ isolation, increase their social connections, and enhance their self-confidence and self-sufficiency in navigating digital and online resources. San Mateo and Sonoma Counties selected Community Tech Network (CTN) to manage the program and have done so by partnering with over a dozen local social service agencies. In this session, you will learn how these partnerships have led to thousands of older adults and people with a disability receiving a tablet, digital literacy training in five languages, and assistance signing up for low-cost/free home internet access. Hear how the program is structured and leave with best practices and lessons learned to support your journey to close the digital divide in your community.
Regency 1/2
EPOC’s Network Assistance Assessment, and How it Impacts CENIC Users
This session will discuss the longitudinal analysis of 6-years of data resulting from the problems and questions submitted to the Engagement and Performance Operations Center (EPOC) project for Roadside Assistance and Consulting. EPOC is a US National Science Foundation supported Center to support data sharing for research and education, and has worked with hundreds of users over its lifespan. EPOC staff have worked with network engineers, application scientists, and resource owners to respond to concerns across the spectrum. These have ranged from basic requests for information (“What is a Science DMZ?”, “Where can I find more information about perfSONAR?”), to multi-week interactions, such as when a team asked for help planning and moving 2.5 PB of data from a facility that was being shuttered, which in the end involved a multi-month data transfer effort and shipping 6,500 tapes to a new site. More information about the Roadside Assistance and Consulting process is available: https://epoc.global/wp-content...
Ballroom
Leveraging Private Networks for Campus Future Data and Networking Requirements
Deploying a private network in an academic setting allows educational institutions to enhance campus networking four-fold. The panel will discuss how private networks allow commercial technology adoption, neutral host network implementation, bandwidth slicing for efficient spectrum use, and digital campus transformation. Private 5G opens the doors to campus improvements for a digital campus, graduation experience, digital ID, lab-based research, remote field research, and enhanced learning experiences.
Regency 4/5
San Mateo Community College District and the Experience Economy in Higher Education
We now live in an experiences economy where data-advised personalized interactions create opportunities for lifelong engagement. Future-ready universities are delivering the personalized experiences your students have come to expect.
Salesforce provides universities the tools to strengthen student engagement, understand students more deeply, close equity gaps, and build more robust paths through graduation. By connecting Advising, Financial Aid, Career Services, Athletics, Faculty, and other student support services, Salesforce empowers staff with a 360-degree view of their students. Hear how San Mateo Community College District and Salesforce are bringing the same Experience Economy leveraged by Marriott and Disney to higher education.
Regency 1/2
Towards an Interoperable Wireless Environment for Field Science
As environmental and energy field science data production increases and workflows become more complex, there are increasingly emerging demanding requirements for data backhaul and integration between Research and Engineering Networks (REN), field sensors, edge compute resources, and high-performance compute capabilities. At the same time, wireless capabilities in the form of private cellular, non-terrestrial networks, LoRa, and other technologies are providing new options for REN support to these science communities.
Ballroom
CENIC 400GZR Opticals
In this session, we'll explore CENIC's journey to implement IP over DWDM (IPoWDM) technology by integrating CalREN IP routers and Optical Transport Network. We'll also discuss the developments throughout the CalREN, such as moving to the Next-Generation Optical Line System, 400G Router Interfaces, and using innovative pluggable optics to solve different use cases. Lastly, we will cover the use cases, challenges, and opportunities the team at CENIC experienced in the process and a demonstration.
Ballroom
Closing Remarks
Regency Foyer & Terrace