Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Major Resources Support Program

This application requests funding for the continued operation of HEPNET/Canada, in support of wide-area computer networks for subatomic physics research. HEPNET is responsible for national and international network connectivity for the Canadian subatomic physics community. High-speed networks are critically important to our success as they allow us to have leading roles on international projects such as ATLAS or T2K and connect our laboratories to the global community. Networks are not only used for moving data, they are essential for communication and the exchange of information. HEPNET was established in 1990 by the Institute of Particle Physics (IPP) and funded by NSERC as a national resource. The goal of HEPNET is to ensure that the subatomic community has a high-speed and reliable network to participate in projects based in Canada and at the international laboratories. HEPNET supports the highest priority projects identified by the NSERC Subatomic Long Range Planning Committee. HEPNET works with the research projects, the computing facilities, and the network organizations to provide a seamless connection. HEPNET?s primary role is to coordinate the network infrastructure for our projects. HEPNET works with the local, provincial, national and international network organizations to establish the links needed for our experimental projects. One of the main activities of HEPNET is the network for the ATLAS experiment; however, HEPNET ensures that other projects are well connected. T2K and Belle2 are connected with a shared link to Japan. TRIUMF researchers have high-speed network connections to the Compute Canada facilities. Researchers at SNOLAB access their data using a link that is subsidized by HEPNET. HEPNET projects account for 50% of the total research network traffic in Canada. The funds support a full-time technical manager with a background in HEP computing and network technologies. The technical manager participates in a number of CANARIE, Compute Canada and LHC network working groups. Recently HEPNET established a national network monitoring system for the ATLAS and other projects. HEPNET is also involved in the study of next generation network technologies. In 2012 HEPNET was part of a collaboration that set a new world record for wide-area network transfers at the Super Computing conference in Salt Lake City.