Facilitated by Jisc
Open to staff from Janet-connected sites involved in network operations or in communities conducting data-intensive science
Monthly meetings via Teams
About the community
Researchers at Janet-connected sites often have challenging network requirements. One notable case is an ever-increasing need for them to move large volumes of data to other organisations on the Janet Network or beyond.
The systems and network engineering knowledge required to design, build and operate effective platforms for such data transfers is not insignificant.
The broad aim of the RNE community is to discuss and share best practices in research networking, bringing together those with experience in the area with those who may be new to the subject, along with engineers and performance specialists from Jisc.
Topics might include examples of Science DMZ implementations, how to gather network performance measurements, and comparisons of software transfer tools. Ultimately, we hope to enable all Jisc members to make optimal use of their Janet connection to support their research requirements.
Aims of the community
Our aims are to:
- Present and discuss examples of network engineering practices in support of research
- Discuss the tools, software and concepts behind Science DMZ principles
- Arrange and report on data transfer tests in varying scenarios
- Explore new technical solutions
- Foster collaboration between communities, within Janet and internationally
These aims will be discussed and updated at the group's first meeting. The RNE community will meet on a regular, monthly basis to allow members to share and discuss ideas, best practices and any issues they face.
Who should join
The community is open to:
- Network managers
- Campus network engineers
- Campus IT staff supporting data intensive research
- Members of research communities seeking to share large volumes of data
No prior experience in the area is assumed.
How to join
Next event: Hardware and software choices for high-performance network throughput and testing
Date: 2pm, Friday 29 May 2026
Speakers:
- Mark Feit, Internet2
- Raul Lopes, Jisc
Abstract
In this session we’ll explore the hardware and software required to push the network throughput and testing envelope to 400Gbps and beyond.
Mark Feit, who is one of the main perfSONAR developers, will present advice and guidance on selecting hardware for high-speed throughput measurement, including peripheral interconnects and network cards, with comments on choices on lanes, buses and bridges, as well as requirements on the computer memory and CPU(s). There’s a myriad of options - Mark’s talk will explain how these affect the potential performance of a system, and how various choices may inter-relate.
Raul Lopes will then follow up by reporting his experiences using specific software throughput test tools, namely iperf3, qperf and the perftest suite (the latter two supporting RDMA), over links with both multiple 100G link aggregates and 400G interfaces. Where perfSONAR is typically used to test the performance of a single TCP stream, the goal with Raul’s tests was to fill links with traffic and was achieved successfully at target rates of 400G and 800G. This included testing over a path provided by GÉANT with a round trip time of around 30ms.
The session aims to give attendees a clearer idea of how to specify hardware for higher-speed network throughput scenarios, and of the strengths and limitations of various tools available to test links at 400Gbps and above.
You will receive a registration email once you register.
Find out more
If you have any questions about the community please email the community facilitators at netperf@jisc.ac.uk.
To hear about RNE community news and events, or to discuss ideas or challenges you may have with other members of the community, sign up to the JiscMail list.