GARR Annual Report 2024 Now Online
The GARR Annual Report 2024 is now available online. The document outlines the key infrastructural, technological and organisational developments carried out by GARR throughout the year to support the education, research and cultural community.
The year 2024 marked a period of intense work aimed at building a digital infrastructure capable of meeting the scientific and technological challenges of the coming decades. Thanks to the ICSC and TeRABIT projects, funded through the NRRP (Next-Generation EU), GARR was able to accelerate the development of the GARR-T network. This included the design and upgrade of 82 Points of Presence (PoPs) and, for the first time, the implementation of optical spectrum submarine links to Sardinia. This strategic investment integrates the island into the national backbone with ultra-high-capacity international connections.
The GARR-T network continued to grow, both at the optical and packet levels, with the introduction of new automation solutions aimed at improving its management and performance. Among the most significant interventions was the activation of the 1.6 Tbps optical link between CERN in Geneva and the INFN-CNAF centre in Bologna — an example of spectrum sharing between domains to enable ultra-fast and scalable connections.
Important progress was also made in the area of data centres, with the consolidation of the computing and storage resources of the GARR Cloud, and the launch of a technological renewal process through the adoption of new automation platforms, such as PACMAN, developed in-house.
At the international level, GARR enhanced its access to the European GÉANT network up to 600 Gbps and activated new strategic cross-border links, including the one between Bologna and Lugano for the transfer of meteorological data between ECMWF and CSCS, spanning three different domains. In addition, GARR took part in EuroHPC-JU activities aimed at designing a European network infrastructure operating at Terabit scale, to interconnect the continent’s HPC centres.
In the area of Trust & Identity, GARR continued to play a leading role in the evolution of the eduGAIN service and promoted the adoption of a new European Certification Authority, HARICA, in line with the principles of digital independence that underpin research networks.
Finally, through the GARR Evolution Academy internal training programme, GARR reinforced its commitment not only to building an advanced technological infrastructure but also to fostering a network of expertise, with a view to shared, open and sustainable growth.
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