The 18th meeting of the Special Interest Group on Network Operations Centre (SIG-NOC) took place on the 16-17 May 2023 in Stockholm, hosted by SUNET. It brought together network enthusiasts and industry experts under the theme “The insights of your network. Do you see what I see?”
Day 1: A Glimpse into 5G and Network Management Tools
The conference kicked off with a warm welcome from Maria Häll, followed by the presentation by Sebastian Elmgren, Head of Business Development at Ericsson, who raised an intriguing question: “Why 5G – when we have WiFi?”. Attendees also had the opportunity to learn about the National Laboratory for Advanced 5G Research from Bartosz Belter of PSNC.
Later in the day, Eduardo Jacob from EHU/UPV shed light on the exciting possibilities of Smart Networks for Industry (SN4I), showcasing the integration of academic experimentation with Industry 4.0. Coffee breaks were filled with engaging discussions and the traditional Swedish “Fika” to keep the energy flowing.
The afternoon sessions focused on essential Network Operations Center tools. Vidar Faltinsen from SIKT presented the Argus Monitoring tool, highlighting its capabilities in network monitoring and management. Guilherme Ladvocat of RNP introduced OpenNetaudit, an automation tool that simplifies network auditing tasks and enhances security. Jani Sirpoma from CSC wrapped up the day by enlightening the audience about fiber infrastructure quality assurance using inline OTDR.
Additionally, at the end of day one, participants embarked on a memorable boat cruise around Stockholm to admire the beauty of the city’s waterways, surrounding nature, as well as a majestic King’s Castle. The cruise provided a unique opportunity to taste delicious Swedish food, unwind, relax, and continue engaging in meaningful discussions.
Day 2: Embracing Risk Management and Next-Generation Networks
Tony Barber took the reins as the chair for the second day, which began with an insightful session on Crisis Management by Jože Hanc from ARNES. The following segment focused on Risk Management, with Tony Barber himself discussing the impact of global instabilities on NRENs and the priorities for effective risk management. An open space discussion allowed participants to share their perspectives and exchange valuable insights.
Magnus Bergroth from SUNET shared exciting developments in SUNET’s Next Generation Network, highlighting the transition to 400 Gb/s speeds. The session then shifted back to NOC tools, with Lætitia Delvaux from PSNC introducing perfSONAR 5.0, a powerful tool for network performance monitoring.
“The conference concluded with a discussion to build the 4th edition of the SIG-NOC Tools Survey, presented by Maria Isabel Gandia, whose results will give the community insights and ideas about the evolution of the tools NOC use for each functionality.” “Stay tuned, SIG-NOC is looking forward to your answers!”
For more information about SIG-NOC and to stay tuned about future meetings, visit https://community.geant.org/sig-noc/
