International research relies on trusted, high‑performance networks working together across borders. For the UK, Janet is the national research and education network that connects millions of users into that global ecosystem, linking UK institutions via GÉANT to research and education networks worldwide.
Within Jisc, the network performance team focuses on keeping that connectivity reliable, observable and fit for increasingly data‑intensive research. This includes hands‑on support with performance analysis and debugging, alongside providing test facilities that institutions can use to diagnose and resolve issues locally. Close integration with infrastructures such as the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid also means Janet operates as part of one of the largest distributed computing environments in the world, spanning 42 countries and multiple NRENs.
Optimisation in action
Janet’s backbone capacity currently ranges from 100Gbit/s to 800Gbit/s, with embedded security capabilities including DDoS mitigation, and direct peering with major cloud providers such as AWS, Google and Microsoft. This combination of capacity, resilience and reach underpins a wide range of large‑scale research activity, including:
- The LSST telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which will survey the universe using the largest digital camera ever built. The project is expected to generate around 25 petabytes of data each year, rising to an estimated 200 petabytes by 2033. The UK will be responsible for processing and managing roughly a quarter of this data flow, transporting it securely to research institutions so scientists can access and analyse it with minimal delay.
- JOINER (Joint Open Infrastructure for Networks Research), a national programme that federates 15 UK and international laboratories into a programmable research infrastructure. JOINER supports system‑level telecoms research, including experimentation with next‑generation (6G) networks, non‑terrestrial and space communications, and AI‑assisted, distributed network management.
- AIRRFED, a £225m investment centred at the University of Bristol, working with the University of Cambridge, to accelerate AI research through advanced computing platforms. Both institutions connect via multiple 100Gbit/s Janet links, enabling access to AI‑optimised computing capacity for researchers across academia, the public sector and industry.
- CEDA (Centre for Environmental Data Analysis), which provides national data services for environmental science. Following a technical issue, CEDA needed to restore approximately 1PB of archived data from a geo‑replicated copy held in the United States on a partner research network. Although a local tape backup was available, the team chose to recover the data across the network, successfully transferring around 790TB via GÉANT and Janet to RAL. The exercise validated both the resilience of the end‑to‑end path and the performance that can be achieved when networks are engineered and operated collaboratively.
Looking ahead
Like many NRENs, Janet is evolving to support higher bandwidth services and more flexible optical operation. Upgrades to the optical and routing layers of Janet will result in simplified provisioning and more efficient use of optical spectrum, enabling capacity to scale in multiples of 400Gbit/s and 800Gbit/s as demand grows.
As research workloads continue to scale and diversify, sustained collaboration between NRENs, GÉANT and campus operators remains essential. By focusing on performance, resilience and interoperability, Janet aims to play its part in that shared effort.
Find out more at jisc.ac.uk
