Infrastructure & Testbeds

A core principle of the Walton Institute is multi-disciplinary research. The research infrastructure and testbeds division aims to link all the research activity within the Institute, and with our partners, via shared infrastructure, labs, and testbeds. A modular design ethos is taken to enable the componentisation of these research infrastructures so they can be (re)combined in different configurations to facilitate novel use-cases and research. This modularisation is centred around the research data centre and seeks to provide an operational outlet for our combined research activity. Central topics include cybersecurity, server and network operations and management, data platforms and portals, automation, and sensing. 

Key areas of expertise:

• Cybersecurity 

Primarily focused on securing data centre networks and systems. Using the latest tools and techniques to provide scalable security in a cost-effective manner. This includes securing systems before deployment, intrusion and DDoS detection and mitigation, DNS filtering, trend analysis, and quantum assisted encryption. And of course, constantly trying to breach our own defences. 

• Data Centre Management  

Covering the full spectrum of Data Centre operations and management activities from power and cooling to networks and systems, both physical and virtual. A principal focus is on automation and monitoring of all data centre aspects. 

• Data Platforms and Portals  

Deploying data platforms and portals for research projects and information gathering. Primarily focused on backend systems performance, scalability, and reliability and front-end visualisation tools.  

• E-Infrastructures and Testbeds  

Architecting and deploying e-Infrastructures and Testbeds, independently or with other researchers, to provide bespoke research environments with stability and data acquisition as core principles.  The bigger the challenge, the more enjoyable it is for us to work on. 

• Software Defined Infrastructure  

Using automation and open-source tools (where possible) to create and manage large-scale system and service deployments that are readily redeployable, scalable, and secure. Thereby eliminating ‘snowflake’ systems and creating re-usable components and architectures (building blocks) for ever more complex systems. 

• IoT Sensing and Communications 

IoT sensing is used to monitor the research data centre, offices, and comms rooms, along with a range of internal and external testbeds. Multiple communications protocols are used, based on the specific data requirements from the sensor, coupled with power and location constraints.

Infrastructure:

• Research Data Centre 

The Walton Institute has its own high-density water-cooled research data centre. It is used to host its research project compute, data, and network resources as well as to be researched on. It is heavily instrumented, from a power and operating environment perspective, and that data is used for research and management purposes. 

• Pervasive Nation (IoT Testbed) 

Providing LoRaWAN gateways, Network Servers, and compute power to the CONNECT Pervasive Nation Testbed. Pervasive Nation is particularly suited to the connectivity and networking of small, simple devices in difficult to reach locations or in remote areas. These devices would normally require battery operation or have only small energy scavenging needs and require a low data rate. 

• Software Defined Infrastructure Platform 

A combination of Cloud and Virtualisation platforms, Software Defined Storage, Software Defined Networking, and automation. Whereby any individual set of components or the whole software defined infrastructure deployment can be used.  

• Environmental Sensing (IoT Testbed) 

A combination of Libellium Smart Water/Agri Pro systems, bespoke air quality sensors and an Eddy Covariance tower for Green House Gas detection. All deployed on the Carriganore Campus for baseline / reference setting. 

• Software Defined Radio Platform 

4 x Ettus USRP X300 deployed across our 175 acre Carriganore Campus. Each with 2 x Daughterboards (UBX-160 and/or SBX-120) covering frequencies from 10Mhz to 6GHZ, a mix of dual/tri/quad band omni-directional and superbat directional antennas, and networked at 10Gbps to our research data centre. 

• Electrical Monitoring Testbed 

A set of 83 Electrical Power Meters (Schnider PM210) that record 17 power variables every 2/5 minutes. They cover the main buildings on campus as well as every circuit within the research data centre, providing a comprehensive electrical record of the data centre since 2013. 

Initiatives:

Long Term Ecosystem Research in Europe (eLTER) Member. 

Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) is an essential component of world-wide efforts to better understand ecosystems and the environment we depend on. LTER contributes to the knowledge base informing policy and to the development of management options in response to the Grand Challenges under Global Change. 

Fed4Fire+ 

We provide our Software Defined Radio Platform as part of Fed4Fire+ testbed infrastructure. Fed4Fire+ offers the largest federation worldwide of Next Generation Internet (NGI) testbeds, which provide open, accessible, and reliable facilities supporting a wide variety of different research and innovation communities and initiatives in Europe. 

Pervasive Nation 

Ireland’s Internet of Things Testbed. Pervasive Nation is based on Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) networking technology. The objective of Pervasive Nation is to build an Internet of Things testbed of scale which will become a resource for industry, government and academia, and act as a strong catalyst for Internet of Things research and innovation.