NetCAT

The I2CAT Foundation has a high-speed experimental network called NetCAT. The network provides connectivity between different laboratories and working groups of the Foundation, as well as the different partners involved in the projects.

The network provides support for projects of the Foundation a necessary experimental testbed for development and validation of research in a realistic environment.

The NetCAT is connected to major research networks in the world who participates in different international projects: Anella Cientifica, RedIris, GÉANT2, Glif, Internet2.

The begins of the network is linked with the grown of the Foundation. The network is developed and adapted at the same rate to accommodate the different projects that have been making.

Initially the network was divided into two layers, the optical (before OptiCAT) and the electrical (GigaCAT). These two levels has evolved and consolidated over time as the substructure of the Foundation to the point that it no longer made sense to continue with the network divided, so we decided to unify the two existing domains into one, called NetCAT.

The NetCAT is managed by the NOC, which is located in the D4 building on the North Campus of the UPC. The NOC is responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining and managing the entire network and provide the necessary support to projects that use the network for development and their profit.

The network has a virtual server farm to serve the  projects, enriching the infrastructure capacity of the i2CAT Foundation.

One of the main features of the network, is the great diversity of the equipment manufacturers, what is a plus in the projects development: Alcatel, Cisco, Juniper, Nortel, SMC, W-ONESYS, Allied Telesys, are the more notable.