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... making a difference ...
in training ... in the arts ...
When St. Lawrence College in Kingston entered into an The University of Waterloo is making use of its ORION connection
agreement with Sudbury ’s Laurentian University to deliver a to pioneer a new form of theatre. This research project involves
collaborative nursing degree program, access to ORION staging live, interactive theatrical per formances linking actors
effectively made the 600 k ilometres that separate the two and sets from remote locations, using advanced networks and
institutions vanish. Starting in September 2005, St. Lawrence videoconferencing technologies. A fully interac tive live
faculty members began teaching the first year of Laurentian’s per formance was staged with actors in Waterloo sharing a virtual
four-year nursing degree program, par tly delivered through stage with actors at Bradley University in Illinois and University of
high-speed videconferencing. Enrolment is set to grow to Central Florida, connecting at ver y high speeds over ORION,
several hundred over the next few years. The technology also CANARIE and Internet2. The latest production to take place was of
assists in the mentoring of St. Lawrence faculty on the Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Researchers are now working
Laurentian curriculum and facilitating collaboration in creating on staging more complex productions and pushing the limits of
an extended "community of learning.” the current software, and designing devices to allow remote
audiences to respond with instantaneous feedback.
“Having access to ORION has cer tainly helped make our
joint program much more engaging and cost- effective. “Eliminating bandwidth as a barrier will cer tainly drive
Being able to collaborate with new par tners over a very innovations in the way we can communicate with each other.
high- capacity network opens the door to all kinds of new We’re using technology to create a new form of theatre, and
possibilities for St. Lawrence." - Chris Whitaker, VP having access to ORION makes that possible.” - Prof. Dr. Gerd
Academic, Executive Director, Kingston Campus, St. Hauck, Chair, Drama and Speech Communication, University
Lawrence College of Waterloo
in research ... in science ...
In a high-per formance computing twist on the old adage “many From almost two k ilometres below the ground in Sudbur y,
hands make light work ,” the Shared Hierarchical Academic researchers at the Sudbur y Neutrino Observatory (SNO) measure
Research Computing Network (SHARCNE T ) harnesses the and investigate the fundamental elements of nature – neutrinos
combined power of computers across south central Ontario via from the sun. This is “big science,” questions of how the world
ORION to create one of the world’s most power ful began and how it works at the most basic level, questions that
supercomputers. ORION provides the high-bandwidth, have engaged scientists around the world for hundreds of years.
point-to-point connections that allow the seamless integration Neutrinos are one of the smallest particles in our Universe, but
of SHARCNE T ’s distributed processors to efficiently leverage studying them calls for massive data sets that range up to ten
computer resources that are separated by hundreds of terabytes in size. Moving that data from SNO to research partners
kilometres. Researchers at the 11 universities and colleges in at universities across Ontario and internationally, from the U.S. to
the SHARCNE T consor tium are using this massive power to the U.K ., calls for a high-bandwidth network that is robust,
model the movement of urban pollution, create more efficient reliable and globally connected.
electronics, understand the outbreaks of diseases such as SARS
and delve deeply into questions of basic science. “Finding answers to the big questions in science today is an
international team effor t. Canada is recognized as a valued
“ The SHARCNET community is growing rapidly as more par tner that can make a significant contribution to the search
researchers in more disciplines discover how the network for answers. Quite simply, ORION makes our par ticipation
can help them. ORION is essential infrastructure for us and possible.” - Alain Bellerive, SNO, Canada Research Chair,
we will come to rely on ORION more and more as we build Carleton University
an integrated set of network ser vices – data storage,
scheduling, remote collaboration capabilities – across the
consor tium.” – Prof. Hugh Couchman, McMaster University,
SHARCNET Scientific Director
THE ONTARIO RESEARCH AND INNOVATION OPTICAL NETWORK
... making a difference ...
in building capabilities ... in remote diagnostics ...
As Ontario’s colleges of applied arts and technology develop The Laborator y for Collaborative Diagnostics at the University of
and expand their degree programs and applied research Toronto is mak ing innovative and creative use of their lab’s
activities, the availability of a shared, high-capacity network connectivity to the ORION network by developing a Collaborative
infrastructure becomes increasingly critical. One example is the Digital Microscope (CDM) for remote diagnosis. The CDM allows
collaboration between Algonquin College in O ttawa and physicians or researchers to review a sample of blood that may
Niagara College in Welland, joining forces over ORION to offer contain malaria parasites under a microscope and interact in real
joint photonics instruction to future optical engineers who will time with a malaria expert in Toronto, who can help determine if
be employed in Canada's world-leading technology sector. The malaria is present. Open-source collaboration software is used,
colleges not only utilize advanced realtime videoconference enabling ver y high-resolution images to be transmitted over a live
linkages, they are also exploring ORION's full capabilities to digital video feed of the malaria parasite, which is accompanied
introduce software tools that will provide Niagara students with by a audio feed that permits a collaborative diagnosis.
remote access to Algonquin's state - of-the -ar t photonics lab
equipment and lasers over 500 kilometres away. “Having access to ORION helps make this possible. The
network’s multicast capabilities allow us to take this idea even
“ORION has completely transformed the way we can design fur ther, on a global scale. This is a powerful new tool that can
and deliver instruction to students. It does not matter that make a genuine difference in the way we diagnose and
we're separated by geography. With ORION, we're all confirm the presence of infectious disease, when speed and
connected together now.” - Prof. Wahab Almuhtadi, time is of the essence.” - Dr. West Suhanic, Laboratory for
Electronics/ Electro-Mechanic Studies, Algonquin College Collaborative Diagnostics, University of Toronto
in education ... in medical training ...
The classroom walls disappeared recently for Grade 12 political A new Medical Education Building was built on the University of
science students at Middlefield Collegiate Institute in York Windsor campus to house the Windsor-based branch of the
Region. In a real-time, videoconference mock trial before a University of Western Ontario's Schulich School of Medicine &
Supreme Cour t judge in O ttawa, the students vigorously Dentistr y program. Able to accommodate up to 200 medical
prosecuted a drinking and driving case. The defense team was students, the facility boasts two 50-seat lecture rooms equipped
at another York Region school, while a class in Alberta ser ved as with high-definition videoconferencing ( VC) technology, and a
the jur y. All four sites were brought together by York virtual anatomy lab where the students will study and manipulate
University ’s Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning (ABEL) 3-D anatomical images using a computer. LARG*net and ORION
program over the ORION network . I t was a high-impact, together built a dedicated VC network between the UWO, the
real-world learning experience for the students. The mock trial University of Windsor, and London and Windsor teaching hospitals
was just one of the many learning and education events which using a Layer 2 connection that runs on ORION between London
led ABEL to win the prestigious Learning Par tnership 2005 and Windsor. The speed and reliability of ORION has enabled
National Technology Innovation Award. fully-functional high- definition VC with individual microphone
setups in each of the London and Windsor teaching rooms.
“Broadband networks and collaborative technologies allow
the teacher to provide real-world connections to learning. “ The reliability of ORION has ensured the school’s ability to
ORION gives faculty, teachers and students amazing new teach interactively for three to four hours a day without
oppor tunities for teaching and learning experiences that interruption – something that would have been much less
are limited only by our imagination.” - Janet Murphy, likely with “traditional” VC using internet. Our use of ORION
Program Manager, ABEL has made the vision of highly-interactive distributed medical
education in Southern Ontario a reality.” - Dr. Peter Flanagan,
Director, Faculty E-Learning, Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentristy.
THE ONTARIO RESEARCH AND INNOVATION OPTICAL NETWORK
... making a difference ...
in collaborative learning ... in digital cinema ...
Hooking up to ORION has enabled Sault Ste. Marie’s Algoma Ryerson University in Toronto is a founding member of CineGrid™,
University to become the exclusive North American host site of a consor tium of worldwide labs including the University of
an internationally renowned Master ’s program in computer California San Diego, University of Southern California, and Keio
gaming. The collaborative program sees Algoma U students University in Japan. Ryerson’s Rogers Communications Centre,
participate remotely in classes taking place in Scotland over an which houses the university's media schools, is opening a new
advanced videoconferencing system supported by connections digital lab complete with state -of-the -art equipment and a 10
over ORION, CANARIE and JANE T (the U.K . national R&E Gbps direct “lightpath” connection over CANARIE that will enable
backbone). The University of Abertay Dundee’s (UAD) computer collaboration with other CineGrid™ participants. This will enable
arts division is internationally renowned and was the first in the collaboration on projects with other students, hands-on training
world to offer a Master of Science degree in Computer Games with next-generation equipment and practical experience with
Technology (CGT ). Teaming up with UAD, Algoma U is the first what is reputed to become the new standard medium of the
North American university to offer this unique program. industr y. With the new digital lab, Ryerson is poised to become
the hub and leader of digital cinema in Canada. The digital image
“ We have been impressed by the high quality of the maintains the film format ’s maximum fidelity, yet real-time
videoconference connections to Scotland over ORION. It’s as collaboration at the produc tion and post-produc tion levels
though we’re interacting with people who are in the requires much greater bandwidth. The ultra high bandwidth of
classroom next door.” - Danny Reid, Divisional Director, CANARIE, ORION and other R&E networks permits filmmakers and
Information Technology Services, Algoma U technicians to see, hear and manipulate the same material in real
time with no time lag, no matter where they are physically
located.
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT ) and
Trent University have become the first in Canada to use
AccessGrid (AG) for the deliver y of a complete academic in data storage ...
program. The two universities are pioneering this new form of
multi-institutional graduate program deliver y with their Master ORION supports the work of researchers at the University Health
of Science program in Materials Science. A key component of Network (UHN) in Toronto, enabling dramatic improvements in
the program was the delivery of all courses via AccessGrid. Both connectivity and access to new tools and resources, and opening
are members of the SHARCNE T consor tium to facilitate the the doors to enhanced par ticipation in medical research
program delivery and to take advantage of SHARCNET ’s unique collaborations and trials. Connecting to ORION over GTAnet, UHN
high-per formance computing resources. Specially designed AG is a data-centric organization where researchers accumulate half a
rooms were completed at each site in time for the program’s terabyte of new information each week. This amount is steadily
launch in September 2007. The AccessGrid technology over increasing, driving up competition for bandwidth. Thus, it is easy
SHARCNE T goes beyond the limits of standard to see why ORION is actively promoted internally to address
videoconferencing. It provides high quality transmission of not researchers’ need for large database storage.
only voice and video, but also reliable deliver y of any
computational content produced on a tablet PC at any of the “ The previous technology that handled the day-to - day
participating sites. By being carried exclusively by SHARCNET business of UHN did not work at all well until ORION came on
and ORION, par ticipants can rely on the throughput and stream, connecting the 10,000-plus staff, medical researchers
securit y of the AG facilities. Also, unlike standard and trainees competing for bandwidth.” - Thomas Goldthorpe,
videoconferencing, AG uses multiple cameras and large Director of Research Information, UHN
projec tion or plasma displays, so the experience for
participants is immersive.
THE ONTARIO RESEARCH AND INNOVATION OPTICAL NETWORK
