BalticGrid - a Step towards EGI

BalticGrid – a step towards EGI Olgerts Belmanis, Ilmars Slaidins Riga Technical University Abstract After joining EU in 2004 process of integration of the Baltic States in European infrastructures and communities gained strength. One of urgent tasks was an integration of well developed computing and communication infrastructure of the Baltic States into the emerging grid computing based European e-Infrastructure. Aim of this paper is to present challenges and achievements of the Baltic Grid Project as a case study on development of grid computing and integration of existing research infrastructures and communities into common European Research Area. BalticGrid project first phase started in November 1, 2005 with 10 leading institutions in 6 countries. Baltic States joined the consortium with little experience in grid but in short time gained necessary expertise and created grid computing infrastructure. After the project first phase there were 17 operational grid computing clusters, 8 of them certified as production sites in EGEE. All necessary central services were deployed and at least doubled. The Baltic Grid Second Phase (BalticGrid-II) project started in May 1, 2008 and was designed to increase the impact of services and improve support of users of the recently created e-Infrastructure in the Baltic States and extend the BalticGrid infrastructure to Belarus. The consortium was composed of 13 leading institutions in seven countries, with 7 institutions in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, 2 in Belarus, 2 in Poland, and one each in Sweden and Switzerland. BalticGrid project was successfully completed in April 30, 2010. Aims and objectives of the Baltic Grid projects will be presented in the paper, as well as detailed analysis of achieved results in establishing sustainable e-Infrastructure in the Baltic States. Development of e-Infrastructure in the Baltic States was coordinated with the EU policy guidelines and based on best practice case analysis elsewhere in Europe and worldwide. Baltic States have computing infrastructure and well trained staff to interoperate at European level. The challenge for all Baltic States after the end of BG-II, EGEE and other collaborating project is to maintain sustainable grid infrastructure in European Research Area (ERA). The way of future Grid infrastructure and services sustainability was developed by the European Grid Initiative (EGI) Design Study project. Baltic Grid project partners also learned EGI DS goals as well as best practice from other grid projects. EGI will provide way to establish collaboration between number of computing infrastructure projects to meet needs and requirements of ERA. BG-II project established good contacts with industry. BalticGrid development policy defines the need for long-term sustainable collaboration to develop and maintain a core infrastructure that includes permanent services that are suitable for researchers from a variety of disciplines. To meet these objectives each country have established NGI based on NREN and joined EGI. EGI is the way towards a sustainable production grid infrastructure for Europe. Results obtained in the Baltic Grid project confirm readiness of partner institutions to collaborate within EGI and ERA to maintain sustainability