A growing number of MDREN member campuses have begun backing up campus data to a cloud resource. MS Express Route, Google Cloud, Oracle Fast Connect, and Amazon Web Services Cloud (AWS) are frequent repositories. Those campuses that are Internet 2 members can work with MDREN to transport directly to one of these resources at a rate of 5GB at no cost.

An increasing number of universities/colleges are using big data repositories to extend a part of their computing infrastructure to the cloud (servers, compute, storage).  MDREN can interface with Internet 2 through the Mid Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) and from I2 connections can be made to any of the four-cloud resource providers.  Members will incur any costs required by the cloud provider, but no additional transit costs up to 5GB. MDREN members might use these resources to host their ERP, store backups, use the platform as a data lake, or other projects.

If you are interested in learning more about a fast connection to the cloud, contact Jerry Waldron – at jwaldron@usmd.edu . Internet 2 provides more information on its website.