SCinet Connection Request System

The SCinet Connection Request System (CRS) is the primary way for exhibitors to share their network connection needs with SCinet. The CRS is intended to accumulate requests for standard network connections, such as 1/10/100/400 Gigabit Ethernet.

At SC23 all 1 Gigabit booth connections will use singlemode fiber instead of multimode fiber. This will change the options and connectors to be used from those used before SC21. Items that have changed are highlighed in bold in the text below. If you have a switch that you used in previous years for 1 Gigabit connections to your booth, then you will need to obtain new SFP-LX optics that will use LC connectors. You may obtain these before the event or at the Help Desk during SC23, but we suggest you purchase new SFPs in advance.

If you are new to networking or using fiber optics for connectivity and have questions see our short Network Connections Guide.

The SCinet CRS is access controlled to prevent unauthorized connections/charges.

The SC23 Exhibits Management Company provides SCinet with a list of contacts for exhibitor organizations. These initial contacts received an email with a subject line of "Invitation to request SCinet connections" on Jul 10, 2023. That email contains login and password information for the CRS.

The initial exhibitor contacts can then create additional contacts within the CRS if needed.

If you do not know the contact for your exhibitor/organization, please contact the SCinet Helpdesk by sending email to support@scinet.supercomputing.org.

The SCinet network service offerings at SC23 include:

• 1 Gigabit Ethernet: 1 Gigabit Ethernet connection to the SCinet IP network. This connection is delivered over singlemode fiber and requires 1000Base-LX optics.
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet: 10 Gigabit Ethernet connection to the SCinet IP network. This connection is delivered over singlemode fiber and requires 10GBase-LR optics.
• 100 Gigabit Ethernet:100 Gigabit Ethernet connection to the SCinet IP network. This connection is delivered over singlemode fiber and requires 100GBase-LR4 optics.
• 400 Gigabit Ethernet:400 Gigabit Ethernet connection to the SCinet IP network. This connection is delivered over singlemode fiber and requires 400GBase-LR4 optics.
• Dark fiber: singlemode fiber laid between two locations. This is an atypical request. In the event that a routed IP connection between booths is not sufficient, a dark fiber path can be built between booths. The exhibitors must coordinate and provide the equipment at either end of the fiber. Dark fiber drops may be requested for a private connection between two exhibitor booths. You may request dark fiber from a booth to a SCinet location (e.g. the NOC) with the understanding that direct coordination with SCinet will be necessary. In this case you will only be charged for the connection to your booth and not to the SCinet location.

SCinet reserves the right to review any network requests ordered through the CRS. In particular, exhibitors who wish to order connections geared toward network-intensive research or demonstrations (e.g. those of 100Gbps or higher, or dark fiber connections), are strongly encouraged to first contact SCinet to discuss their needs and ensure the best possible support for their use case.

You may be unsure of which type of network connection to order for your booth. If you are simply looking for a standard connection to the Internet, then most likely a 1 Gigabit Ethernet connection with the default settings will suit your needs.

If you need a special type of connection for a demo, please consult with the technical contact of your booth to determine the details of your connection. SCinet offers the following general types of network connections:

• Standard Ethernet connections (e.g. 1 Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet) are the most common. They provide connectivity to the Internet and high speed research networks.
• Dark fiber connections are singlemode fiber from your booth to another location. These can be used to build a private connection between exhibitors.

All SCinet network connections are delivered over a fiber optic cable:

• 1 Gigabit Ethernet: singlemode fiber
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet: singlemode fiber
• 100 Gigabit Ethernet: singlemode fiber
• 400 Gigabit Ethernet: singlemode fiber
• Dark fiber: singlemode fiber

In order to connect properly, your equipment will need appropriate connectors and optics type.

SCinet network services are not available over Category 5/6 copper cable, nor does SCinet provide Cat 5/6 cable in booths.

Fiber connectors vary with connection type. If conversion to another connector type is necessary to match exhibitor's equipment, that conversion is the exhibitor's responsibility.

• 1 Gigabit Ethernet: duplex LC plugs
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet: duplex LC plugs
• 100 Gigabit Ethernet: duplex LC plugs
• 400 Gigabit Ethernet: duplex LC plugs
• Dark fiber: duplex LC plugs

You will need to provide an Ethernet switch for your booth to connect the SCinet fiber and distribute the network around your booth, most likely via Cat5/Cat6 copper cable. Note that SCinet does not provide Cat 5/6 cabling in booths. Please read the sections on connections, cables, and connectors and consult with the technical contact for your booth as to your equipment needs. For any additional questions, please contact support@scinet.supercomputing.org.

For 1 gigabit connections only, there is an option to purchase a SCinet-provided switch and compatible optic ($160) when making your booth connection request. This option includes an 8 port 10/100/1000 copper + 1 SFP uplink switch with a SFP-LX optic to uplink to SCinet. The purchased switch and optic may be picked up at the SCinet helpdesk with a valid invoice during the show.

If you have switches used from previous years for 1 Gigabit connections to your booth, you may not need to purchase a new switch. You will however need to obtain SFP-LX optics for the fiber uplink port on your switch, so that it will be compatible with the singlemode fiber in use for 1 Gigabit connections. Compatible SFP-LX optics will be sold at the Help Desk for booths that forget to obtain optics before the show, but we do recommend purchasing your own SFPs in advance, and verifying they will work in your device. SCinet cannot guarantee that older hardware purchased from us will continue to function indefinitely.

When you place your order you you will be provided with options for choosing IPv4 and/or IPv6 network address space for your booth. For IPv4 connectivity, you may select networks of length /27 (up to 29 usable addresses), /26 (up to 61 usable addresses), or /25 (up to 125 usable addresses). For IPv6 connectivity, you will be provided one standard /64 subnet. These addresses are considered part of your order.

There is a per connection fee for each SCinet network connection. The fee varies based upon the connection type:

• 1 Gigabit Ethernet: $1000
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet: $2000
• 100 Gigabit Ethernet: $2500
• 400 Gigabit Ethernet: $3500
• Dark fiber: $2500

In the case of requests for dark fiber to another exhibitor booth, both booths will be charged $2500 for the connection (i.e., one charge for each end of the connection).

Note that connections will have a $1000 late fee imposed if ordered after Oct 6, 2023 and will be delivered on a best effort basis after Oct 20, 2023.

Yes, NRE participants must order and pay for network connections using the CRS system. A discount of 50% will be applied to all network connections associated with approved NRE at the time of invoicing. This discount applies to network connections only, and does not apply to other expenses such as booth space, electrical power, etc which are the full responsibility of the NRE participant.

The free wireless service at SC23 is a best effort network. If you are running demonstrations in your booth that require high availability network access, we advise you to order a wired network connection through the CRS. See the SC23 wireless service policy or email edge-team@scinet.supercomputing.org for more information.

If your organization will not need wired connectivity at SC23, you may indicate this to SCinet by opting out. By opting out of the SCinet CRS, you will no longer receive emails from SCinet about ordering network services. Once an exhibitor has opted out, they may not use the CRS to request network connectivity. If the exhibitor would then like to change their opt-out decision, then they can go back to the CRS interface and uncheck the opt-out check box. To opt out, click here.

Billing will be handled through the SC23 Exhibits Management Company, Hall-Erickson. After Aug 28, 2023, SCinet will transmit billing data to Hall-Erickson, which will then issue invoices to each exhibitor. Please contact Hall-Erickson at 630-434-7779 or sc@heiexpo.com if you have further questions about billing.

The last date to cancel a connection request without payment is Nov 3, 2023.

• Jul 10, 2023 - CRS opens for requesting SCinet network connections.
• Aug 28, 2023 - Invoicing will begin with data sent to Hall-Erickson on a regular basis.
• Oct 6, 2023 - After this date a $1000 late fee applies to newly added connections.
• Oct 20, 2023 - CRS closes. New connections after this date are subject to availability.
• Nov 3, 2023 - Last date to cancel a connection request and receive a full refund. This is the last opportunity before the fiber goes on the floor, and there will be no more time to adjust after this point.

For each connection ordered after Oct 6, 2023, a $1000 late fee applies.

The SC23 Exhibits Management Company provides SCinet with a list of contacts for exhibitor organizations. Each contact received an email with a username and password and instructions for logging in to the CRS. Other points of contact for the exhibitor booth may be added by visiting the Contacts section.

When adding a contact for a booth, two optional permissions are available: one for managing contacts and one for managing connections. If neither is selected, then the contact will be able to view all the information for the booth on the CRS, but not make any changes. Note that if the contact is given permission to modify contacts, then he/she implicitly has the capability to add permissions to himself for managing connections.

Create a CRS point of contact for this person. Ensure that the 'Manage Connections' permission is set for this new contact. Additional instructions can be found at points of contact.

Detailed information regarding SCinet service level, security policies, wireless policies and other SCinet initiatives can be found on the SC23 Web site. For any additional questions, you may contact the SCinet Helpdesk by sending email to support@scinet.supercomputing.org.