Fiber Installation Along Bike Path Between Campuses

	NETS technicians Armando Cisneros, Rick Mumford, and Fabian Guerroro install 96-strand single-mode fiber to connect two NCAR campuses. This fiber routing was made possible by a new bike path built between the campuses. The physical redundancy created closes a ring of fiber optic cable that guards against network interruptions between the NCAR sites and the rest of the internet.

When the Center Green (CG) campus was purchased by UCAR, a goal was set to link the Foothills Lab (FL) and CG campuses by a bike path to facilitate collaborations. This decision to install a bike path afforded NETS the opportunity to design infrastructure and install fiber optic cable between the two campuses. Most importantly, this link allowed NETS to close a fiber optic ring connecting CG and FL to the larger BRAN fiber ring. This provides physical redundancy to both campuses in case of a fiber optic cut or outage anywhere on this ring.

This project is part of a larger ongoing effort by NETS to increase physical robustness in the UCAR network. It supports the NCAR strategic priority to "Developing and providing advanced services and tools."

In FY 2006, NETS coordinated the fiber installation with the contractors performing the bike path project design and construction. This project has been successfully completed.

This project was supported through the UCAR Communications Pool indirect funds.