Research infrastructure requirements as a driver for GARR PoP deployment within the CNR Research Area in Pisa

This document describes the design and implementation of the GARR Point of Presence (PoP) PI03 at the CNR Research Area in Pisa, the first GARR PoP deployed within a CNR Research Area. The initiative arose from the evolution of the Pisa Research Area into a strategic node for national and European research infrastructures, including SLICES, SoBigData and D4Science, also supported by investments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) in the period 2023–2025, in the fields of the Future Internet, artificial intelligence and Big Data Analytics. In this context, mere connectivity to the national research network was no longer sufficient to meet the capacity, reliability, resilience and co-location requirements demanded by the deployment of distributed research services and platforms. The document presents the solutions adopted for the new PoP, with particular reference to the dedicated technical room, the diversification of physical fibre-optic routes, the choice of equipment for lambda-routing and IP routing, the redundant electrical architecture, the cooling, fire suppression and access control systems, as well as the operational procedures jointly defined by GARR and CNR for infrastructure management. The case presented constitutes a replicable methodological reference for similar interventions at CNR sites seeking to grow beyond simple network access points to active infrastructure nodes in support of research.