GÉANT

Equipping GÉANT for Scalable, Future-Proof Infrastructure

About GÉANT

Industry & location .

GÉANT is the digital backbone of European research and education. Connecting over 50 million users at 10,000 institutions in more than 40 countries, it enables fast, secure, and reliable connectivity between national research and education networks (NRENs). From cross-border scientific collaboration to everyday campus access, GÉANT supports the full spectrum of data-driven education and innovation.

Product & service .

GÉANT supports major European projects by providing infrastructure, cloud resources, and bandwidth to institutions like CERN. It combines advanced technical capability with a strong community mission, acting as both a service provider and strategic partner.

Mission .

With new projects on the horizon, including the implementation of Ceph and Proxmox in Amsterdam and Cambridge, GÉANT continues to invest in infrastructure that matches the scale and ambition of the network it powers.

- Pete Pedersen, DevOps Engineer GÉANT

The challenges

Structured Setup

The goal was to move toward a more structured, production-ready setup that could support redundancy, resilience, and smooth collaboration between their data centers.

System Enhancement

GÉANT was preparing to take its internal systems a step further with plans to implement Ceph and Proxmox clusters in their Amsterdam and Cambridge offices.

Knowledge Deepening

GÉANT needed to deepen their in-house knowledge of Ceph’s architecture and operation, especially around scalability, automation, and cross-site reliability.

Long-Term Preparation

Training was about preparing for what comes next, with infrastructure planning stretching several years ahead.

The solutions

In-Depth Training

GÉANT partnered with 42on for in-depth technical training. The sessions were designed for hands-on learning, experimentation, and practical insights applicable to upcoming implementations in Amsterdam and Cambridge.

Global Participation

Training included participants from across time zones, with sessions described as clear, engaging, and fun. The training helped validate architectural decisions and clarify complex parts of Ceph.

- Massimiliano Adamo, DevOps Engineer GÉANT

The results

Confidence Boost

Training gave the team confidence to move forward with planned implementations and confirmed their architectural direction was sound.

Infrastructure Design

The team is in a stronger position to design infrastructure that fits their goals, including redundancy between Amsterdam and Cambridge.

Solid Foundation

It laid a foundation for future collaboration across GÉANT’s offices and projects, with a better understanding of Ceph’s strengths and flexibility.

Long-Term Growth

With a clearer view of possibilities and a stronger internal skillset, GÉANT is ready to build infrastructure that matches the scale, ambition, and reliability of the network they provide.

About 42on

42on supports Ceph teams with the complete operation of Ceph clusters by providing Consultancy, Training, Emergency Assistance, and Managed Services.

Discover how we can help you!

Why choose 42on as your partner for your open source infrastructure?

Genuine commitment

42on's passion for open source, particularly Ceph, is not just a statement but a core ethos. Actively engaged in the Ceph and related open source communities, our contributions to GitHub, tech blogs and events showcase our enthusiastic involvement

Vendor agnostic approach

We avoid vendor lock-in and work together with clients that use open source or subscribed Ceph. This vendor-agnostic approach ensures clients have the freedom to choose their preferred vendor while benefiting from 42on's expert support and guidance.

Control tailored to your preferences

We understand that every business has unique needs. Therefore, we provide a range of services that allow you to customize your level of control. You can choose to maintain complete control or delegate tasks as you see fit.