Visions and Objectives of EGI
To ensure that Europe capitalises fully on its large investment in grid infrastructures, middleware development and applications, the objectives of the future EGI are:
- Ensure the long-term sustainability of the European e-infrastructure
- Coordinate the integration and interaction between National Grid Infrastructures
- Operate the European level of the production grid infrastructure for a wide range of scientific disciplines to link National Grid Infrastructures
- Provide global services and support that complement and/or coordinate national services (Authentication, VO-support, security, etc)
- Coordinate middleware development and standardisation to enhance the infrastructure by soliciting targeted developments from leading EU and National Grid middleware development projects
- Advise National and European Funding Agencies in establishing their programmes for future software developments based on agreed user needs and development standards
- Integrate, test, validate and package software from leading grid middleware development projects and make it widely available
- Provide documentation and training material for the middleware and operations. (NGIs may wish to make the material available in turn in their local language)
- Take into account developments made by national e-science projects which were aimed at supporting diverse communities
- Link the European infrastructure with similar infrastructures elsewhere
- Promote grid interface standards based on practical experience gained from grid operations and middleware integration activities, in consultation with relevant standards organizations
- Collaborate closely with industry as technology and service providers, as well as grid users, to promote the rapid and successful uptake of grid technology by European Industry
