News
Data science via agentic exploration: Parsing the NOC inbox
In my last two articles, I used a local AI agent (pi) to inspect a router configuration and to port a network utility to a different programming language. Those are impressive actions for systems engineering, but they still operate on small, bounded files. What happens when we point an agent […]
Porting ping with an agent
In my last post, we set up pi, a terminal-native AI agent, and pointed it at a locally hosted open-weight model to investigate a network configuration. Today, we’re going to give that same agent a substantially harder task: read an existing network utility and produce a working implementation in another […]
Using an AI Agent for Network and Systems Operations
In the last few posts, we talked about the theory behind agentic AI: what agents are, the hardware required to run them, and why National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) should care about data sovereignty and open-weight models. Theory is great, but let’s see some examples in action. In this […]
Cybera 2026 Board of Directors
Cybera is pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors: Sally Banek, Associate Vice-President of Financial Services at MacEwan University; Darcy Bromling, IT Coordinator at Peace Wapiti Public School Division; and Alex Mottus, Director of IT at Pembina Hills School Division. Together, they bring deep experience in […]
Vendor lock-in, open models, and architectural choice
If you’ve followed this series so far, we’ve established that AI is moving beyond simple chat interfaces toward agents that can pursue goals and use tools. We’ve also looked under the hood at the inference services and physical infrastructure required to run them. In this section, we examine who controls […]
How Cybera’s network is connecting researchers and powering biological discovery
When Dr. Peter Tieleman sits down to work on his biomedical research, he is rarely gazing through a traditional microscope in a traditional lab setting. A chemist by training, with expertise in physical and biophysical chemistry, Tieleman’s research operates in a digital realm where he is focused on the fundamental […]
Inference Services
In the previous post, we talked about how AI is evolving from simple chat interfaces into agents that can pursue goals, use tools, and act on the information they encounter. We also discussed context: the instructions, conversations, files, and tool results that an agent provides to a model while it […]
A primer on agentic AI for network administrators
Having spent the last year playing around with a variety of AI tools, I have come to realize their potential — particularly for those of us in the non-profit sectors — to drastically improve how we work and our organizations operate. In this blog series, I will explain what agentic […]
A successful year for Cybera’s network reliability
At Cybera, our roots are firmly planted in our digital network, and it remains core to everything we do. By managing a dedicated, unmetered fibre pipeline that connects Alberta’s post-secondary institutions, K-12 schools, and other research organizations — to each other and the world — we create a stable launching […]
Cybera’s 2025-28 Strategic Roadmap: reflecting on a year of progress
In the fall of 2024, Cybera reached out to its member community to gain feedback on how we should be shaping our services and technical focus. The message we heard was clear: with the digital landscape evolving at a head-spinning rate, institution’s priorities are focused on cybersecurity, cost efficiency, network […]
ShareIT Year in Review 2025-26
A year of growth and renewed collaboration As ShareIT wraps up the final quarter of the 2025/26 fiscal year, we look back on a year defined by expansion and deepened collaborations. Cybera and SRNET officially evolved ShareIT’s membership criteria to include not-for-profits supporting the education and higher education sectors, and […]
A stronger voice for a more collaborative Cybera community
We are thrilled to share an important update that gives every Cybera member organization a stronger voice in shaping Alberta’s digital future. At last month’s Special General Meeting, members overwhelmingly approved key updates to Cybera’s Bylaws, paving the way for a more engaged and inclusive Annual General Meeting (AGM) voting […]
Cybera launches call for education representatives to join its Board of Directors
Cybera is seeking applications for one financial administration leader from Alberta’s post-secondary community and two leaders from Alberta’s K-12 education communities to join its Board of Directors. The open volunteer positions will help guide Alberta’s research and education network organization as it works to connect Albertans to the world, and […]
Connecting for success: How Calgary Catholic is working with Cybera to future-proof education
For modern educators, the internet is no longer seen as a luxury or a supplementary tool to use in the classroom — it is a necessity, as vital as paper and pencils. For the Calgary Catholic School District, the largest catholic school district in Western Canada, ensuring the internet stays […]
Important Notice: Upcoming vote on Cybera’s new membership structure
A More Inclusive and Collaborative Future for Cybera Cybera is evolving — and so is the way our members are shaping our direction. As part of our commitment to fairness, inclusivity, and community governance, we are proposing an update to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) voting structure. Why change the […]