"Networks are cooperation"

Summary of presentation slides

Professor, Dr. Rolf Nordhagen
University of Oslo, Norway Member of the NATO Advisory Panel on Computer Networking
E-mail: rolf.nordhagen@usit.uio.no

Networks are Cooperation,

Networks are Communication,

Communication is Cooperation.

NORDUnet

• Cooperation between 5 national networks
• Cooperation on International connectivity
• Common services and pilot development
• Supporting all major protocols and services
• Harmonising mail services
• Joint training of Nordic experts
• Cooperation with major Telecom operators

Communication is Cooperation

• Services can rarely be done by one provider alone
• The necessary level of competence could not be reached on a country by country basis
• Institutional groups too small both in people with interest and knowledge resources and demanding users
• Development cooperation required on all levels

The NORDUNET lesson

• Many institutions scattered across several countries worked together by each getting major responsibilities
• Distributed projects create joint enthusiasm and work towards common goals
• All got benefit from building competence
• Network communication is working together

Shared responsibilities

• Representative Steering Body from major national centres
• Initial management, Technical: Norway (OSLO)
• Administrative: Sweden (SICS) later moved to Denmark (UNI C)
• Operating centers, International Sweden (KTH)
• National centers: TCP/IP Sweden, KTH
• DECnet Denmark, UNI C
• X.25 CLNS Norway, UNINETT
• Exec: Sweden, Denmark, Finland
• Coordinated representation in International bodies

Creating plans

• Joint Seminars and Workshops
• Broad participation, R&D, Universities
• industry, PTT/PTO ?
• financial and political rep. ?

Subjects

• The infrastructure
• PTT transmission facilities
• Universities and local site needs
• International connectivity and technology
• Financial and management aspects

International support issues

• seminars and workshops, training
• personell exchange programs
• consultancy work when necessary
• purchase of critical equipment
• direct support by a time limited funding of international links

Cooperation Checklist I

• Major issues
• Identification of sites and organisations to connect International cooperation and connectivity
• Which sites has possibilities now
• What other are prioritized in terms of ongoing research projects?
• Identify shared responsibilities and distribution of projects. How to support USERS

Cooperation Checklist II

• Technical
• Basic transmission issues, leased line capacity and quality, alternatives, like microwave, radiolink and dial-up access
• Routing, placement, PC, based?, topology, international routes
• DNS support, country servers, where and what is needed in terms of equipment
• Mail gatewaying, interworking with EARN, X.400 General equipment needs, UNIX servers, PCs, Modems

Cooperation Checklist III

• Funding and organisation
• Implementation cost for national and international efforts, plan needed
• Operational costs, estimate needed
• What organisational framework will support: cooperative and shared projects the operations administrative support for registration of network, organisation and addresses the user steering of the services as a whole signing of international agreements

Cooperation Checklist IV

• Policy
• Internet registration
• Relations to the local PTTs and local governments? R&D network vs public service relations?
• R&D networking a pilot phase before public service? Funding initially and long term
• Relations to existing European activities
• Relations to extended connectivity CEE States
• Relations to national standards organisations and registration authorities

Organisations/Functions

• Service provider/Operations centre
• Name registry and Address registry
• Technical Coordinations group for all network service providers - interconnecting/routing coordination
• File/Program archive, FTP, Gopher, WWW etc.
• Policy setting of tariffs/cost sharing
• The base for all must be the USERS

Operation Centre Tasks

• Network operation
• Installation, configuration of modems, routers Fault handling - international/national links Statistics, for planning
• Domain Name Service
• Routing Arbitration
(
• Engineering, Planning, Names and Address Registry)

Infrastructural Challenges

• Limitless opportunities fragmented focus need of direction
• Communication is driven by CONTENT more than by technology Connectivity is easy to argue for
• Funding of Services development hard
• The Art of Networking Competence

Context driven network services

• Developed by working together
• Service providers
• Computer Centers
• Network operators
• Libraries
• Educators
• Adminstrations
• Information Providers

Present Challenges

• "Multimedia" services and
• High Speed Technologies (ATM)
• New paradigms in Education
• Distance education
• Distributed libraries
• Electronic publishing
• Structure and organisation of information
• New adminstrative services,
• Campus Wide Information Systems

The New Vision

The high capacity network as a national, and international, infrastructure, a highway for education, services and entertainment, with open and easy access to the public.

Liberte, egalite, fraternite