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JANET – what it is, history, current issues. Geoff McMullen (n.g.mcm@btinternet.com). Agenda. What is JANET? A little history Influences on traffic growth Technical challenges Bigger challenges Conclusion. What is JANET?. JANET is a National Research and Education Network (NREN)
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JANET – what it is, history, current issues Geoff McMullen (n.g.mcm@btinternet.com)
Agenda • What is JANET? • A little history • Influences on traffic growth • Technical challenges • Bigger challenges • Conclusion SuperJANET History
What is JANET? • JANET is a National Research and Education Network (NREN) • There are many others • See WWW.TERENA.NL for other European ones and helpful links SuperJANET History
NRENs • Connect Education and Research establishments to the Internet • Some restrict themselves to HE and Research • Some include vocational education • Some include schools • Some include employers SuperJANET History
Scope of JANET • JANET is intended to be inclusive – it connects all HE, all public research, all public vocational education centres, many schools and some employers • It use has grown steadily • It is an investment for the public good ahead of demand SuperJANET History
Then and now • Budget £1.8million (2001 money) in 1985 • Typical speeds 64kbps • Linking 11 regional centres for Research • Comparable budget now some £23 million • Backbone speed 2.5Gbps (20 Gbps planned) • Linking 700+institutions across education SuperJANET History
History - Organisation • 1978 - 1981 - SRC Study team • 1981- 1993 - RAL project team (JNT) • 1984 - Executive runs network • 1992 - JISC created • 1993 - UKERNA “spin off” decision • 1994 - date Company limited by guarantee - all income from public funds SuperJANET History
History - Network • 1979 - review of existing HE provision • 1984 - JANET (4.8 Kbps, then continued upgrades to 2Mbps) • 1991-1992 - Internet conversion • 1993 - move to SuperJANET 1 • 1998 - SuperJANET III - 155Mbps • 2001 - SuperJANET 4 - 2.5 Gbps + SuperJANET History
Scottish Interconnect Glasgow Edinburgh NNW NORMAN N.I. YHMAN Leeds Warrington N Wales MidMAN EMMAN US Reading London EastNET LINX Thames Valley LMN TEN-155 ETC. Bristol Portsmouth Kentish MAN South Wales LeNSE BWEMAN/SWAN Network organisation SuperJANET History
Technologies • Backbone – Optical Fibre • MANS – Fibre, co-ax, Microwave • Local – Copper, co-ax, wireless, satellite SuperJANET History
Influences on traffic growth • Moving images • Remote teaching and learning (e-University?) • Endogenous growth • E-science (The GRID, and other things) • E-business SuperJANET History
Growth in self-provided services Multimedia/Library digitisation Net competent students The geography of the learning experience Mobile communications Influences - continued SuperJANET History
Influences - continued • Improved local and regional infrastructure • Digital television • Lifelong Learning • Commercial relationships (ASP services) SuperJANET History
Technical Challenges • Authentication/Security/Integrity • Customer Support • Reliability • Traffic planning and management • Pervasive access SuperJANET History
Bigger Challenges - 1 • Changing Customer Base • Inclusive systems of governance • Top Slice vs. charging • Do we still need a private network? • The role of the MAN SuperJANET History
Bigger Challenges - 2 • Flexibility to enable further educational connections • The telecommunications market SuperJANET History
Conclusion • Increasing applications and reducing prices lead to greater network use • Societal changes reinforce this tendency • “Quantitative change leads to qualitative change” SuperJANET History
Conclusion - continued • Qualitative change shows up in the growth of the user community • It is affecting arrangements for funding, network management and customer support • Service quality remains high despite the tumult in the market SuperJANET History