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NETS’ Strategic Direction. Marla Meehl Section Head of NETS April 29, 2003. NETS Mission. To fundamentally support UCAR’s goals for the advancement of science, technology, and education
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NETS’ Strategic Direction Marla Meehl Section Head of NETS April 29, 2003
NETS Mission • To fundamentally support UCAR’s goals for the advancement of science, technology, and education • To accommodate future growth and needs by constructing a network that is expandable, flexible, and adaptable • To facilitate a robust, reliable, and maintainable network • To implement a cost-effective network • To support SCD High Performance Networking • To lead and participate in high-performance network research and development
Keeping costs down • Vendor trade-ins • Collaborations provide methods of leveraging economies of scale and aggregation to save large sums of money for better service • Collaborations lead to outside funding sources • Collaborations lead to group discounts • Effective planning and relationships with vendors, funding agencies, and peers result in lower costs
What’s Driving NETS Strategic Plans? • Internal & external high speed network access needs • CyberInfrastructure • Grids • Collaboratories • UCAR/NCAR expansion • Business Continuity • Larger data sets • Real-time data feeds • Faster computers • Lower cost/prevalence of 10/100/1000 NICs • Web and accessible data services
Driving Forces - Cont’d • Technology • Availability of dark fiber • Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) • Voice over IP (VoIP) • Security • Wireless in the LAN, MAN, and WAN • Remote working technologies • Videoconferencing • Access Grid • H.323 • Multicast • Storage Areas Networks (SANs) • Cost • Trade-ins help keep network up to date • We also cycle slower hardware to less used areas
Driving Forces - Cont’d • Outside Collaborations • Need good access to research partners and users • Front Range GigaPop (FRGP) • Westnet LightRail (WLR) • National LightRail (NLR) • Network research • Industry downturn • Dark fiber • Vendor collaboration • Hardware/software loans/donations/beta tests • Vendor research opportunities
How do we derive user needs? • Network Coordination and Advisory Board (NCAB) • Liaisons to network users • Help set NETS direction, priorities and strategies • User surveys • Host related workshops • Outside collaborations
A Strategic Plan for UCAR Networking: Welcome to the 21st Century http://www.scd.ucar.edu/nets/Documents/stratplan/strategy.html
Strategic Plan • Initial plan completed in 10/98 • Agreed to update plan at least every three years • NETS and NCAB are in the process of updating the plan • Will present plan for approval of NCAB, Information Technology Committee (ITC), and President’s Council
Critical Strategies • Transition to Gigabit Ethernet (1000BaseX) as Standard Service (SS) as demanded by constituents and budget constraints • Renew one third of the networking equipment base each year - 3 year equipment cycle • Support ongoing growth in UCAR • Center Green 0,1, 2, 3 • FL0 • FL4 • MLUR • ML remodel • Renew cabling on an as needed basis • The plan assumes a 10 year cycle via a 4 year construction cycle - there would be a 6 year break between each cycle • However CG will change this cycle • Cabling renewal funds are available in between cycles to accommodate unexpected projects and technology
Critical Strategies - Cont’d • Continue to actively participate in metropolitan, regional, national, and international networking activities including: • FRGP, BRAN, BPOP, NLANR, Web100, Net100, Westnet, WLR, NLR, The Quilt, Colorado State fiber initiatives • To lead and participate in high-performance network research and development including: • Web100, Net100, Cisco MTU • Pending: Cisco Network Monitoring, ITR MTU, STI Effective Diagnostic Strategies for Wide Area Networks, EIN SANs, Terascale Extensions
SCD Specific Strategies • Provide state-of-the-art LAN and WAN connectivity • Provide high-performance networking consultation • Assist with host-based configuration • Assist with host-based network problems • Assist with host-based performance measurement and monitoring • Provide high-performance networking testbeds as needed • Provide high-performance networking measurement tools • Stay abreast of state-of-the-art networking technologies
Areas of Strategic Concentration • Larger role in networking research • Larger role in metropolitan networking • Larger role in national networking • Testing and implementing new technologies • Supporting ongoing UCAR growth • Business continuity
Strategic Collaborations • FRGP/BPOP • UCB, UCD, UCHSC, UCCS, CSU, NOAA, UW, DU, CSM, State of Colorado, Fort Lewis, City of Boulder, County of Boulder, UNAVCO • Web100 • PSC, NCSA, NSF, DOE, Cisco, HP, others • Westnet • CO, WY, NM, UT, AZ, others • WLR • FRGP, Utah, Arizona • NLR • CENIC, PNWGP, PSC, VA-Tech, GA-Tech, Florida, Texas, UCAID, Duke, CIC (big 12 schools) • The Quilt • 22 major GigaPops • Earth System Grid • DOE, others • NLANR • PSC, NCSA, SDSC
Conclusion • Networking is an essential enabling technology for infrastructure vital to support UCAR’s mission • Continued support of UCAR’s mission will require continued investment in state-of-the-art networking infrastructure • This optimal plan meets the objectives of the strategies in a cost-effective manner