Internet2 Overview

Bob Riddle, Internet2

14 February 2003

What should we talk about?

Here are questions I hope to answer:•What is Internet2 all about?

•How is it different from “Internet1”?

•What is Abilene and why should I care?

•Why is Middleware like underwear?

•Does E+2+E+P = ☺?

•What are the benefit to MTSU?

Questions & comments are welcome!

What is Internet2 all about?

Our Mission & GoalTo develop and deploy advanced network applications and technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of tomorrow’s Internet.

What do we do?We support deployment of required advanced application services:

IPv6QoSMeasurementSecurityMulticast

How are we organized?•Board of Directors – University presidents/chancellors are the voting representatives•Advisory councils with Board seats

Applications Strategy Network Planning/Policy Network Research Liaison Industry Liaison Council

How does the necessary work get done?

The “Work” is assigned to internal Groups which work with (and for!) our members

•Applications

•Engineering

•Middleware

•Network Infrastructure

•Partnerships

Where are the Members?202 universities66 corporations40 non-profits & gov’t labs

Some of our Corporate Partners

University-led Federal agency-led

Developing education and research-driven applications

Agency mission-driven and general purpose applications

Building out campus networks, gigaPoPs and inter-gigapop

infrastructure

Funding research testbeds and agency research networks

Interconnecting and interoperating to provide advanced networking capabilities needed to support advanced

research and education applications

Internet2 LSN

What about the Federal Gov’t?

Separate but Interdependent

How is it different from “Internet1”?

It’s more than email & eBay!

It’s all about Advanced Applications!1. They deliver qualitative and quantitative improvements in

how we conduct research and engage in teaching and learning.

2. They require advanced networks to work.

Common attributes of such applications:• Remote instrumentation and interactive collaboration • Distributed data storage and data mining• Large-scale, multi-site computation • Real-time access to remote resources• Dynamic data visualization• Shared virtual reality

Where would you need or find such Applications?

Different disciplines•Sciences•Arts•Humanities•Health care•Business/Law•Administration•…

Different places•Library•Classroom•Clinic•Office•Laboratory•Dorm room•…

For example … Science & Engineering

High Energy and Nuclear Physics (HENP)

Generating multi-petabyte datasets, gigabytes per second per experiment, requires a cascading data storage model, near-zero packet loss per data stream, and a distributed database for end-user data manipulation.

Each experiment requires input from hundreds of researchers around the world.

Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEESGrid)

Running hybrid experiments, synchronizing physical and computational experiments.

Synchronizing large volumes of data of different types: sensor, video, etc.

For example … Health Sciences

3D Brain Map•Visualization of data: real-time MRI, previously stored data, etc.

•Computational information transferred to supercomputers and used to understand brain functions in real time

•Very large multi-dimensional, multi-modal, time-varying data sets

Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN)

•Extremely large data sets and repositories•Dynamically generate 3D visualizations from medical records

•Generating 36 Gbytes/day, so new models for search, retrieval, and analysis will be necessary

For example … Arts & Humanities

University of Oklahoma Master Classes (Brian Shepard)

•High fidelity video and audio via MPEG2•Optimized latency, audio/video synchronization

•Connecting Oklahoma with the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida

Dancing Beyond Boundaries:Distance Collaborative Dance

Performance at SC2001•Hybrid performance combining local and remote performances between Florida, Minnesota, Denver, and Brazil

•Synchronizing choreography across the continent

For example … Remote Collaboration

Virtual Room Videoconferencing System (VRVS) & the

Access GridSupport multipoint video-conferencing, where distributed reflectors spread computationally expensive responsibility

For example … Remote Control

Space Physics and Aeronomy Research Collaboratory

SPARCUniversity of Michigan

Reduced problems related to:

•Travel (both location & cost)

•Time, space, and temperature

•Limited faculty/student access

For example … can extend to K12

Oklahoma – music instruction to K12

VRVS – language class exchange (English/Spanish)

Physics/Science community – “Cootie” on www.beowulf.org

H.323 sharing AP classes among K12 schools in the same county

What is “Abilene” and why should I care?

Because you need a really Big Network for Advanced

Applications!

Abilene … a really BIG NETWORK

We needed one, so we “built” one … with a lot of help!•vBNS – uncertain future, uncertain funding•April 1998: Project announced at White House•Jan 1999: Production status for network

Partners: Qwest, Cisco, Nortel, Juniper, Indiana University

… it’s not free … but it’s cheap!•“on-ramps” are available from 12 GigaPops

Abilene backbone covers the Country

Here’s who is using Abilene

Can I rely on Abilene?

It’s going to be around for a while!• Original agreement with Qwest was amended on 1 October 2001

• Extension of Qwest’s original commitment for another 5 years, to October 2006

It’s “growing up” and will continue to support Advanced Applications• Upgrade of Abilene backbone to optical transport capability

• 4 times increase in core bandwidth, to 10 gigabits/second

• New wavelength capabilities

Abilene can take you places!

APAN/TransPAC, Ca*net3, CERnet, GEMNET, IUCC, KOREN/KREONET2, NORDUnet, RENATER, REUNA, SURFnet, SingAREN, SINET, TAnet2, (ANSP, RNP2)

OC12 NYCMBELNET, CA*net3,JANET,

NORDUnet, SURFnet, TEN-155*, (HEAnet)

STTLCA*net3, AARnet

SNVAGEMNET, (SINET)

LOSASingAREN, SINET, UNINET

AmPATH(REUNA, RNP2, RETINA)

OC3-12UT El Paso(CUDI)

CALREN2CUDI

* ARNES, BELNET, CARNET, CESnet, DFN, GRNET, HEAnet, RESTENA, SWITCH, HUNGARNET, GARR-B, POL-34, RCCN, RedIRIS

STARTAP (Science, Technology, and Research Transit Access Point) www.startap.net

Why is Middleware like underwear?

… everybody needs it but nobody should see it …

Middleware

Middleware is a layer of software between the network and the applications that performs:

• Authentication• Identification• Authorization• Directories

So, Middleware worries about: • Who you are• Where things are• What you are permitted to do

… even across institutional boundaries!

Current Internet2 Efforts

Internet2 community has unique needs and capabilities

• Middleware Architecture Committee for Education

• Early Harvest and Early Adopters• Internet2 Public Key Infrastructure Labs• Shibboleth (inter-campus authentication)• Directories• NSF Middleware Initiative (with EDUCAUSE and SURA)

Does E+2+E+P = ☺ ?

What can I do when things aren’t right?

•Why doesn’t my application work? It did yesterday ….

•Even with high bandwidth network links, the Internet2 community often does not see expected performance.

•It’s harder to figure out who to call, who to blame, what needs to be fixed … all of us “normal” people need help!

Here’s the current problem …

Applications Developer

System Administrator

LAN Administrator

CampusNetworking

Gigapop Gigapop

Backbone

CampusNetworking

LAN Administrator

System Administrator

Applications Developer

How do you solvea problem along a path?

Hey, this is not working right!

The computeris working OK

Talk to the other guys

Everything isAOK

No othercomplaints

The network is lightly loaded

All the lights are green

We don’t see anything wrong

Looks fine

Others are getting in OK

Not our problem

Applications Developer

System Administrator

LAN Administrator

CampusNetworking

Gigapop Gigapop

Backbone

CampusNetworking

LAN Administrator

System Administrator

Applications Developer

Finger-Pointing Tool Time

You ARE the Weakest Link!

OK, I’ll fix it

We need the “Gray Finger-Pointing Tool”

Locate the ProblemTerry GrayUniversity of Washington

E2EP Initiative

Bring together current measurement efforts and projects in the community.

Establish an end-to-end measurement infrastructure from the intersection of these works.

Create diagnostic tools to determine the health of the network and locate performance problems.

E2E team working under direction of Network group (BNI) and involves the work and participation of NLANR, Web100, Corporate resources.

What’s the benefit of MTSU joining Internet2?

Knowledge and Influence

Internet2 acts as a clearinghouse to help distribute information throughout the community.• National Member Meetings• Technical Workshops• Advanced Applications Demonstrations• Member Communication Resources

Internet2 provides technical support.• Software tools (monitoring, diagnostic)• Loaner hardware (VBrick, AG node, H.323 MCU, etc.)• Access to expertise (working groups)

Internet2 provides access to necessary networks that allow your research & education capability to expand.

What is expected of an Internet2 member?

Expectations

It will participate in Internet2 activities and pursue Internet2 goals.

It will commit to the deployment of a high-performance network infrastructure on its campus.

It will contribute to the advancement of research and educational uses of high-performance networking.

Membership Requirements

A letter of commitment from the institution's Chief Executive Officer

A brief statement of the applicant's status/progress toward meeting the goals of end-to-end broadband connectivity

A completed Internet2 membership application

Regular Membership dues

•$26,250/year

More Info ...

www.internet2.edubdr@internet2.eduinternet2.edu/about/staff.cfmBob Riddle Internet2 3025 Boardwalk, Suite 200 Ann Arbor, MI 48108 +1.734.913.4257

www.internet2.edu