Internet2 Members Update

March 2002

<> Abilene Update
<> Internet2 Virtual Briefing
<> National Science Foundation High Performance Network Connections Program
<> Working Group Established to Address Security for Internet2 Community
<> Internet2 Spring 2002 Member Meeting
<> New Round for Internet2 Land Speed Record Competition
<> International Update
<> Applications Update
<> Middleware Update
<> End-to-End Performance Initiative (E2Epi)
<> Online Event Archives Available
<> New Members
<> Future Events
<> Internet2 Days
<> Showcase Opportunities
<> Internet2 Related Events
<> Internet2 Employment Opportunities

The member updates are now archived at http://www.internet2.edu/members/html/members-update.html

<> Abilene Update
Intensive planning efforts are now underway in advance of the Abilene Network upgrade to commence this summer. Recently, Internet2 announced five-year extension of its partnership agreement with Qwest Communications. The expanded partnership will allow the quadrupling of Abilene's national backbone capacity to 10 Gigabits per second and incorporate next-generation optical transport technology - Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) - in the backbone. The agreement also will support future experimentation with lambda-based capabilities.

The upgrade will proceed in three phrases and is expected to conclude by mid-2003. In the new network design, increased emphasis is placed on running the next-generation Internet protocol (IPv6) natively on the backbone, deploying enhanced and differentiated measurement capabilities, and improving overall network resiliency in the face of outages.Currently, Abilene provides high-performance connectivity for over 200 Internet2 members in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Internet2 members also support 45 sponsored participants and through the Sponsored Education Group participation program, 20 state education networks. For more information: http://www.internet2.edu/abilene/

<> Internet2 Virtual Briefing on Wednesday, March 19th
+ High Energy Nuclear Physics(HEPN): Working Group Update
The next Virtual Briefing will be held on March 19, with an update from the High Energy Nuclear Physics Working Group as the topic. Harvey Newman of California Institute of Technology and Shawn McKee of the University of Michigan will provide an overview of high-energy physics, use of Internet2++ networking++, supercolliders, the HEPN Working Group, end-to-end performance issues and relationships, and methods for optimizing connections. For more information, see: http://www.internet2.edu/activities/html/briefings.html.

<> National Science Foundation High Performance Network Connections Program
The National Science Foundation recently announced the latest High Performance Network Connections (HPNC)program grant to encourage additional U.S. institutions of higher education and institutions with significant research and education missions to establish high performance Internet connections (at or above 45 Mbps per second) where required to facilitate cutting edge science and engineering research. In addition to universities and colleges, proposals may be submitted by non-profit, non-academic organizations, including independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations in the US that are directly associated with educational and research activities and are not currently connected to an advanced network.

For more information, see: http://www.interact.nsf.gov/cise/descriptions.nsf/pd/hpnc?openDocument

<> Special Working Group Established to Address Security for Internet2 Community
Michael M. Roberts will lead a special working group to explore and focus on the challenge of security in an open, high-performance network environment. The group will help the Internet2 community build on work already underway, including the Internet2 Security Working Group, the EDUCAUSE Task Force on System Security and related efforts. Mr. Roberts, who served as initial project director for Internet2, will chair this group and coordinate its work within the Internet2 community, as well as with other information technology organizations and government agencies.

<> Internet2 Spring 2002 Member Meeting
+ Registration Open
Registration is open for the Internet2 Spring 2002 Member Meeting. Register online by April 15th to be eligible for the Early Registration Prize drawing! The preliminary program will be available on the Internet2 web space during the week of March 25th. http://www.internet2.edu/activities/html/spring_02.html

+ Non-Track Meetings at Spring Member Meeting
Organizers of closed group or other non-track meetings during the Spring 2002 Member Meeting are reminded to submit your requests online by the March 15 deadline. http://www.internet2.edu/activities/html/spring_02-cfsmtext.html

+ Call for Demos
Internet2 is soliciting high-performance networking applications demonstrations for the Spring 2002 Internet2 Member Meeting. Demos provide the opportunity to show off the interesting applications we have under development or in use and to engage the interest and imagination of those who may develop their own applications after seeing the demos. Because our spring meeting is in Washington DC, demonstrators also have the opportunity to showcase their work in front of sponsors and funding agencies. We seek applications from all disciplines; the primary objective is that we showcase network-intensive applications that demonstrate the reality and the potential of Internet2 environments. Demos will run 6-8 May 2002 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, VA. The deadline for completing and submitting the Internet2 demo application form is Friday, March 22. If you have any questions, please contact Elaine Lauerman <ekl@internet2.edu>.

More information and the submission form are at: http://apps.internet2.edu/html/spring2002_demos.html and http://apps.internet2.edu/html/spring2002_demoform.html

<> New Round for Internet2 Land Speed Record Competition
The next edition of the Internet2 Land Speed Record (I2-LSR)competition will feature a separate category for IPv6. Entries will be judged on a combination of bandwidth used and distance covered, end-to-end. The contest is open to anyone and is expected to attract entries from around the world. The deadline for submission is April 14. Awards will be presented at the Spring 2002 Internet2 Member Meeting in Arlington, Virginia, May 6 to 8. For complete rules, more information and details of past winners, see: http://www.internet2.edu/html/i2lsr.shtml

<> International Update
+ Brazilian R&E Network ANSP Now Operationally Peering with Abilene
The Brazilian R&E network ANSP is now operationally peering with Abilene through a 45 Mbps link being provided by AMPATH, a joint project between Florida International University and Global Crossing to help connect universities and research centers in Latin America and the Caribbean. ANSP is the Advanced Academic Network at Sao Paolo, which is supported by FAPESP (Fundação de Ampara á Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo), the State of São Paulo Research Foundation. Via AMPATH, ANSP will also be able to participate in Abilene's ITN (International Transit Network) Service. For more information, see:
ANSP: http://www.ansp.br
FAPESP: http://www.fapesp.br
AMPATH: http://www.ampath.fiu.edu
Florida International University: http://www.fiu.edu

+ Global Terabit Research Network is Announced
Global Terabit Research Network is an international partnership to establish a true world-wide next generation Internet to interconnect national and multinational high speed research and education networks.The partnership initially involves North America through Internet2 in the US and CANARIE in Canada, and Europe through the NREN Consortium. Participation of the Asia Pacific and other regions is expected soon. For more information about GTRN: http://www.indiana.edu/~gtrn

+ Increased Capacity for TransPAC
TransPAC, the high-speed international Internet service connecting research and education networks in the Asia Pacific to those in the United States will increase bandwidth available for researchers from 155 Mbps to 1.2 Gbps. TransPAC connects research and education networks in the Asia Pacific associated with the Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) to the Internet2 Abilene network, the vBNS, and other global networks. Major funding for TransPAC comes from the US National Science Foundation and the Japan Science and Technology Corporation. TransPAC: http://www.transpac.org

+ Call for Presentations for International Sessions
We are soliciting presentations from both Internet2's International MoU Partners and Internet2 members about international collaborative activities, updates on technology and application initiatives taking place outside the U.S. and other international advanced networking related topics. We are also seeking to identify exemplary collaborations between Internet2 members and partners from around the world that are taking advantage of international connectivity. If interested, please send an email to Ana Preston apreston@internet2.edu> briefly describing your presentation, along with your name and affiliation. Space is limited so it is important that we received your information soon.

<> Applications Update
+ NSF Digital Library Grant Solicitatio
The NSF has issued a new grant solicitation to establish a national digital library that will constitute an online network of learning environments and resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and lifelong learning). Proposals will be accepted in three tracks: collections, services and targeted research. Partnerships or collaborations are strongly encouraged among digital library stakeholders, such as K-12 schools, two-year colleges, four-year colleges, universities, professional societies, industrial and business concerns (including commercial publishers), and other non-profit and for-profit organizations. An optional letter of intent is due March 13, 2002; full proposals are due April 17, 2002.
For more information, see: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf02054%A0

<> Middleware Update
+ National Science Foundation Middleware Initiative (NMI)
The NMI EDIT consortium (Internet2, EDUCAUSE, and SURA), the GRIDs Center, and NSF management team met in Tempe, AZ in early February to refine the processes and content for Release 1 of NMI deliverables. It was determined that an early deliverable should be a white paper focused on integrating the GRID with campus enterprise infrastructure. Drafting of the document is underway; it will be available at: http://www.nmi-edit.org

+ Directories
Final comments on the "Practices in Directory Groups" document, developed by Internet2 mace-dir-groups working group are being collected. A special 90 minute conference call to finalize the document is scheduled for Wednesday March 20 at 4:30 EST. Watch the MW-Announce mailing list for the phone and PIN number.
http://middleware.internet2.edu/dir/groups/draft-internet2-mace-dir-groups-best-practices-01.html

MACE-Dir, the directories working group of the MACE, has turned its attention to metadirectory issues. The outcome will be a "Practices" style document; as the document takes shape, drafts will be made available via the website. Minutes from the bi-weekly meetings are posted to: http://middleware.internet2.edu/dir/metadirectories/

+ PKI
The PKI Research Conference sponsored by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Institute of Health (NIH) and Internet2 is scheduled for April 24-25, 2002. This workshop, geared toward those who are deeply engaged in PKI research, will explore cryptographic methods, security decision data, privacy protection, scalability, security, user interface issues, attributes and delegation, and mobility. Following the conference, the workshop proceedings will be made available; posting information will be provided in a future update.

A Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) pilot project involving eight Internet2 member universities led by Jim Jokl, University of Virginia, and Bob Bentrup, Dartmouth College, held a kick off meeting via conference call recently. The goal of the project, sponsored by Dartmouth through a Mellon grant and by Internet2, is to provide user documentation, client inventories and other S/MIME assistance. Project progress updates will be available at: http://middleware.internet2.edu/hepki-tag/

+ Shibboleth
The Shibboleth project team was invited to present the project as a case study at the Securities Industry Middleware Council, Inc. (SIMC) annual security meeting on February 26. Shibboleth code will be moving to alpha pilot participant sites soon. Project updates are maintained at: http://middleware.internet2.edu/shibboleth/

<> End-to-End Performance Initiative (E2Epi)
+ E2Epi Measurement Workshop Summary
The recent E2Epi Measurement Workshop now has an evolving summary document. This six-part workshop summary consists of an executive summary, introduction, summary of pre-workshop questions, workshop documents, working group summaries and a conclusion. The document will soon be available in a print PDF version. http://www.internet2.edu/e2epi/WK01/workshop01_summary01.shtml

+ Call for Participation: Your Stories
E2Epi is issuing a Call for Participation (CFP) to its members, asking them to propose compelling best current practices to allow end users and support staff to resolve performance problems routinely and consistently. For further information and guidelines, please see the E2Epi Call for Participation: http://www.internet2.edu/e2epi/cfp_01.shtml

<> Online Event Archives Available
+ Virtual Briefings
If you missed the February 20th Virtual Briefing on Multicampus Middleware Issues, you can view it via the Briefings archive. For Real Stream viewing, see: http://www.internet2.edu/activities/html/20020220.html

+ Joint Techs
The 9th Joint Techs Workshop took place January 27-30 at Arizona State University; foci included network security, enabling digital video, and accelerating IPv6 deployment. A summary is at: http://www.internet2.edu/events/january-2002-joint-techs/; presentations are at http://www.ncne.nlanr.net/training/techs/2002/0127/agenda.html.

+ Campus Architects Middleware Planning (CAMP)
Presentations from the first CAMP meeting, held in Tempe, AZ. in early
February are available at: http://www.internet2.edu/activities/php/p_by_events.php?evt_id=93

<> Future Events
+ Campus-Focused Workshop on Advanced Networks: Houston, TX, 10-11 April
The Texas GigaPoP & Internet2 are sponsoring the next in the on-going series of workshops addressing the campus issues of engineering Internet2 network infrastructure. This workshop is aimed at campus network personnel and will center on implementing advanced network services in the campus environment and the End-to-End Performance Initiative. It is expected that registration & hotel details will be posted by the 2nd week of March. Note: This meeting is tentatively set to start at 8AM on Wed and finish by 4PM on Thu. For more information, see: http://www.internet2.edu/activities/html/campuswksp-hou.html

+ AMPATH: Valdivia, Chile, 12 April
The First AMPATH International Conference seeks to further delve into the benefits of utilizing the AMPATH advanced networking infrastructure for scientific research and education. Sponsored through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the main objective of the conference is to create an environment for AMPATH participants, potential participants and those with a regional, hemispheric or international interest in the project to exchange ideas, form new and solidify existing collaborations. For more information, see: http://ampath.fiu.edu/Chilemtg.htm

+ Windows on the Future Conference: Columbus, OH, 15 April
The next Windows on the Future Conference, "Meaningful Performance -- End to End", will take place Monday, April 15 at the OSU Fawcett Center on the Ohio State University campus, Columbus, OH. This spring's conference is hosted jointly by ITEC-Ohio (Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center), ADEC (American Distance Education Consortium) and Internet2, and features a variety of meetings, sessions, topics and activities intended to promote active participation by attendees. Members of Internet2 E2Epi staff will present at the conference. For more information, see: http://www.itechohio.net

+ Boulder, Colorado Site for July 2002 Joint Techs Workshop
The July Joint Techs Workshop will be hosted by NCAR/NIST/NOAA in Boulder, CO from 28 July through 1 August. Tutorials will be presented on Sunday afternoon. Plenary and BoFs will be held all day Monday and Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning, and in-depth sessions will be held on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. For further information see: http://www.ncne.nlanr.net/training/techs/2002/0728/boulder.html

+ Fall 2002 Internet2 Member Meeting (Hold the Date!)
Los Angeles will be the site of the Fall 2002 Internet2 Member Meeting. The meeting is presently scheduled for October 28-30. Details of the meeting will be announced on the Internet2 website as they become available: http://www.internet2.edu/activities/html/fall_02.html.

<> New Members
+ Regular Members
- Cleveland State University

<> Internet2 Days

Hold an Internet2 Day for your Internet2 member organization. Technical support for live demonstrations and informational materials are available. For more information see: http://apps.internet2.edu/html/internet2_days.html or contact Marianne Smith <melser@internet2.edu>.

+ 25 March 2002
University of Washington, Health Sciences Internet2 Day

+ 28 March 2002
Bradley University

<> Showcase Opportunities
The weekly showcase on the front page of the Internet2 Web site highlights new and exciting developments in the Internet2 community. We encourage Internet2 mebmers to share advanced networking milestones in your areas. Include a brief description (less than 100 words), all appropriate links and images, and contact information. If you have suggestions about projects or news that might be featured, please contact Adam Csillag <acsillag@internet2.edu>.

<> Internet2 Related Events

+ Online Calendar
For a complete listing of events for and of interest to the Internet2 community, see the online Internet2 Calendar. Be sure the Internet2-related event you are holding or know about is listed at: http://www.internet2.edu/calendar/main.php

NERCOMP
17-19 March 2002
Worcester, MA
http://www.educause.edu/nercomp/2002/

Passive & Active Measurement: PAM 2002
25-26 March 2002
Fort Collins, CO
http://www.labs.agilent.com/pam2002

AMPATH
12 April 2002
Valdivia, Chile
http://ampath.fiu.edu/Chilemtg.htm

20th NORDUnet Networking Conference
15-17 April 2002
Copenhagen, Denmark
http://www.nordu.net/nordunet2002

Great Plains Network (GPN) Spring Meeting
18-19 April 2002
Sioux Falls, SD
http://www.greatplains.net/

TERENA Networking Conference 2002
3-6 June 2002
Limerick, Ireland
Summaries and final papers due: 29 March 2002
http://www.terena.nl/tnc2002/

INET 2002
18-21 June 2002
Washington, DC
http://www.inet2002.org/

<> Internet2 Employment Opportunities
http://www.internet2.edu/ucaid/html/opportunities.html

The E2Epi is seeking an Engineering Consultant. The consultant will coordinate with faculty, developer groups, network administrators and network operations personnel to identify best practices, coordinate measurement infrastructure, and identify/solve performance problems. To view the complete job description, please see: http://www.ucaid.edu/ucaid/html/initiatives.html