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Wide Area Network projects

The NCAR/UCAR WAN/WAN structure is logically depicted in the diagram titled "FRGP/vBNS/NCAR Mini-gigapop", and is depicted in much greater detail in the diagram titled "NCAR/UCAR MAN/WAN Connections".

Commodity Internet access project

This project provides NCAR/UCAR with general-purpose access to the Commodity Internet. Currently, access is provided via an MCI non-ATM DS-3 (45-Mbps) link, although at this time NCAR/UCAR is contracting only for a sustained 10-Mbps. This link is being shared via the Westnet Gigapop (see Westnet Gigapop project). NCAR also has 1-Mbps service to BBN via Qwest/SNI to the Commodity Internet.

Though the Westnet Gigapop is currently paying only for a maximum of 10-Mbps full-duplex Commodity Internet service, recent growth has occurred such that it is likely that the full 45-Mbps DS-3 rate will have to be purchased.

vBNS and NLANR projects

The vBNS is a production ATM network provided and operated by MCI under a cooperative agreement to the NSF. The vBNS interconnects the NSF supercomputing centers and universities that have been approved via the High Performance Connections (HPC) program. Figure 10 shows current vBNS connectivity at NCAR/UCAR.

As of September 1998, 46 NSF HPC (High Performance Connection) grant universities were connected to the vBNS, and 128 universities had been awarded NSF HPC grants, 44 of which are UCAR member universities.

NETS has continued its support of the vBNS, providing both network engineering and applications support and research.

NLANR (National Laboratory for Applied Network Research) is the umbrella project funded by NSF to facilitate the individual research projects conducted on the vBNS. NCAR/UCAR has been a major participant in several collaborative NLANR projects that demonstrate the high bandwidth capabilities of the vBNS. NCNE (National Center for Network Engineering) at PSC (Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center) subcontracts with NETS to help it provide vBNS engineering support.

Abilene and the Front Range GigaPOP project

Internet2 has finally borne fruit in the form of the Abilene network, which will be a national network for Internet2 university members that will be constructed on fiber loaned by Qwest from its new national fiber network. Abilene will initially be constructed at 2.4-Gbps (gigabits/second) speeds and transitioned to 9.9-Gbps speeds as quickly as practical, vastly improving networking to those 48 UCAR universities that are also currently Internet2 members.

NCAR, the University of Colorado (Boulder), the University of Colorado (Denver), Colorado State University, and the University of Wyoming have been exploring an expansion of NCAR's existing gigapop support to include an Abilene connection. This five-member group has referred to the proposed effort as the Front Range GigaPop (FRGP). The FRGP partners are currently exploring whether the existing NCAR gigapop operation should be expanded into Denver.

The CU Denver Auraria campus has space to house a FRGP gigapop in one of its buildings at 14th and Lawrence, which is only a couple of blocks from several POPs and COs, including US West, MCI, ICG, Qwest, and SNI. This location therefore has excellent proximity to most major Colorado telecommunication access facilities, and interconnect costs could be attractive.

NETS provides more detailed information about Internet2 at http://www.scd.ucar.edu/nets/Projects/Internet2/ and Westnet at http://www.scd.ucar.edu/nets/Projects/Westnet/. The Internet2 Project website also provides more information at http://www.Internet2.edu/.

RAP WAN project

NETS continued to provide WAN networking service to RAP for their extensive field project requirements.

NREN WAN project

NETS continued to provide WAN networking service to NASA for their NREN connections in Boulder.

To access the rest of the NETS FY1998 Annual Scientific Report:

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