- AARNet IPTEL working group
- AARNet IPVideo Working Group
- AARNet IPv6 Working Group
- Accounting at Gigabit Speeds - the Trials and Tribulations
- Achieving Enterprise Wide Authentication using EAI
- Adaptive Services Framework
- An Independent View of University Public Web Server Availability
- Anti-Virus & SPAM Management - The Microsoft way
- Are you spamming today?
- Cross University Provisioning and Authentication
- Firewalling
- IPTEL and VoIP Issues and directions
- IPVideo
- IPv6 Issues and directions
- Peering
- BushNet The design, funding and deployment of a private wireless network linking Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst Hospitals with The University of Sydney. or Politics, Practicalities and Speeding Fines.
- Can I email you please?
- Connecting Rural communites using WiFi
- Design of the Carrier Routing System
- DoCITA overview of Advanced Network Programme
- Email The 'killer application becomes Mission-Critical
- Enabling distant collaboration with SIP
- Gigabit Optical Networking - The Foundation for Next Generation Multi-service Networks
- GrangeNet ~ a great start and an even brighter future
- IP Telephony: The Road Ahead
- 'Interactive Distance e-Learning' via satellite - A Case Study of NSW & NT Schools of the Air
- Internet Content (Filtering, Caching, Content Delivery)
- Internet accounting, billing, and user management via Jet
- Keynote - Networks for knowledge and innovation - A strategic study of European research and education networking
- Keynote - The Status and Results of the 6NET Project and Related IPv6 Initiatives
- Keynote - Managing the equivalent to AARNet in China albeit servicing 1200 universities!
- Keynote - SURFnet6, NetherLight and GLIF
- Layer 7 Switching Deployment at QUT
- Leading Edge Videoconferencing
- Managing Gigabit Networks, Applications and Services - CeNTIE
- Managing Gigabit Networks, Applications and Services - Compuware
- Mission Possible! an integrated approach to the provision of broadband to schools, VET, universities and research organisations in Australia
- National Research Education and Innovation Network (NZ)
- Network costs out of control? Cost recovery and billing for today's networks
- Networking Beyond the Year 2010
- Partnering in research with Nortel Networks
- Peering in Australia
- Personal Multimedia Conferencing
- Project Management Case Study: Wireless@Griffith
- Real Time WLAN
- Rendezvous: ZeroConf for the masses
- Report on the Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories
- Research Channel International, Experiences with video conferencing and BoF
- Software Engineering for the Computational Grid
- The Australian Research and Education Network: its critical role in Australia's e-Research Infrastructure strategy
- The Research Programme of the CSIRO Centre for Networking Technologies for the Information Economy
- Refer to the AARNet3 section of AARNet's web site for further details.
- Tutorial Anti-Virus and WORM detection in a University WAN Environment
- Tutorial Campus Network Design
- Tutorial Design and implement an IPv6 Network
- Tutorial Design and implement an Multicast Network
- Tutorial ITIL
- Tutorial Quality of Service
- Tutorial SIP
- Tutorial User Resource Management and Security Management A practical introduction
- Unified Communications: Increasing business efficiency with communications
- Volume Accounting and User Management in a University Environment
- Why Less is More in Anti-Virus Protection
- Wireless LAN Control Architectures
- Wireless Mesh Networks: Real Wireless LANs without Wires
AARNet IPTEL working group
Rod Ibell, Chair of the IP Telephony Steering Committee
IP Telephony Working Group - up-date on current activities and discussion of SIP.
Details: The Chair of the IPTel Steering Committee, Mr Rod Ibell, will outline the operation and activities of the group, including:
- dial plan;
- IP to IP gateway;
- peering with other VoIP carriers;
- call charges (reduced this year);
- VoIP billing model; and
- SIP support alongside H.323.
AARNet IPVideo Working Group
Professor Michael Fry, Chair of the Video over IP Steering Committee
Video over IP Working Group - up-date on current activities and status of the AARNet video service.
Details: The Chair of the Video over IP Steering Committee, Professor Michael Fry, will outline the operation and activities of the group, and detail the current status of the video service.
AARNet IPv6 Working Group
Michael Biber, Chair of the IPv6 Steering Committee
IPv6 is being delivered today by the ICT vendor community through bundling with existing operating systems and ICT platforms (WindowsXP/2003, Linux, Unix, PCs, Macs, PDAs, Mobiles, etc). All major network and IT vendors are deploying IPv6 ready solutions. Overseas governments are mandating IPv6 adoption. We will take a look at Australia's collective position and suggest mechanisms for ensuring that we are not left in the technology backwaters.
This session examines:
- the current sate of play with Carrier, Service Provider and End User deployment;
- the applications that fulfil the IPv6 value propositions;
- the timeline being followed for adoption; and
- the roles of Government, Industry and Academia.
Accounting at Gigabit Speeds - the Trials and Tribulations
Peter Newman, Project Manager, Internet Access Service, Information Technology Services, Queensland Univeristy of Technology
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) had an accounting system that has been functional for over 5 years. In this time it has not changed significantly only had additional features and reporting added to its basic functionality. With the forecasted connection to GrangeNet and the opportunity of Gigabit Ethernet, also came the real risk that the existing system would not cope. Not to mention the system as a whole had other issues generated by pushing the traffic through the proxy and socks servers.
So we initiated a project to do the technical comparison and make a recommendation on what way we should turn, we looked at session based technologies versus IP based technologies, made a few technical decisions on what our final design should achieve. Then through canvassing many areas technical staff and holding both staff and student focus groups we developed a list of mandatory and desirable criteria. Armed with the list we then invited responses from all the Major vendors and a few integrators to boot. The initial response was "Not possible with those requirements and speeds" at least not in the ballpark $ your talking. And so began an extended investigation on what is out there including educating some sales staff on their products. We ended up looking to the TELCO space and solutions.
The impression we received was that real-time accounting at gigabit speeds is an evolving space with only a few players, the pricing models are still over the top and the features are not all there. Yet we were able to find three solid vendors able to meet 95% of our requirements.
There was a lot of time spent drilling down on particular issues that we believed could be show stoppers and a lot of crystal ball gazing then looking at vendor road maps.
Our findings will all be revealed at the presentation look forward to seeing you there.
Achieving Enterprise Wide Authentication using EAI
Martin Flanagan, Eucalypt Software Partners
This paper discusses how you can provide a "same sign-on" capability to your staff, across Oracle based Applications using Microsoft Active Directory and SunOne Directory Server. Eucalypt Software Partners have recently completed such a project at the University of Western Sydney and will present the technical architecture of the solution.
Adaptive Services Framework
Keith Sinclair, Cisco
As Cisco began constructing their next-generation Adaptive Network Care (ANC) services, they saw a natural synergy with IBM's Autonomic Computing initiative. Cisco and IBM, companies whose names are synonymous with product reliability and quality customer service, therefore, made the decision to join efforts in developing a framework to encompass both autonomic and adaptive efforts. The results of this collaboration is not only Cisco's current view of an Adaptive Services Framework (ASF) but also the essential components necessary to allow ASF to evolve toward full autonomic implementation. The framework is heavily influenced by the known and anticipated needs of autonomic systems.
More information about the Adaptive Service Framework can be found at:
http://www.cisco.com/application/pdf/en/us/guest/partners/partners/c644/ccmigration_09186a0080202dc7.pdf
An Independent View of University Public Web Server Availability
Philip Roy, Lecturer School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University and Proprietor Roysys - IT Measuring and Monitoring
Roysys has been independently measuring the availability of all thirty eight Australian university public web sites for the past two years. This presentation will explore the characteristics of Australian university web server availability based on actual data recorded over this time. Measured statistics, trends and factors influencing university public web site availability will be discussed.
Topics to be covered include:
- Measured availability of Australian university public web sites
- Benchmarking web site availability
- The profile of a web site outage, what are the statistics
- A comparison of web site availability between RNO's
- A comparison of web site availability between regional and metropolitan universities
- Web server technology and it's impact on availability
- Events that have had a significant affect on availability in the past
Anti-Virus & SPAM Management - The Microsoft way
Raj Natarajan, National Technology Specialist, Enterprise & Partner Group, Microsoft Australia
It's no longer just a nuisance! The rising tide of unsolicited commercial email (spam) is a major concern, and cost, for many organisations. Use Microsoft Exchange to push the limits of anti-spam warfare without buying more tools or resorting to extra pre-processing SMTP servers. In this presentation, see how administrators can use the anti-spam features of Exchange Server 2003 to reduce the amount of spam entering their organization's mail networks. See how these features are augmented with the Intelligent Message Filter. Learn how Exchange Server supports the control of email-borne viruses and junk email (spam) and how this fits into Microsoft's overall anti-spam strategy. Hear how the upcoming release of Exchange Edge Services adds another line of defence to the email ecosystem.
Are you spamming today?
Matthew Sullivan, Spam and Open Relay Blocking System
Today the worlds email system is being flooded by Unsolicited Commercial/Bulk Email, otherwise known as spam. The advent of spam has prompted various changes in the internet over the years, the first significant and noticable change was the removal of trust in the email system of the world. Back in the early days of the internet it was possible to find just about any mailserver to send your message to anyone in the world, but with spam on the increase this method of relaying had to be closed. Unfortunately for the users of the internet the spammers have not just said "ok they don't want it so we won't spam anymore", instead they have found more and more creative ways to send their junk mail and fill our inboxes.
This presentation will cover some of the methods that allow spammers to take over your networks, and spam from them. This has some obvious security implications especially when we discuss trojans leaving backdoors and keylogging machines, but the more subtle problems are those associated with instaling open proxy servers, whether by trick, trojan or luser. More worrying still is the new round of trojans and backdoors which install stealth services and attempt to hide themselves on the network by not opening ports for incoming connections but have daemons that call home or anonymous networks (botnets) which will then accept commands whether it is to DDoS another network or send spam.
Cross University Provisioning and Authentication
Terry Smith, Team Leader Network Applications, Technical Architect, Network Service, Information Technology Service, Queensland University of Technology
John,
I would like to run a BOF session on cross University provisioning and authentication for QPSF high performance systems. I hope to have a pilot / prototype system setup prior to QuestNet and would like to demo it and gather feedback from those interested.
Thanks,
Terry.
Firewalling
Bryan Thompson, Network Engineer (Projects), Queensland University of Technology
Firewalling (Routers, PIX, FWSM, VPN)
Discussion and round table of experiences with Security Solutions including Firewalls, VPNs, and maybe IDS etc.
Bryan and John will have 10 minutes of slides about the architectures used at QUT and JCU.
We then expect a discussion to ensue.
IPTEL and VoIP Issues and directions
Rod Ibell, University of Southern Queensland
This will be a BoF to discuss VoIP and IP telephony within AARNet, the status of IP telephony deployment within universities, and SIP.
Topics from the floor:
- What do YOU want from the working group now and in the future?
- What can you offer in the way of a case study and/or product trial results?
IPVideo
Andrew Howard, Network Engineer, AARNet
This will be a BoF to consider projected IPv6 applications deployment and examine the opportunities, obstacles and transition mechanisms. This is your opportunity to ask questions, get clarification, and find out everything you always wanted to know about Ipv6.
IPv6 Issues and directions
Darren Skidmore, University of Melbourne
This will be a BoF to consider projected IPv6 applications deployment and examine the opportunities, obstacles and transition mechanisms. This is your opportunity to ask questions, get clarification, and find out everything you always wanted to know about Ipv6.
Peering
John Croft, Communications Services Manager, James Cook University
I would like have some discussion with other members on AARNet's new National peering policy in regards to the Tier One connectivity required and especially the exclusion of MLPA based peering arrangements, which are the basis by which the WAIX and PIPE Networks are run.
PIPE Networks MLPA agreement is available here.
AARNet 's International and National policies are available here.
My suggestion is to define a third level of peering : State or Local.
This could be done on a per state basis and we could accept such a connection as a different type of service, rather than a full National / Tier One peering. As far as I can tell, AARNet already allows this level of peering because of the WAIX connection in Western Australia.
Given the configuration of new AARNet3, with a Procket in each state's pair of GigaPOPs and the 7304 accounting routers at the members site's, it makes sense to perform such peering on the Procket routers, rather than go around them, which the current National policy would force each member to do.
To manage this process, members in each state could request such peering via their RNO Technical Advisory Committee and hence to the RNO's Board of Management.
The benefits are in lower traffic costs to each University and better service in terms of latency and data charges to students (and staff), who use ISP's connected to such internet exchange points.
BushNet The design, funding and deployment of a private wireless network linking Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst Hospitals with The University of Sydney. or Politics, Practicalities and Speeding Fines.
John Dodson and Peter Choquenot, University of Sydney and ATI, respectively
The presentation is divided into the following areas:
- A brief overview of the application drivers which prompted the establishment a wideband network linking the hospital sites in Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst with The University of Sydney (this is primarily intended to allow attendees to see the similarities with application drivers for broadband requirements in all non-urban areas),
- An analysis of the options presented by the incumbent Telecommunication carriers as well as the secondary telecommunications market (this will discuss the technologies and capacities offered, touch on quoted costs and lead times as well the perceived applicability to the requirement),
- A discussion on the eventual solution decided upon (a privately owned broadband wireless network),
- A description of the novel funding arrangement finalised which includes partnerships between the University, Hospitals as well as both Federal and State Government agencies,
- A short summary of the actual experiences and pitfalls both administrative and technical in implementing the solution.
Can I email you please?
Claire Groves, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Account Management, Information Technology Services, The University of Queensland
How managers in Australian Universities can use email for marketing and communications without breeching the Spam Act.
With the introduction of the Spam Act in Australia this year, universities must be careful how we now use email for marketing and communications. Any commercial emails we send must have the recipient's permission else we risk breeching the law. But how do we get that permission? And are university emails considered commercial? This presentation explores permission marketing for Australian universities. It is a non-technical talk to give University Business Managers guidance on using email for marketing and communications using university networks. We'll discuss when permission is needed and how to get permission. We'll talk about the types of audiences Universities need to email, such as students, staff and other clients, since staff are considered to be colleagues as well as clients. We'll discuss the subject of the email messages we send, such as outages, virus warnings, newsletters, and promotions. The steps that each email must follow to ensure each message meets the expectations of the Spam Act will be explained. We'll also explore whether Universities are considered commercial enterprises or not-for-profit organisations, and how the Spam Act relates to that distinction. Does the Spam Act affect university faculties teaching activities differently to educational research institutions business activities? Does the nature or reason for the email, for example, a virus warning compared to a promotional message, give us justification to send email without permission? Also presented will be the consequences for your university if you do send Spam, or even if you are just accused of spamming affects your business. We'll find out if it matters whether an email originates within Australia or overseas according to the Spam Act. Finally, we'll look at how to report Spam to help combat this problem and manage our email more easily.
Connecting Rural communites using WiFi
Jamie Curtis, Senior Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, University of Waikato
The WAND neteworking research group (www.wand.net.nz) at the University of Waikato in New Zealand is working on a project looking at using wireless networks that operate in the ISM bands to connect rural and remote communites. Use of equipement operating in these bands is very attractive in the remote areas with low population densities beacuse of the low cost and the lack of potietual sources of interference.
The first stage of the project has been the building of several wireless networks in rural areas. The first of these called CRCnet (www.crc.net.nz) connects 8 remote schools and a number of houses in a tree structured network. Most of the links are point-to-point so that we can maximise performance and support applications such as video conferencing across the network. A second network that we are in the process of building will connect several of what are regarded as some of the most remote schools in the country. The construction of this network has had significant input from the local communitees involved and recently this network was used to hold a sucessful video conference between two of the schools that it connects.
From the experiences that we have gained from building these networks we are looking at ways that the technology can be packaged so that motivated rural communites can build their own networks. This includes the devlopment of kitset versions of our repeaters (including a solar powered version) and a network management system that minimises the level of expertise required to set up and manage a rural community based wireless network.
Design of the Carrier Routing System
Iain Lockyer, Consulting System Engineer, Cisco Systems
The Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System is the industry's first carrier router offering continuous system operation, unprecedented service flexibility, and system longevity. The Cisco CRS-1 is powered by Cisco IOS XR Software, a unique self-healing and self-defending operating system designed for always-on operation while scaling system capacity up to 92 Tbps. The innovative system architecture combines the Cisco Silicon Packet Processor, the first programmable 40-Gbps ASIC, with the Cisco Service Separation Architecture for unprecedented service flexibility and speed to service. The Cisco CRS-1 marks a new era in carrier IP communications by powering the foundation for network and service convergence today while protecting investments for decades to come.
The Cisco CRS-1 includes two major elements, Line-Card Shelves and Fabric Shelves, combinations of which allow the Cisco CRS-1 to scale from sixteen 40-Gbps slots to as many 1152 40-Gbps slots in 72 Line-Card shelves interconnected using eight Fabric Shelves, all operating as a single system.
This is an excerpt from : Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System
DoCITA overview of Advanced Network Programme
Andrea Grosvenor, Manager, Broadband Networks, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
The Australian Government seeks to ensure the provision of quality telecommunications and other essential services to all Australians. It also seeks to promote the development of Australian ICT industries and the adoption of ICT to advance Australian industry in general.
In 2001 the Government announced that it was providing $37.23 million from the partial sale of Telstra to fund three projects to establish next generation networks using leading-edge network technologies. In the three years since the commencement of the Advanced Networks Program (ANP), the three projects, CeNTIE, GrangeNet and m.Net have strengthened the capacity of Australian researchers to participate in new areas of research, enhanced Australia's international scientific reputation, stimulated local expertise and contributed to ICT industry development.
More specifically, the ANP has achieved the following:
- the establishment of world-class optical and wireless advanced networks, including the development of an advanced innovation 10Gbps network connecting research institutions in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth;
- the use of the networks for leading edge research and industry focussed R&D;
- the development of new applications and services (one of which has been patented while others are undergoing commercial trials);
- ANP projects being invited to participate in a number of international projects;
- the establishment of linkages between the ANP-funded advanced networks and other national and international networks; and
- the facilitation of increased cooperation between universities, research institutions, telecommunications carriers and ICT organisations.
This paper describes the Advanced Networks Program and its major achievements to date. It sets out the relationship of the program with other Government initiatives, such as the Australian Research and Education Network. Future directions and possible activities are discussed. The paper also describes other Australian Government programs aimed at promoting the availability and effective use of broadband connectivity, in particular the National Communications Fund and the Coordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund. These programs support significant telecommunications projects in the education and health sectors in regional Australia.
Email The 'killer application becomes Mission-Critical
Jeff Brainard, Senior Manager of Product Marketing, Mirapoint
With over 50 billion emails sent worldwide each day, communications are increasingly traveling across message networks. Email has evolved far beyond the "killer application" of the Internet to become a mission-critical application in our daily lives. Businesses execute transactions, partnerships, sales, negotiations and marketing through their email messages. Consumers chat with friends and family, read newsletters and buy products. New technology advances converging traditional voice, data and wireless networks, are making simple text email messages now take shape as videos, voice mails, faxes, animated greetings and images, as well as Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) mobile messages.
As email-based applications and the underlying message networks take on an increasingly central role in our communications, the security and reliability of these networks is becoming more important. This includes traditional enterprises and service providers, as well as education and government institutions that now need to provide dial-tone quality email service servicing larger numbers of users, connecting from a broader set of devices, sending greater volumes of messages while at the same time addressing significant security threats like spam, viruses, hacker attacks, malicious code and inappropriate content that jeopardize these email-based communications.
In Mirapoint's speaking slot, these trends around email and security will be addressed in depth. In addition, customer examples will be used to demonstrate how many organizations today are adapting and strategically investing in their IT infrastructure to boost the reliability and security of their message networks for the future.
Enabling distant collaboration with SIP
Mick Regan, Convergence, Nortel Networks
The Session Initiation Protocol is touted as "the control plane for multimedia". Built to be extendable and interoperable for more than just voice and video it has been building hype for some time now.
Only recently, a number of real-world implementations are showing just what SIP is really capable of delivering and the hype hasn't been far off the mark with the emergence of applications that enable remote collaboration that is much more than just a video conferencing or an electronic white board exchange.
This session discusses:
- What SIP is and where it came from
- Where SIP fits in network-based collaboration such as teaming or distance learning
- What are some of the implementations that reveal reality from hype
- Where a number of vendors looking to take SIP - including networks, applications and back-ends.
Typing a document in on a pc won't have to be a solitary process in the future ...
Gigabit Optical Networking - The Foundation for Next Generation Multi-service Networks
Garry Ruddy, Manager, Optical Solutions Marketing - Emerging carriers, Australia and New Zealand, Nortel Networks
Optical network is the fundamental foundation for converged networks, whether it is a transoceanic network, a national network for a carrier or a private network for an academic research community.
The ever changing end-user demands & higher-layer multi-service requirements are now imposing a new set of requirements on the Optical networks. This session discusses some of the emerging trends in optical networking:
- Smarter Protection & Restoration: The changing end user services demand for flexible Class-of-services (CoS) in the optical layer. ASTN/OTN are the new standards that enables different CoS, while reducing cost of the infrastructure
- Common Photonic Layer (CPL): Backbone networks no longer need enormous capital investments. Advances in CPL technology are enabling significant cost reductions in line systems, improved flexibility, simpler operations and very compact designs
- Multi-Service Provisioning Platforms (MSPP) enabling the convergence: To date, the service providers have been rolling out multiple parallel networks (Ethernet, SDH, ATM) in the access networks. Thanks to the recent advancements in the MSPP space, service providers will be able to support multiple protocols cost-effectively and efficiently over single compact CPE.
- Optical Storage Networking: In the early part of decade, many new technologies were promoted to be essential elements in your network. Most of these essential elements have passed into history. But one darling of the bubble, storage is clearly heading for something real. Not all storage is created equal. Various carriage options available for storage networking will be discussed.
GrangeNet ~ a great start and an even brighter future
Paul Davis, Director, GrangeNet
GrangeNet began in 2002 with the dual objectives of providing a high bandwidth, low latency network for Australian research communities and fostering the development of GRID and advanced communications services. Initially a three-year program, GrangeNet has been so successful that it was recently granted funds to continue for a further two years giving GrangeNet the opportunity to further develop its relationship with collaborative research efforts and to become a key part of the emerging Australian eResearch platform.
GrangeNet has been welcomed by many research communities and has been able to bring together investigators from disparate disciplines but with similar problems, e.g. linguistics, astronomy, film archives and video-based sports training. GrangeNet staff work closely with astronomers, swimming coaches, physicists, linguists, bioinformaticians, chemists, microscopists and many more to develop new and inspired approaches to research approaches made possible by affordable, high bandwidth, low latency networks.
Science is fast becoming a team sport and fast networks make it possible for geographically scattered researchers to behave as a team. GrangeNet's the focus has not been limited to the efforts of scientists and engineers; researchers in the arts and humanities also work with large, distributed data sets. New communications tools like the Access Grid find application in all fields and especially education. And communities that are traditionally not network users (such as the Australian Institute of Sport) are finding novel applications.
QuestNet provides GrangeNet with the opportunity to highlight the success stories from the last two years and to unveil GrangeNet's plans for the next two.
IP Telephony: The Road Ahead
Adam Radford, CCIE, Cisco Systems
Running Telephony services over an IP data network is now generally accepted as a question of "not if but when". The initial motivation for IP telephony was often about simplification of infrastructure and reduction of costs.
Now that the adoption of IP telephony has become common place, people are looking at the next steps to take above the provision of simple dialtone. The focus is moving to applications and more importantly integration between applications.
This presentation looks at some of the applications that sit on top of an ip telephony environment. It will also look at video and collaboration technologies, and consider the realities of SIP in the enterprise environment.
'Interactive Distance e-Learning' via satellite - A Case Study of NSW & NT Schools of the Air
Nick Leake, National Marketing Manager, Satellite Division, Optus
Satellite technology transforming education in rural communities
We all recognise the challenges in delivering rich Multimedia educational content to rural communities with poor terrestrial connectivity that is accepted as the norm in our city schools. The demand for equality of service and delivery of basic broadband connectivity is real. Why should a child be disadvantaged in our educational system due to their remote location? This forum will look at some vital issues on how satellite is fast becoming the only alternative means for education providers to transform educational opportunities for students in the outback.
Further, we'll look at the benefits, applications and changes satellite can bring to distance education.
- How is Optus meeting these challenges?
- How is Optus addressing the needs for interactive distance learning?
- Where does Optus see the future of Satellite communication in education?
Internet Content (Filtering, Caching, Content Delivery)
John Cougar, Telstra Internet Development team
The Internet connects millions of users together via their PCs. Connectivity is good, but abuse is running rampant, and much content is unsavoury and destructive in the wrong hands. Managers of user communities are searching for appropriate, cohesive methods of policy enforcement to control user activity while maintaining status quo. Vendors view content control as the next big slice of the technology initiative pie, while detractors say it is another bubble about to burst. The fundamental questions to be answered are: How does one make an appropriate technology choice, how does one build a system and then charge for it, and how does one enforce policy while maintaining the philosophy on which the Internet is built: to connect all users in the known universe, without boundaries? This paper examines vendor and telco/ISP initiatives and best-practices for today and into the foreseeable future.
Introduction:
On the back of the Internet, we live in a very-well connected world, where most of millions PCs have to ability to connect to each other to share data and computing power. When viewed in a positive light, this is a tremendous human achievement when used as the founding builders intended: as a well-connected "cyberspace" that adds imaginative dimensions to e-nable humans and systems to interact autonomously without limitations, be they geographical, physical or otherwise; to some users, however, this enablement has proven to be a sink for their mischief and miscreant activity. Such activity takes on as many forms and definitions as there are people, the definitions of what is and is not acceptable practice being as diverse as the people who make them and the cultures within which they operate.
People positions pf responsibility, be they parents, business managers or politicans, find that it is necessary to take a doctrinal stance on technology and its daily use, and wish to enforce policies that conform with the stated correct practices for their user groups. Assuming that technology has a part to play in this most-human of problems, then technology will be controlling technology and its users, and it must be done in such a way as to maximise its effectiveness and "customisable" flexibility, while minimising the negative psycological impact associated with policy enforcement of any kind.
The deployment of any technology always carries an associated cost, and to build an effective business, such cost must be recovered from the consumers of the business resource. The vendor has the responsibility of developing and delivering content management solutions that can be customised to meet the needs of a diverse community of users, that can provide assurance that policies are indeed being enforced effectively, implying audit trails of sufficient detail to act as proof in the event of an inquiry, and can provide sufficient detail in data interfaces necessary to implement solutions to provide return-on-investment to the business. The implementor has the responsibility of developing a system that effectively uses the features of the vendor-supplied techological tools to implement a business model that provides ROI while maintaining sufficient audit trails for the purposes of resolution in the event of a dispute.
Internet accounting, billing, and user management via Jet
Kevin Littlejohn, Senior Consultant, Obsidian Consulting
Obsidian Consulting Group develop Jet, a billing system aimed at the Internet industry, but built to be highly flexible and modular. Recent implementations have taken place on wireless provider networks and in universities.
This presentation will cover some of the issues around billing for a complex system - from client sign-on through usage gathering to end user invoicing and credit card payments. Discussion will cover SSG usage/authentication, LDAP/multiple database integration, scaling, wireless network management/accounting, and other topics of interest to attendees.
We will be using a recent implementation at CQU as a case study for parts of this paper
Keynote - Networks for knowledge and innovation - A strategic study of European research and education networking
Karel Vietsch, Secretary General of TERENA
Abstract: |
The presentation will discuss the highlights of the SERENATE findings, and give particular attention to organisation and funding issues. In total, SERENATE has published 15 public reports, which are all available at www.serenate.org/publications/The SERENATE studies have investigated the strategic aspects of the development of research and education networking in Europe over the next 5-10 years, looking into the technical, organisational and financial aspects, the market conditions and the regulatory environment. The SERENATE project was carried out in the period from May 2002 until the end of December 2003, and was funded by the European Commission with almost 1 million euro. The project partners were TERENA, DANTE, the Center for Tele-Information at the Technical University of Denmark, the Academia Europaea and the European Science Foundation. The studies have benefited greatly from the active involvement of all stakeholders: research and education networking organisations, governments and funding bodies, network operators and equipment vendors, and, last but not least, the users of research and education networks.
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TERENA: |
TERENA is the association of research and education networking organisations in Europe. Its mission translates into four categories of activities:
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Keynote - The Status and Results of the 6NET Project and Related IPv6 Initiatives
Peter Kirstein, University College, London, United Kingdom
Abstract: |
The European Commission is funding a number of IPv6-related initiatives under its Framework Programme. One major such project is 6NET, which is deploying a substantial native IPv6 network, and piloting a number of important developments on this network. These include multicast, mobility and security at the network level. There are many other applications and higher level functions being piloted in the project like: renumbering, Voice/IP, Conferencing, Streaming, Grid computing, IPv6/DVB-S and Virtual Private Networks.This talk will describe the status and results of the 6NET project, and of some of the other initiatives with which the project has relationships. |
Keynote - Managing the equivalent to AARNet in China albeit servicing 1200 universities!
Professor Xing Li, Tsinghua University, Beijing and Deputy Director, China Education and Research Network
Abstract: |
What are the key network differences and similarities between Australia and China. What lessons can be learned from managing capacity on such a different scale. What charging algorithms are in use in China, and how might they be applied here? |
Keynote - SURFnet6, NetherLight and GLIF
Kees Neggers, Managing Director SURFnet, Director of the GigaPort Network project
SURFnet: |
SURFnet's mission is to develop and operate an advanced networking infrastructure for the research and higher education community in the Netherlands. Via the GigaPort project SURFnet has build SURFnet5, a fully optical 10Gbit/s dual stack IP network. Today some 120 customers, which is about 80% of the SURFnet customer base, are connected to SURFnet5 via Gigabit Ethernet. In addition SURFnet pioneered with Lambda networking and developed NetherLight, which has become a major hub in the emerging global LambdaGRID for e-Science. Early 2003 SURFnet presented its plans for SURFnet6 as part of the GigaPort Next Generation Network project proposal. End 2003 the Dutch Government awarded the project a grant of 40 MEuro for 5 years. SURFnet6 is designed as a hybrid optical and packet switching infrastructure. It will be based on SURFnet owned dark fiber and aims to provide the SURFnet customers with seamless Lambda, Ethernet and IP network connectivity. SURFnet6 will be realized with Nortel Networks, Avici and Telindus as industrial partners. |
GLIF: |
GLIF, the Global Lambda Integrated Facility, was established by invited participants at the 3rd annual Global LambdaGrid Workshop, held August 27, 2003 in Reykjavik, Iceland. The term facility is key, as participants recognized that they are building more than a network. They are building an environment (networking infrastructure, network engineering, system integration, middleware, applications) to accomplish real work. GLIF is a collaborative initiative among worldwide NRNs, consortia and institutions with lambdas. |
Layer 7 Switching Deployment at QUT
David Richards, Senior Network Programmer, Information Technology Services, Queensland University of Technology
Universities increasingly need their networks, including the applications, to be available 24x7. Traditionally, this has been a problem in terms of either resourcing or hardware limitations. In recent years, application availability has been the realm of server clusters, which have also proved problematic. Network Services at QUT have investigated other technologies to overcome these issues and have now deployed layer 4/7 switching where it makes sense. This presentation outlines QUT's business objective, the architectural deployment and how this technology may be leveraged into the future to provide 24x7 available services.
QUT selected the BigIP product from F5 Networks, the market leader of layer 4/7 switching technology. Daniel Storey from F5 will give an overview of the technology deployed at QUT, how the technology may be deployed in other environments including global server load balance and a glimpse at the F5 product roadmap.
Leading Edge Videoconferencing
Gary Gulliford and Roger Boe, Manager Videoconferencing and Audio Visual Services, Information Technology & Resources, James Cook University and Senior Product Development Manager, Tandberg, respectively
The presentation will be opened by Gary Gulliford, who will introduce the story of JCU's video communication from an operations and users perspective. Then he'll cover some network specific issues. Roger Boe will then conclude by talking about the network solutions and implementation.
Managing Gigabit Networks, Applications and Services - CeNTIE
Jim Argyros, Network Operations Manager, CeNTIE
The Centre for Network Technologies for the Information Economy (CeNTIE) is one of three advanced network projects funded by the Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts. CeNTIE has built a high performance network for research that is part of a national backbone. Working closely with industry CeNTIE is developing showcase business systems in four key areas of the Information Economy (Tele-health, Media Systems, Telecollaboration and Information Brokering). These are used as the catalyst for R&D in advanced networks.
CeNTIE has built MANs both in Sydney and in Perth. It has a presence additionally in Melbourne and Canberra. There exists a collaborative agreement between CeNTIE and GrangeNet for the carriage of CeNTIE traffic through MPLS tunnels across GrangeNet. This provides the Sydney/Canberra and Sydney/Melbourne links. The Melbourne/Perth link has been provided by IP1, now Telstra. All links are a gigabit except for the Perth/Melbourne link that is 10 gigabit. There are many CeNTIE networks and all of the networks are capable of spanning the complete network. By the use of different colours and by using VLANs it has been possible to create virtual networks for groups of applications. Among the twenty plus networks that exist, we have dedicated one to CeNTIE management. At each point of presence, a node has been installed for management purposes. The components of each node vary from site to site but at a minimum, each node contains a Nortel Passport 8600 ethernet switch/router, a network power switch, an access server, a PC running Unix. This has been called the CeNTIE standard node. Other components have been added as required, eg: a UPS, an environmental monitoring station, a modem.
The biggest issue faced is how to manage such a dispersed network. There are precisely two people in Network Operations, both based in Sydney.. Much effort has been put into providing remote sites (away from Sydney) with redundant network paths to the nodes for troubleshooting purposes. Continuous monitoring is provided by MRTG and NAGIOS. Automatic notification of problems to the operations staff has been achieved wherever they may be. Network security has been important during the construction phase of the network and is addressed continuously in the operational phase.
Managing Gigabit Networks, Applications and Services - Compuware
Mike Hicks, Principal Consultant, Compuware
The astounding growth of computer networking in recent years has been characterized by the struggle of network managers to keep pace with the demand for network resources. As more and more users, running more and more applications, demand increased network bandwidth and performance, network managers continually find themselves adding more expensive capacity in an effort to satisfy the needs of their customers. Yet, networks remain congested, and applications continue to run slowly. New breeds of aggressive applications, and new business drivers such as, an expanding set of business stakeholders, (i.e., customers, partners, suppliers and employees), security and reliability of mission critical applications, optimal end user experience, and return on business process, technology and software investments, compound this struggle.
Some predict that soon there will be enough capacity for all, and congestion will be a thing of the past. Others are preparing for a future in which capacity will always be a valuable commodity, better managed than wasted. Once an enterprise has decided to look at the network from the outside, from the perspective of business objectives, the IT department has its work cut out. For one thing, the number of dependencies in any particular business process increases the risk of downtime exponentially.
In today's business world, it is not practical to take the view that one person or group can control/manage an entire enterprise. What this paper discusses is, in fact, that by managing the application delivery, by viewing it from a true end-to-end perspective, the overall management process can be improved by identifying hot spots in the delivery mechanism, and in a common environment, (common to each particular group) identifying potential hot spots (or retrospectively trouble spots) of other groups.
Performance management has to be viewed from an application perspective, and application transactions need to be tracked end-to-end through the entire infrastructure, which includes client devices, routing protocols, network configurations, server architectures and other components.
In order to solve performance problems effectively or to forecast computing and networking resource requirements pro actively, you must understand how applications consume system and network resources. Determining whether business applications are functioning properly from the end user's perspective is the single most important challenge faced by IT in delivering acceptable service for business-critical applications.
This paper will discuss the theory behind the end-to-end story. Showing how APM enhances the full spectrum of IT process, from operational tasks to planning initiatives. Including the reasoning why there is a need to view the delivery model across client, network and server. As well as what is actually meant by the term APM in the context of the Enterprise.
Mission Possible! an integrated approach to the provision of broadband to schools, VET, universities and research organisations in Australia
Peter Nissen, National Broadband Adviser for Education, DEST / DoCITA
The author was appointed on 3 March 2004 as the first National Broadband Adviser for the Education Sector in a joint News Release by The Hon Daryl Williams Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson Minister for Education, Science and Training.
This role is part of the Demand Aggregation Broker Program initiative under the National Broadband Strategy (NBS) Action Plan.
The NBS Action Plan is overseen by the National Broadband Strategy Implementation Group (NBSIG) with three Australian Government funding programs namely:
- Coordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund (CCIF);
- Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HiBIS) and
- Demand Aggregation Broker Program.
These initiatives are complemented by the Australian Research and Education Network (AREN) initiative and numerous state and territory broadband initiatives.
The Demand Aggregation Broker Program (DABP) includes three core elements:
- national broadband advisers, to focus on multi-jurisdictional broadband initiatives in targeted areas such as the health and education sectors;
- state and territory based brokers, to work with governments and communities within a state or territory and
- community based broker projects, to assist communities with demand aggregation on specific broadband projects.
The presentation will discuss the key attributes and objectives of the Australian School's bandwidth action plan. Learning in an Online World and the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector's bandwidth strategy Access to Bandwidth for Connectivity (A2B4C).
The presentation will explore synergies between these sector specific bandwidth initiatives and the Australian Research and Education Network (AREN) and AARNet3 developments. In addition, the need for local programs like the US Internet2 K20 Sponsored Education Group Participant initiative and the UK JANET Multi-Site Connectivity Advisory Service will be explored.
The paper will discuss the need for the wider education sector to become a better informed and a more proactive purchaser of broadband communications and the need for the sector to convince service providers that the broadband requirements to support sustainable educational services to students as well as the needs of researchers are not satisfactorily addressed by today's standard service offerings.
National Research Education and Innovation Network (NZ)
Dr Peter Komisarczuk, Senior Lecturer, School of Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington
NGINZ is in the process of setting up a gigabit NREIN (National Research Education and Innovation Network) based on Ethernet technology and high performance IP routing. The REIN will offer a national high speed network connecting customers with high performance computing sites through to small campus networks. The network is based on the idle network concept and the application of the nearlynet approach.
International connectivity is expected to be through a deal with AARNET to share the 10G ring capacity to the US. Initially the services to be offered will be based on IP/Ethernet transport but in the future may include VoIP and other leading edge IP based services, such as those recently offered in AARNET and in other NRENs.
A study of network tariff schemes has recently been conducted and the results are being used to define the tariffs for the NGINZ. These results are briefly discussed in this paper. The initial charging model is likely to be a simple flat fee based on access speed however with demand uncertain and potential for some high capacity users likely to be the predominant traffic capacity users. In such a network there may be a market for trading network capacity between users with significant needs and users that have yet to develop a project requiring high speed connectivity. One mechanism for the redistribution of network capacity on demand based on the use of Vickery auctions is discussed in this paper.
Network costs out of control? Cost recovery and billing for today's networks
Steve Prince, Research and Development Manager, Phoneware
Monash University in Victoria have implemented an Internet Billing and Quota Management System (IBQMS), to enable them to balance the commercial reality of network usage costs, with the provision of cost recovery mechanisms.
The IBQMS system, developed by Phoneware Communication Systems, provides numerous business benefits including:
- Full cost recovery of the network resources by charging back to users and billing to the faculties, affiliates and commercial entities.
- Enable the faculties and departments to better manage their budgets by controlling the networking resources used through the use of a quota system, and hence costs incurred by their students.
- Take into account the different AARNet traffic regions and associated rates whilst applying complex quota business rules.
- Recover costs incurred by the different user groups: students, staff, affiliates and companies. The later enables recovery of real money.
- Ensure equitable use by all students of the available networking resources.
- Ensure that small percentage of students who abuse the usage will pay for the privilege.
The Internet Billing System caters for over 150,000 students, staff, servers, affiliates and commercial entities. In doing so, the system must process between 70 and 800 million records per day from a number of proxy servers as well as the VRN-AARNet gateway whilst taking into account complex tariffs, overheads and the proportional split of students across different faculties.
The costs are recovered to within 0.25%.
Within the context of the Monash University implementation the Phoneware Paper will examine:
- The Architectural challenges of Data Billing
- Scalability issues
- How to capture information
- Reporting
- Performance considerations
- Interoperability and Integration considerations
- How the business benefits described above are realised
Networking Beyond the Year 2010
Vince Pizzica, Chief Technology Officer, Australia and New Zealand, Alcatel
We are entering an exciting era of change in the way telecommunications makes it easier to live our lives affordably. This presentation will look at the technologies that we can will make a disruptive impact in the way telecommunications services are delivered beyond 2010. As part of the discission, we will provide an overview of Fibre to the home technologies and how they are now becoming a reality. In the wireless arena, we look at the early teething problems of 3G and discuss how future wireless technologies like 4G and WiMax will become everyday parts of the devices we use in the office, at home and on the road.
Partnering in research with Nortel Networks
James Boswell, Senior Research Engineer, Nortel Technology Centre, Wollongong
This presentation is about Nortel Networks R&D in Australia, our R&D partnerships, and our role within the Australian ICT community.
Nortel's vision is to enrich global communications by transforming networks and eliminating boundaries. This network transformation will feature a dynamic packet/optical network, will be smarter and more adaptable, and will provide rich, secure, intelligent edge services.
Nortel Networks remains committed to research and development in Australia. The Nortel Technology Centre Wollongong (NTCW) has developed many telecommunications technologies over the last 15 years. In 2003, NTCW won the 2003 AIIA iAward for Telecommunications Innovation for Nortel's Mobile Location Centre. With the telecommunications downturn, and rise of IT outsourcing to cheaper labor markets, many multinational telecommunications vendors have reduced, or pulled out completely of R&D in Australia. It is our belief that Nortel can play an important role locally, partnering with the local ICT research community in research and development.
Nortel has an innovation model that begins with engagement with other researchers and enables collaborative research. We have the capability to take research from early idea stages to high reliability, carrier grade products. Our collaborative research with CSIRO in CeNTIE is an example of this and we are currently commencing commercialisation of early CeNTIE Extranets on Demand work.
As part of this research, and it's commercial development, we will be utilising a new prototype being developed as a "breadboard" for network edge services development. Screamer. Screamer is being developed as a card for Nortel's Passport 8600 routing switch, and will allow researchers to try out their networking research ideas at data rates of 10Gbps. Functionality can be moved from CPU to NPU to FPGA as appropriate, based on performance requirements and development time available.
Peering in Australia
Stephen Baxter, Managing Director, PIPE Networks
An historical look at peering points in Australia and a brief on PIPE Networks peering points, how customers use them and the tools available. The advantages to large organisation of peering and how it dramatically improves network performance.
Also covering the current regulatory issues in the peering scene and the efforts by the regulator to declare interconnection services.
Personal Multimedia Conferencing
Alfred Ng, Technical Director - Networking Business, Asia Pacific Region, Radvision
Until as recently as a few years ago, voice calling was done over the telephone, data was transported over the Ethernet and PC, and videoconferencing was conducted over ISDN to large and expensive stand-alone units in meeting and conference rooms.
All of that has changed with the IP communications revolution.
Now, companies like Microsoft are delivering integrated multimedia (voice, video, and Web conferencing) to the PC with Windows Messenger (built in to millions of end points in use today). Plus, Web conferencing companies are delivering voice and Web conferencing to the desktop - rolling out video as a crucial component of multimedia communications.
In this session, we will discuss the emergence of personal multimedia communications to the desktop, meeting room, in the home, and on the road. Specific topics will include the evolution and convergence of videoconferencing, telephony and Web-based conferencing onto the IP network, and the implications for the IT and training manager.
Also included will be a discussion of applications that blend all three formats into a comprehensive rich communications paradigm.
Finally, we will review the steps IT managers must take in rolling out this new paradigm for desktop-based training and integrating it into their existing communications architecture of H.323, PSTN, ISDN and SIP-based devices and end points.
Participants will leave the session with a clear understanding of:
- The new communications paradigm
- Issues in architecting a network to best leverage IP communications
- The pitfalls and issues to be aware of in rushing to an IP architecture, such as SIP/H.323 interoperability or firewall/NAT traversal problems
Project Management Case Study: Wireless@Griffith
Thomas King and David Renaud, Team Leader and Wirless Network Support Officer, respectively, Network Services, Information Technology Services, Griffith University
Like most Australian Universities, Griffith University saw the need to provide wireless network access to its students. During 2002 a pilot project was conducted and a small wireless deployment was created for an academic research area. In 2003 phase one of a university wide rollout was conducted with a promoted go-live date in early February this year. Currently phase two of the project is underway and this will see the number of installed access point go from 70 to between 250-300.
The focus of this presentation will be on how the project was conducted from the project initiation all the way through to the post project review.
Some key project findings and outcomes will be discussed and include:
- how we conducted our RFO (not in the usual way!)
- comprehensive test results of short listed equipment
- how we provide support to student using the service
- the support web site
- exhaustive student survey that over 2000 students completed
- our wireless security model and why we chose this
- how we completed the installs
- what procedures, checklists and documentation we produced for the project
- monitoring and management of AP's
- how the solution scales
- how the project was governed
This paper is aimed at both technical and non-technical staff including Network and Sys Admin staff, project managers and anyone interested in real world project management or deploying large scale wireless network across multiple campus'. Please feel free to come along and ask the speaker any hard or embarrassing questions you may have. This session is intended to be a warts and all interactive presentation about a real world project, where hopefully everybody can learn something.
Real Time WLAN
Alex Gatiragas, Product Manager for Enterprise Convergent Solutions, Business Solutions, NEC
It is easy to go to a local Electronics retailer to purchase and deploy a residential WLAN, BUT deploying and maintaining a robust, feature rich and secure enterprise wide wireless network can prove to be difficult without the correct mix of product and knowledge. , NEC's Product Manager Alex Gatiragas, will give the audience an insight into new technologies being deployed worldwide by organisations that wish to get the best out of WLAN.
Topics presented include:-
- WLAN deployment options
- Voice and Data convergence over WLAN
- Securing WLAN
- Real time monitoring of the network
Rendezvous: ZeroConf for the masses
Joseph Cox, Systems Engineer, Apple Computer
Rendezvous is Apple's implementation of Zero Configuration networking, for the masses. It is a collection of technologies that when used together deliver automatic networking configuration and service discovery. The technologies at the core of Rendezvous link-local addressing, Multicast DNS, and DNS service discovery are all open and part of the ongoing IETF standards creation process. The process is coordinated by the ZeroConf Networking Group of the IETF. Apple participates fully in this standards process, ensuring full device interoperability. This session will discuss and demonstrate the practical implementation of this revolutionary technology.
Report on the Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories
Robin Stanton, Pro Vice Chancellor, Australian National University
The Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories (APSR) responds to the Commonwealth's call to develop the national research information infrastructure through a broad, repository-based architecture. APSR has an overall focus on the critical issues of the access continuity and the sustainability of digital collections. The Partnership will build on a base of demonstrators for digital continuity and sustainability, embedded in developmental repository facilities within partner institutions. Thirdly, it will contribute to national strength in this area by encouraging the development of skills and expertise and providing coordination throughout the sector. APSR will actively provide international linkages and national services.
Research Channel International, Experiences with video conferencing and BoF
Andrew Howard, Network Engineer, AARNet
ResearchChannel is a consortium of research universities and corporate research divisions dedicated to broadening the access to and appreciation of our individual and collective activities, ideas, and opportunities in basic and applied research.
One of the major goals of ResearchChannel is to use program content creation and manipulation processes as testing medium for analog and digital broadcast and on-demand multimedia offerings, thus providing an unusual opportunity to experiment with new methods of distribution and interaction on a global basis.
For our many viewers on cable, direct broadcast satellite, and the Internet, ResearchChannel is the C-SPAN of scientific and medical research.
AARNet is collaborating with ResearchChannel to make the best of Australia's content available to the world.
This session will also include presentations by users of video conferencing within AARNet, and provide an opportunity for discussions of related issues.
Software Engineering for the Computational Grid
David Abramson, Professor, School of Computer Science, Monash University
Over the last several years, combinations of super-computers, or Grids, have been developed. Computational Grids couple geographically distributed resources such as high-performance computers, workstations, clusters of computers, and scientific instruments. Grids like the US-based TeraGrid have begun to provide the infrastructure to support global collaboration in science and engineering in ways that were not previously possible. They enable a new discipline called e-Science. Unlike traditional high-performance computing systems, Grids provide more than just computing power. They address issues of wide-area networking, wide-area scheduling, and resource discovery in ways that allow many resources (e.g., computers and scientific instruments) to be assembled, on demand, to solve large, complex problems. Grid applications potentially allow real-time processing of data streams from scientific instruments such as particle accelerators and telescopes in ways that are much more flexible and powerful than those currently available.
This talk will discuss the software life cycle and the implications for developing software for the Grid. We will consider the traditional phases of software development, test and debug, deployment and execution, and show how some tools we have built address each of these phases. In particular, I will highlight the Nimrod parameter sweep tools, the Active Sheets spreadsheet interface, a debugger called Guard and the Nimrod Portal.
The Australian Research and Education Network: its critical role in Australia's e-Research Infrastructure strategy
Evan Arthur, Acting Group Manager, Innovation and Research Systems Group, Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training
The Australian Research and Education Network: its critical role in Australia's e-Research Infrastructure strategy.
If Australia is to remain internationally competitive in terms of its research capacity, it must invest in system-wide research infrastructure, or access to infrastructure, which is appropriate to support our national research priorities. The increasing use of high-performance computing and communications technologies is changing the way in which researchers collaborate and access research repositories and facilities and this new face of research is referred to as e-Research.
For the higher education sector and related research community, the Government has adopted a strategic approach to the allocation of funding aimed at providing the essentials of an e-Research infrastructure strategy. Australia's strategic approach to investment in e-Research infrastructure is consistent with similar initiatives in leading research communities, such as cyber infrastructure in the US, e-Science in the UK and the European e-infrastructure initiative.
The Research Programme of the CSIRO Centre for Networking Technologies for the Information Economy
Glynn Rogers, Research Leader in Advanced Networks Technology, CeNTIE, CSIRO ICT Centre
The CSIRO Centre for Networking Technologies for the Information Economy (CeNTIE) is now in its third year of operation and its now possible to gain a clear impression of its impact. While it has a substantial networking and applications research component, CeNTIE's core function is to build a strong link between the research community and the potential industrial and commercial users of advanced networks. A specific mechansism based on four focus groups was designed into the initial CeNTIE structure and has been evolving with experience. These focus groups enable researchers to interact with the users providing insights into the emerging technology in one direction and gaining insights into user requirements in the other.
Each focus group is backed up by a "Business Systems" project which turns these requirements insights into experimental demonstrators running on the CeNTIE network. These enable the focus group members (including the researchers) to better understand the potential of the technology and generate new insights into possible applications. These "business systems" projects, in turn, identify gaps in the existing technology which are used to motivate the underlying technology and applications research.
In general, connecting research with industrial and commercial applications has not been an overwhelming success in Australia and it is clear that establishing a viable connection is by no means a trivial problem. CeNTIE's exploration of the Focus Group Business Systems project structure is a research project in its own right addressing this problem and has generated a deeper understanding of the issues involved.
The presentation will provide a quick overview of CeNTIE in general and this connection experiment in particular, describing the experience and drawing some tentative conclusions. It will then go on to describe the technology gaps that have been identified relating them to the underlying research projects and giving an overview of those projects. The presentation will conclude by listing the networking and applications research outcomes so far and outlining the targets for the remainder of the current phase of CeNTIE.
CeNTIE's experimental and demonstration work is based on a gigabit Ethernet MAN in Sydney with links to Canberra and Perth. This network and its operation are the subject of a separate paper by Jim Argyros.
The new AARNet3 network and its implementation
Chris Hancock and Don Robertson, CEO and Deputy CEO, AARNet, respectively
This presentation will be an update about APL, primarily the new AARNet3 network and its implementation. In particular the impact of AARNet3 will be discussed including accounting and potential new innovate uses of the network.
Refer to the AARNet3 section of AARNet's web site for further details.
Tutorial Anti-Virus and WORM detection in a University WAN Environment
Roger Whitely, APAC Training Manager, Fortinet Inc.
This workshop is composed of presentation and laboratory session covering current security issues, and methods of addressing these concerns in the context of a University network. This workshop will be very valuable to network engineers, system administrator and technical professionals and managers who have computer and network security responsibilities in their respective organizations.
The subjects covered in this workshop are shown below:
- Presentation and Discussion : In-line Anti-Virus (AV) detection in the University space
- Lab Session: in-line AV detection configuration
- Presentation and Discussion : Intrusion Protection Systems (IPS) and defeating current threats (MSBlaster, Sasser)
- Lab Session: IPS introduction
- Presentation and Discussion : URL Filtering
- Lab Session: Setting up URL Filtering
Tutorial Campus Network Design
Tony Saunders, Network Engineer, Cisco Systems
Campus Network Design
This session focuses on the technology alternatives and design principles related to Enterprise campus networks. Participants will receive in-depth information on Cisco's Multilayer model and its relevance in enterprise networks. The session will illustrate the hierarchical layers of Cisco's Multilayer model; Access, Distribution and Core with guidance on technology and protocol alternatives like Spanning Tree (STP), Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP), Routing in the Access Layer, software features and design principles at each layer for successfully deploying today's enterprise network.
The session features Technology Alternatives for deploying advanced services like High Availability, Rapid spanning tree, IP Multicast, and Campus Quality of Service. Examples of failure analysis scenarios, discussions on LAN and Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) tuning will be touched upon along with LAN design best practices needed to run stable networks.
This session is suited to participants wanting to understand the fundamentals of LAN campus design and associated technology alternatives, and will be informative and useful for participants who are responsible for the Design, Deployment, and Management of Enterprise Campus Networks.
Advanced Campus Network Design
This session will examine in some detail the Campus Network Design considerations required to support emerging Enterprise network solutions such as Campus Wireless LANs. WLAN Roaming alternatives including the implications of extending the spanning tree domain, implementing Mobile IP (MIP) or using Proxy Mobile IP (PMIP) will be covered. Also examined will be the design considerations required to implement Quality of Service (QoS), High Availability (HA), various Power over Ethernet options, and transparent mobility features like Auxiliary VLAN and the new device detection support that enables real-time Voice and Video applications.
The session will explore the necessity of utilising advanced Security features like port security and new APR inspection tools required to protect network-connected resources. New Cisco Identity-Based Networking Services features such as user and device identification, authentication and policy assignment, and the ability to dynamically segment the network based on user, workgroup or device policies will also be an important discussion topic. Traditional techniques like VLANS and Access Control Lists (ACLs) will be compared to emerging solutions like MPLS, VRF/VRF-Lite, and Virtual Firewalls to address segmentation and policy enforcement. Finally, the session outline design considerations to prepare an enterprise campus network for coexistence with IPv6.
Practical examples and design tips and recommendations will also be featured throughout this session.
Those responsible for the Design, Deployment, Operations, and Management of Enterprise Campus Networks will find this session informative and useful.
Note: Content taken from presentations made at Networkers 2004, Brisbane, 8 - 11 March
Tutorial Design and implement an IPv6 Network
Chris Myers and Dr Greg Wickham, GrangeNet
Objective:
The theory of IPv6 will be explained and then using this knowledge a practical implementation of a IPv6 capable network will be undertaken.
Outline:
The Theoretical component will cover:
- Address formatting
- Address allocation and numbering
- Link Local
The Practical component will cover:
- Design network layout including addressing
- Establish basic IPv6 connectivity
- Using BGP with IPv6.
- Test applications.
- Basic fault finding.
Requirements:
Each participant must bring their own laptop with a power adapter suitable for an Australian 240V socket.
A cursory knowledge of BGP would be of assistance
Tutorial Design and implement an Multicast Network
Chris Myers and Dr Greg Wickham, GrangeNet
Objective:
The theory of Multicast will be explained and then using this knowledge a practical implementation of a Multicast capable network will be undertaken.
Outline:
The Theoretical component will cover:
- Address formatting
- PIM, MSDP, MBGP
The Practical component will cover:
- Design network layout including addressing
- Using PIM with Multicast
- Using MBGP with Multicast
- Test applications.
- Basic fault finding.
Requirements
Each participant must bring their own laptop with a power adapter suitable for an Australian 240V socket.
A cursory knowledge of BGP would be of assistance
Tutorial ITIL
Steve Walsh and Patrick Keogh, Coordinator, Change Management, Information Services, Griffith University and Consultant, LucitIT, respectively
ITIL Change Management Tutorial Outline
- Overview and introduction to ITIL Framework (jointly Steve and Patrick)
- ITIL Change Management at various industry sectors and cultures (Patrick)
- ITIL Change Management at Griffith, demonstration of process and electronic- workflow (Steve)-break-
- Facilitated discussion (Steve and Patrick)#* "operational activities" distinguished from "registered change activities", how to exercise judgment from the guidelines#* Stakeholder identification and management (accountability streams)#* Classification of each "Request For Change", it's all about potential impact
Further Reading:
- Official ITIL Web Page http://www.ogc.gov.uk/index.asp?id=2261
- IT Service Management Forum, Australia http://www.itsmf.org.au/
Tutorial Quality of Service
Glen Turner, Network Engineer, AARNet
Quality of Service (QoS) extends the network beyond offering a "best effort" service. Services can be tailored for particular traffic, such as voice, video or undesirable traffic.
Quality of Service technologies are unrelated to ISO 9001, Six Sigma or other techniques used to manage process quality.
Topics include:
- the IETF Differentiated Services QoS architecture.
- integrating DiffServ with call admission technologies such as H.323 and SIP.
- some QoS offerings: worst effort, admission-controlled voice and video, better effort for VPNs and iSCSI, ensuring control traffic continues during link flooding.
- can QoS address the risk of congestion collapse from congestion-unaware protocols such as Access Grid video and streaming multimedia?
- can QoS mitigate denials of service, network abuse and network misuse?
- implementing a range of QoS services on Juniper, Cisco, Linux and Procket equipment.
- updating measurement systems for QoS
The focus of the tutorial is about what we can make QoS do today with recent equipment, with a view to services offered on the AARNet3 network.
This tutorial is intended for network engineers. It will be especially useful for people implementing voice and video data networking on their campus networks.
This tutorial will extend after lunch, for about an hour, but is only being billed as a half day tutorial.
Tutorial SIP
Steve Kingham, Video and Voice over IP Network Engineer, CSIRO / AARNet
Refer to the APAN website for details on this tutorial.
Detailed Outline and delegate preparation
Tutorial User Resource Management and Security Management A practical introduction
Mark Williams, Research and Education Business Development Manager, Asia-Pacific, Juniper Networks
This 3-hour tutorial will give insight into the requirement and practical demonstrations of real solutions to the problems of user resource management and border security management for campus networks. Theory sections are technology rather than product focussed, practical demonstrations using Juniper equipment.
Topics covered include:
- Problem definition.
- Quota management and volume accounting demonstration.
- Stateful firewall latest developments and demonstration
- Stateful protection of the infrastructure control plane.
Unified Communications: Increasing business efficiency with communications
Brian Bird, Product Manager Voice, Australasia, Alcatel
Networking Far and Wide -- this sums up Universities and the challenges they face in connecting staff who traditionally work across multiple campuses, from home and on the road. Is it possible for universities to keep staff connected with access to the tools they need when they are rarely in the office but as if they were in the office? Despite the wonders of the internet, wireless LANs, virtual private networks and mobile phones, staff have never quite enjoyed the same luxuries as they do in their office, on their own system. That is until now.
An IP-based application -- meaning users have access to it wherever they are -- Unified Communications pulls together the marvels of infrastructure development to offer up a full suite of products offering mobility, and access to information, anywhere and on any device. Leveraging recent investment in IP networks, Unified Communications is an application that harnesses technology and enables better interactions and communications, while reducing telecom costs.
This session will tell you all you need to know about increasing business efficiency through unified communications.
Volume Accounting and User Management in a University Environment
Mark Williams, Research and Education Business Development Manager, Asia-Pacific, Juniper Networks
Almost immediately after the problems of funding and building the first academic network was built, the next, and in many ways even more difficult, problem arose to plague network operators. This is the problem of network accounting and user and usage management. Accounting is essential if network operations are to know what is happening in their network. The statistics derived contribute to network planning, funding submissions, security monitoring and cost allocation. Almost everybody has tens of thousands of lines of code written to collect an analyse accounting information.
Lately, as Internet volume charges have gone past telephone charges in size as a line item on the institutional budget, a couple of new challenges have come up. First, accounting data is essentially historical, and often by the time you get the stats the damage is done. Recent activity in the field of copyright violation litigation have only upped the ante in his regard. There is a need to close the loop between the accounting system and a user usage control so usage policies can be set and enforced. In other words, the accounting system needs to be a policy enforcement engine as well. Second, bandwidth requirements are in he process of moving from megabits per second to gigabits per second, meaning that traditional approached involving application gateways are nearing he end of their useful life.
This paper examines the requirements of accounting and control systems in terms of capacity, functionality, flexibility and granularity and offers some approaches to the problem in terms of technology and architecture.
Why Less is More in Anti-Virus Protection
Leigh Costin, Director, Product Marketing for Asia-Pacific, Fortinet Inc.
This session will cover a number of areas :
- Evolution of Virus Detection
- History of Wild List
- Reconciling Wild Lists with reports in the field
- Pitfalls of Anti-Virus protection
Wireless LAN Control Architectures
Simon Newstead, Product Manager Mobile, Voice and Edge, Asia-Pacific, Juniper Networks
In this presentation, Simon will discuss current and emerging WLAN service requirements, and the underlying network architectures to support them.
In the talk Simon will compare and contrast centralized vs decentralized control approaches, as well as discuss support of different client logon approaches, including web logon, 802.1x/EAP, EAP SIM, IPSEC and others.
The talk will also cover the new directions in area of roaming and handoff between WLANs and between WLAN and other cellular access technologies such as CDMA2000 and WCDMA/GPRS.
Wireless Mesh Networks: Real Wireless LANs without Wires
Richard O'Halloran, Chief Architect of Converged Solutions, Nortel Networks
Have you ever tried to deploy a wireless network and been caught by the distance limitations of Ethernet or the cost of running fibre? Wireless meshed networks remove these limitations and create new ways of building networks. By building networks where both the access network and transport networks are wireless, and integrated as the same device, WLANs can be deployed anywhere from CBD's to campuses, national parks, sporting arenas, rural roads or even as combined access & transport within and between buildings - all without pulling cable or laying fibre.
This session discusses research scenarios and real-world implementations of Wireless meshed networks and how they can deliver rapid, low-cost "connect from anywhere" services while reducing wasted time and materials needed to extend traditional wired-LAN infrastructure.
WLANs aren't "Local Area" any more ....