Network Transitions & Scalability
BACKGROUND. The Internet continues to exceed all growth expectations. Issues stillcommand attention as the transition to the new architecture and structure continues. Theseissues arise because the widely varying communities which include higher education andresearch, K-12, the federal government, and industry all expect significant growth due towidened use and new tools.
The FNCAC is constituted to advise the FNC, from the widely different perspectives of itsmembers, on issues affecting the network growth. It can neither solve issues related tonetwork growth nor provide more than substantiated evidence as to whether growth is asmooth curve or a bumpy ride.
What the FNCAC can do is to address the network transitions and scalability by crisplyidentifying the issues, defining the questions that should be addressed, and suggesting a timelyand systematic documentation with resulting recommendations on necessary steps. Such awork product should go beyond short-term operational issues to a strategic look at the evolvingnature of the network itself. The FNCAC's identification of issues and questions might serveas a basis for a request to an appropriate body--for instance, to the Computer Science andTelecommunications Board of the National Research Council--to further study and recommendany necessary steps (following up on their previous work).
Crucial questions the FNCAC might identify include:
1 What are the key assumptions that are being tested by network growth during the transition?
2. Are there management and systems integration and reliability issues that require attention?
3. What resource allocation decisions will need to be addressed as geometric network growth continues?
4. Can the growing needs of the constituencies represented by the higher education and research, K-12, industry, and the public sector be characterized and estimated?
SUBCOMMITTEE
George Brandenburg, co-chair
Stewart Personick, co-chair
Jim Beall
Alan Blatecky
Carol Henderson
Sidney Karin
Kenneth Klingenstein
Stu Loken
Bob Moskowitz
Ike Nassi
Steve Wolff
STATUS OF ACTION ITEMS FROM THE APRIL 1996 FNCAC MEETING
The Network Transitions and Scalability Working Group will prepare a set of recommendations for consideration by the full FNCAC. Among other items the recommendations will include statements: a) commending the FNC's efforts to promote collaborations related to Internet statistics/metrics, security, etc.; b) urging the Federal R&E networks to promote efforts related to research and demonstration of tools to enhance Internet quality of service; and c) encouraging measurements based on quality of service to be shared among Internet Service Providers.The FNCAC's resolutions dated May 7, 1996 are available at: http://www.fnc.gov/FNCAC_Res.html.
The FNCAC suggests that the FNC explore options related to the Federal R&E networks "leading" through the development and utilization of model contracts with Internet service providers and through utilizing procurement vehicles to effect changes related to an improved Internet environment. Among the Federal networks, there is trend toward the utilization of commercial service providers. This topic is therefore of interest to and being discussed within the FNC's Engineering and Operations Working Group (EOWG). Of the Federal R&E networks, Defense Research and Engineering Network Inter-site Servicescontract was awarded in July 1996 to American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T). The Statement of Work (SOW) from the DREN RFP is available.
The White House welcomes FNCAC recommendations about how the Federal government can use its leverage as a major Internet user / R&D funder to directly address certain market requirements. Done - invitation extended.
Kimberly Claffy (SDSC) was asked to take the lead in identifying critical networking metrics and tools which could be run over Federal R&E networks, including defining the characteristics of an "ideal" measurement tool which could gather data on both end-to-end performance and workflow characterization. The National Laboratory for Applied Networking Research (NLANR) under the leadership of Dr. Kimberly Claffy, has been very active in tool development, statistics collection and traffic flow visualizations since the April 1996 FNCAC meeting. Details on these activities are available at the NLANR website: http://www.nlanr.net/INFO. Dr. Claffy has been invited to discuss these efforts at the October 1996 FNCAC meeting. The IETF's Internet Provider Performance Metrics (IPPM) working group has also been very active in developing a framework for defining Internet metrics and recommending measurement approaches. Several IETF RFCs are anticipated in advance of the December IETF meeting. The FNC's Engineering and Operations Working Group (EOWG) is currently taking action to define agencies' interests, requirements, and currect activities in this important field.