Internet2 connection speeds data transfer
The university’s connection to Internet2 is up and running.
I2 is a consortium of 90 primarily higher education research institutions seeking faster links to shared computing. Begun in October 1996 by 34 American research universities, today I2 has more than 140 member universities working with corporate and affiliate members on advanced network development. UW–Madison has been working on improving its physical connection to the network since shortly after I2 was started.
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Details UW’s Internet2 connection will be formally unveiled Tuesday, March 30, at 1:30 p.m. in 3139 Computer Science and Statistics, 1210 W. Dayton St. Members of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), as well as vendor representatives, will be on hand to field questions. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
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“Researchers launched the original Internet in the ’70s to help them communicate and share data,” says Tad Pinkerton, head of the Division of Information Technology at UW–Madison. “As the network commercialized, providers could not keep up with the growth, and it became impossible to do some kinds of research using the network. The Internet2 project was conceived for just that purpose.”
I2 uses two physical networks, the very high-speed Backbone Network System (vBNS) and Abilene. The vBNS is an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)-based network that enables data, voice and video transfer at rates up to 100 times faster than the commercial Internet that people use from their homes. Abilene is a new, faster Internet Protocol (IP)-based backbone network connecting regional points.
The commercial Internet is like a highway that has variable numbers of lanes as you travel around the country. In some places it has more commuter traffic and in others, less. The I2 networks are more like the lanes reserved for carpooling—they have very little traffic and a constant number of lanes.
UW–Madison will initially rely on the vBNS for its higher-demand interactions with peer institutions. While it is not yet directly connected to Abilene, the university can make use of it through connections to Chicago, where these new networks intersect.
“Our proximity to Chicago gives us a large advantage,” says Pinkerton. “In one hop, we gain instant access to networks for the federal government, Asia and Europe. This can make a major difference for on-line collaborations between our faculty and researchers throughout the world.”
The University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID) was established in September 1997 to provide an organizational home for I2. UW–Madison Chancellor David Ward is chairman of the Board of Trustees for UCAID. The board provides guidance for the Internet2 project.
I2 is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and by dues paid from member institutions. UW–Madison received an NSF grant to pay two years’ worth of half the costs associated with connecting to the vBNS. The final costs for connecting to Abilene are $30-50,000 per year.
In a few years, the university hopes to have the technology to track and charge a department based on the distance, size and time of data transferred. In the meantime, all traffic to and from UW–Madison and other institutions that are part of I2 will use the faster network.
UW’s Internet2 connection will be formally unveiled Tuesday, March 30, at 1:30 p.m. in 3139 Computer Science and Statistics, 1210 W. Dayton St. Members of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), as well as vendor representatives, will be on hand to field questions. Seating will be first-come, first-served.
Tags: research