INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING

AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY

JAMES WILLIAMS
DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING
WILLIAMS@INDIANA.EDU
INDIANA UNIVERSITY’S COMMITMENT TO
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

“The value of an IU education cannot be contained within

one classroom, one state, or one continent. It spans the
globe.”
President Michael McRobbie
February 15, 2008
TOPICS

1. Wandering general observations

2. A bit of international networking history
3. Where are we today?
4. The global picture of international networking
5. Where are we headed at Indiana?
HIGH-PERFORMANCE NETWORKING
AS A TOOL

 To facilitate international collaborations in research

and education
 To provide for sharing of expensive/scarce resources
(telescopes, microscopes, physical locations …)
 To facilitate access to scientific materials and
databases
 To enable one-way and site-to-site telepresence
(remote medical activities)
 Science diplomacy
A BIT OF HISTORY

 It all began with Michael McRobbie

 TransPAC – connecting Indiana to Asia
 Michael moves on, Jim moves in…
 TransPAC2 – more Asia, and Pakistan
TRANSPAC

 HPIIS, Steve Goldstein, APAN and San Francisco

 35Mbps ATM service from Chicago to Tokyo
purchased from AT+T (1998)
 Cost – about $130,000/month
 Gradually increased bandwidth (155Mbps; 2 x
622Mbps)
TRANSPAC2 (2005)

• Michael moves on to bigger things (VP–Research;

Provost; President)
• IRNC replaces HPIIS
• Jim leads TP2 effort
• TransPAC2 10Gbps – cost about $45,000/month
(2005)
• Extension to Pakistan in 2008
TRANSPAC2 ASIA PARTNERS

 TransPAC2 Co-investigator partner – Internet2

 TransPAC2 Asia regional partner – APAN http://
www.apan.net
 TransPAC2 Japanese partners – National Institute of
Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
and the National Institute of Informatics (NII)
 TransPAC2 – EU TEIN2 partnership
http://www.tein2.net/
TRANSPAC2 OVERVIEW
EXTENSION TO PAKISTAN

 Connection to Asia funded by US National Science

Foundation and partners in Japan
 Connection to Pakistan funded by US National
Science Foundation and Pakistan Higher Education
Commission
 My trip to Pakistan is blogged at: http://
jiminpakistan.blogspot.com
Members of the pioneering IU team from 1957 that established the Karachi Basic Medical Sciences Institute, which
later became the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center. L – R: Dr. Rolla Harger, Biochemistry; Dr. Sherman Minton,
Jr., Microbiology; Ralph France, Microbiology; John Guthrie, Shop; Eileen Cunningham, Library; Dr. Cranston
Bernstorf, Anatomy; and Dr. Osgood Priddle, Pharmacology
Photo courtesy of JPMC Archives; published in Bhatti and Alvi
WHERE ARE WE TODAY?

 Indiana is a major participant (along with UT-Knoxville) in

international networking
 We have two new, large NSF awards – ACE and TP3 (map next)
 We have significant international partnerships with other NRENS
 We are investigating workshops as a mechanism for
strengthening international collaborations [US-India; US-
Vietnam; US-Czech Republic].
 We have strong interests in “science support”.

See: http://internationalnetworking.indiana.edu/
NSF INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK CONNECTIONS
PROJECT: LEVERAGE AND PARTNERSHIPS

Key IRNC concepts:

1. Much more extensive network development and
connectivity than IRNC only funding would permit
2. Fostering/developing more active relationships
between US and non-US network engineers
3. Leads to better international scientific and technical
interactions
WHERE ARE WE TODAY?

America Connects to Europe (ACE)

TransPAC3: US connection to Asia

AMERICA CONNECTS TO EUROPE

• US lead partner: Indiana University

• Partners: DANTE, NYSERNet, Internet2, DLT and others…
• Multiple 10G connections, 40/100G option
• Connections continued across GN3 and TEIN3 to Asia and
TP3
• Connection via EUMEDCONNECT to North Africa
• Connection to Internet2/NLR on US East Coast
• Partner with GLORIAD to provide backup and service
redundancy
• Trans-Atlantic part of TP3-TEIN3-GN3-ACE global
network
TRANSPAC3: US TO ASIA

• US lead partner: Indiana University

• Partners: APAN, TEIN3, NICT-Japan, NII-Japan, CERNET–China, and

others…

• Multiple 10G connections from the US to Asia, 40/100G option

• Connections continued to Southeast Asia and South Asia

• Connection to TEIN3 network provides link to Europe

• Connection to GLORIAD/Taj network provides second link to Asia and EU

• Connection to Internet2/NLR on US West Coast

• Asian part of TP3-TEIN3-GN3-ACE global network

WHERE ARE WE HEADED AT IU:
AREAS OF INTEREST AND RESEARCH

1. Focus some attention on underserved areas (Africa,

Central Asia, South Asia)
2. Provide services beyond bandwidth (utilization, e-2-e,
DC, security)
3. Develop better tools for scientists
4. Work as a community to being planning for future
science experiments (gene sequencing; SKA;
“brighter” LHC; ITER)
NETWORK-BASED SERVICES:
ACCOUNTABILITY AND SERVICE

• Utilization statistics in a useable form

• e-2-e measurement – what researchers are really concerned about
• Custom networks and connections (dynamic circuits provisioned
by researchers)
• As networks and network operations become more transparent,
network operators must become more accountable.
• As networks become “more global” network operators must
develop tools and mechanisms for shared/distributed operations.
• See: http://groups.geni.net/geni/wiki/K-GENI
• Security, security, security…how can we cooperatively attack this
problem?
One possible component: http://www.ren-isac.net/ses/
STIMULATING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
THROUGH BETTER TOOLS

 Development of tools to make researcher-provisioned

connections and networks much simpler (no engineer
involvement)
 Better collaboration tools using “social media-based” tools
– for example, see the following: https://hubzero.org/
 Researcher-specific tools, such as the Data Logistics
Toolkit (DLT), need to become fully developed research
aids -- see: http://code.google.com/p/dlt/
 Outreach activities, particularly in developing areas,
designed to increase international research and education
collaborations -- see the following:
http://usindiaworkshop.indiana.edu/
FINAL REPORT 2015 – ACE AND TP3

1. South Asia is fully connected and participating in global research and education
activities.
2. Asia, Europe and the US are fully engaged, cooperative partners in technology
(networking) and science (use of networks). <Attendance at Internet2, APAN and
TERENA meetings has much overlap>
3. Significant progress has been made in connectivity to and science collaborations with
Africa and Central Asia.
4. All IRNC ProNet projects and their global partners now provide services beyond
bandwidth (utilization, e-2-e, DC) and shared/distributed operations.
5. Security continues to be a difficult challenge but all international network providers
are working together on security activities.
6. Social, data-management, and other tools make data intensive research and
education use of networks a simple daily occurrence.
7. The IRNC ProNet projects and partners in APAN and GN3 in conjunction with our
commercial and international partners have made certain that both bandwidth and
tools are available such that future science experiments (gene sequencing; SKA;
“brighter” LHC; ITER) can fully utilize the global cyberinfrastructure.
INTERESTING LINKS
IN@IU (new) http://internationalnetworking@iu.edu
TransPAC2 (old): http://www.transpac2.net
APAN: http://www.apan.net
DANTE: http://www.dante.net/
Pakistan blog: http://jiminpakistan.blogspot.com
NSF IRNC program (new): http://irncworkshop.indiana.edu
NSF IRNC program (old): http://www.irnclinks.net
GlobalNOC: http://globalnoc.iu.edu

Jim Williams: williams@indiana.edu