Transcript the roots of nordic networking

THE ROOTS OF NORDIC NETWORKING
The worlds first international,
multiprotocol network
Rolf Nordhagen
University of Oslo
The beginning
• An Open network is a network that follows a
common, open standard, OSI
• National academic networks, UNINETT 1978,
SUNET 1980, Centernet, X25 packet switched
• ARPANET to NORSAR, Kjeller, Norway 1973
• Minicomputers, Timesharing, KOM Stockholm,
Oslo
• International Dial-up
Enter NORDUNET
• Nordic Council of Ministers, NORDFORSK
Bjørn Grønlund
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•
The first meeting 1980, Dalarne, Sweden
1983-84, the NORDUNET application
May 1985 9.2 Mill.NOK for 4 years
Initially NORDFORSK, then Stockholm
QZ/SICS, Mats Brunell
• Technical manager Einar Løvdal, Oslo
Mats Brunell and Einar Løvdal
The requirements
• A stable, operating computer network, connecting
Nordic Education and Research
• Build on existing university networks
• Use the Nordic telecommunication networks and
international standards for tele- and datacommunication.
• Make a common use of data-resources, programs
and databases available througout the Nordic
area. Users shall be given access to Nordic and
international networks and information services
• Give the same opportunities for collaboration and
information exchange as in European countries
and the North American research communities
Cooperation
• Establish a common Nordic infrastructure for
the NR&E community by connecting the
national nets.
• New competence and services be created for
the smaller communities.
• The resources to be found in the national
network organisations, with the local,
university services operating the net.
• A computer network would greatly increase
bridging the large geographical distances
caracteristic in the Nordic countries. Thus
opportunities for research in remote
communities would be greatly improved.
Interim services
• In 1984, IBM donated machines and leased
lines for EARN, European Academic
Research Network (modelled on Bitnet)
• Local Ethernets, private networks X.25, PAD
services - chaos
• Make popular services Nordic wide, X.400
mail EAN
• EARN to Europe, DECnet/HEPNET for
physics
• Work to local groups, EARN in UNI-C, EAN in
UNINETT etc.
Difficult challenges
• Firm belief and political pressure for CO
OSI-protocols.
• Standards slow in coming from ISO and
CCIT
• Slow development of common services.
• Independent development of services in
NORDUNET regarded as unrealistic
• Reorientation of original goals
Reorientation strategy
• Continued support of interim solutions, but
prepare for OSI migration (!)
• Interim solutions to connect to international
networks, EARN, UUCP, DECnet and Internet
• Active participation in European OSI-efforts in
RARE and COSINE, to build competence
• Migration pilots, file transfer, base for further
work, JANET coloured books, ISODE (X.25 over
IP) ?
• Reliable standards and services still regarded as
10 years off (JANET)
In 1987 new possibilities
• No continuation of support for the EARN leased
lines. NORDUNET urged to connect the main
Nordic nodes.
• A major technological breakthrough, bridges to
run Ethernet over slow lines, Vitalink bridges.
• Sudden realisation of a possible Nordic
Ethernet connecting the major nodes
• National Ethernets based on the same
technology connect to a clean Nordic net.
• Institutional Ethernets on national nets connect
users.
• The X.EARN project quickly adopted early 1988
The NORDUNET
multiprotocol plug
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•
•
•
the basic X.25 service
EARN and RSCS
DECnet
TCP/IP
The challenge not technolgy but
organisation
The distributed service concept
An international, multiprotocol network
NORDUnet,
the operational net
• One stop shop for lines, Scantele
• 64 kb/s Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm,
Trondheim, 9.2 Reykjavik
• Central node KTH, Stockholm
• US NSFnet to Princeton via satellite, 56 kb/s
• KTH connected Europe, EARN, HEPnet
• Peering with EUnet
• European interchange, GIX
• Operating late 1988, official opening Oct.89
Rey kjavik
Trondheim
GIX Washington
Stockholm
BALTnet Talli n
EMPB London
Copenhagen
Ebone Paris
EMPB Amsterdam
BALTnet Vilnius
NASK Warshaw
Not only a network
• Inter-Nordic work-groups created
competence on many levels
• Catalytic effect on national networks
and early commercial introduction
• Joint activities creating international
recognition and status in international
bodies
International recognition
• The first DNS root-server outside US
• RIPE as European Internet coordinator
• Participating and forming IEPG and IETF
Operation WG, other IETF work, MIME
• In RARE WG8-management introducing open
support of protocols and services, including
TCP/IP as well as ISO OSI work
(controversial!)
Europe and TCP/IP
– Work on service harmonisation and OSI
migration continued
– Einar Løvdals urge for TCP/IP migration
met with mixed reactions (Trieste 1989)
– Support from research communities
collaborating w. US and Canada
– RIPE formed 1989, RIPE NCC in 1992
– Large European communities forged
ahead with OSI based services
- and fell behind -
Nordic Internet penetration
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1999
Canada
Sweden
Finland
U.S.
Iceland
Denmark
Norway
97
42,82 7
41,42 8
40,80 1
40,65 4
40,35 3
39,60 10
37,96 2
1999
8 Australia
34,33
9 Singapore 31,08
10 N.Zealand 26,49
11 Netherland 25,56
12 Switzerland 24,58
13 United
Kingdom 23,64
% per capita
97
5
9
6
13
11
12
And finally TCP/IP
US link
The rest is history !
NORDUnet is now a limited company NORDUnet A/S,
owned and financed by Nordic states or state institutions
DK
FI
IS
- UNI-C
- Ministry of education
- University of Iceland
NO
SE
- UNINETT
- Högskoleverket
200
Yearly
budgets
Director Peter Villemoes
All work done
by partners
MDKK/year
Small secretariat
20 M$
100
10 M$
0
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
The network in 2001
KPNQwest
USA
622
1866
1344
NETNOD
D-GIX
45
16
12
1
Géant
34
Communication is
Cooperation
• Services could not be done by one provider alone
• The necessary level of competence could not be
reached on a country by country basis
• Institutional groups too small both in
–people with interest and knowledge
–resources and demanding users
• Development cooperation required on all levels
The NORDUNET lesson
• Many institutions scattered across several
countries worked together by each getting
major responsibilities
• Distributed projects create joint enthusiasm
and work towards common goals
• Shared responsibilities
• All got benefit from building competence
• Network communication is working together
Networks are communication
Communication is cooperation
etworks are cooperation
"Skalat madr rúnar rísta,
nema ráda vel kunni”
Egill Skallagrimsson