TMC-Rice-UH data communication needs for Research and Education Lennart Johnsson Director TLC2 Cullen Professor of Computer Science, Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Background - Infrastructure The Texas GigaPoP established through a $1M NSF High- Performance Network Connections grant awarded to Rice (Kennedy), Baylor (Chiu) and UH (Johnsson) in 1996. This grant was awarded in the first round of such grants. Texas A&M received funding to join a year later. The Texas GigaPoP established in 1997 as the third or fourth in the country enabling leading-edge research depending on high-performance networking. A leased 622 Mbps service purchased between UH and TMC/Rice and a 155 Mbps service purchased to the vbns (very high-performance Backbone Network Service)
Background Selected Research at UH Participation in the development of the first Grid demonstration and test-bed (3,600 computers on five continents) at SC97 based on what is now the defacto standard for Grid middleware, the Globus software As Globus project partner, sharing of the Global Information Infrastructure Next Generation Award in 1998 presented by Vice President Al Gore Federal funding to UH as national project partner during the next several years amounting to about $5M for Johnsson and collaborators alone Lack of upgraded network infrastructure has prevented participation in national projects of the type enabled by the Texas GigaPoP (now known as the South East Texas GigaPOP) and associated connectivity in 1997 2000.
Current Network Upgrade Needs Improved capacity between TMC-Rice-UH for research projects that can attract federal funding in CS and the Sciences Improved capacity to Internet2 to participate in national projects developing national and global information infrastructures or tools for the construction thereof Connectivity to the National Lambda Rail
Dark fiber proposal Two rings of 12 strands each offered by Abovenet (formerly Metromedia Fiber Networks (MFN)) addressing the needs for improved capacity between TMC-Rice-UH and between these institutions and the NLR PoPs in Houston The improved capacity to Internet2 still to be resolved
Dark Fiber Proposal Ring 1: TMC-Rice-UH. 20 yr IRU $44,000 prepaid ($200/fibermile(target $150/fibermile)) $125/month for maintenance Construction costs: UH: from Cullen street to PGH Rice: Fiber already between 6100 Main and Mudd TMC: yet to be determined if desired. Several convenient manhole locations in the TMC area along the fiber path
Ring-1: TMC-Rice-UH
Dark Fiber Proposal Ring 2: TMC-Rice-UH-AT&T-WilTel. 20 yr IRU $35,200 prepaid ($150/fibermile) $125/month for maintenance Construction costs: UH: from Cullen street to PGH $8,330 Rice: Fiber already between 6100 Main and Mudd $8,330 TMC: yet to be determined if desired. Several convenient manhole locations in the TMC area along the fiber path AT&T: Estimate $37k WilTel: Estimate $24k
Ring-2: TMC-Rice-UH-AT&T-WilTel
Note: The acquisition of Ring-1 was initiated about two years ago. The Ring-2 acquisition was initiated this spring. A target of $150/fibermile was set for both. Abovenet first only offered Ring-1 at a cost of $200/fibermile. Upon receiving this offer a request was immediately made again for Ring-2. About 2-weeks after Ring-1 was offered Ring-2 was also offered, but it was offered at the $150/fibermile I offered for both. The third request for fiber to the Internet2 PoP is still unresolved (timeline-wise this was the 2 nd request to Abovenet, (made in 2003)).
Dark Fiber Status TMC access points to be added in the short term currently under review by the South East Texas GigaPoP technical reps from TMC institutions Build-out at UH under review Contract issuing initiated by TLC2 for both rings Resolution on Internet2 capacity upgrade to follow asap
Dark Fiber Cost Proposal Ring-1: Divide IRU and maintenance cost evenly among all Houston parties of the South East Texas GigaPOP. Site construction cost to be carried by each site. Ring-2: Divide IRU, maintenance cost and AT&T and WilTel construction costs evenly among all Houston parties of the South East Texas GigaPOP, LEARN and NLR
Dark Fiber Lennart Johnsson Allocation Proposal Ring-1: Fiber pair allocation Chiu, Kennedy, Johnsson TLC2 (UH), HiperSoft (Rice), SE GigaPoP LEARN Two pairs assigned on a project basis Ring-2: Fiber pair allocation Chiu, Kennedy, Johnsson TLC2 (UH), HiperSoft (Rice), LEARN NLR Two pairs assigned on a project basis
NLR Southern Route Preferred Alternative Wiltel Fiber in the West -- AT&T Fiber in the Southeast Seattle Sunnyvale Denver KC Chicago Clev Pitts New York Wash DC LA San Diego Phoenix Albuq. Tulsa Dallas Atlanta Raleigh El Paso - Las Cruces San Ant. Houston Pensacola Baton Rouge Jacksonville