Internet Info 1997 December/Internet_Info_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_December_1997.iso/isoc/pub/isoc_news/1-2/n-1-2-010.55a.Z/n-1-2-010.55a

Text File | 1994-03-26 | 4KB | 69 lines

010.55: CA*net
by Peter Jones
<[e-mail]>

In November 1991 the CA*net board of directors agreed to a
strategic plan that will guide the development of CA*net over the
next three years.  The plan recognizes that CA*net's purpose is
to serve the regional networks of Canada which in turn serve the
end-user organizations.  In addition to providing a backbone
network connecting the regionals to each other and to the rest of
the world, CA*net is a forum for cooperation and integrated
planning for the regional networks.  This cooperation must
include addressing the special needs of organizations which span
several regions of Canada.

Most regions of Canada are very large and sparsely populated.
Thus a single multi-purpose communications network serving all
kinds of organizations and institutions is the only viable way
forward for these regions.  Such networks also promote
cooperation between the research and academic communities and the
private sector.  This means that the acceptable use policies of
the networks must be as broad as possible and the plan recognizes
this by stating that CA*net's acceptable use policy should permit
the flow of any type of traffic, without restriction, among
consenting member networks.  Further, CA*net will encourage the
regional networks to rationalize and broaden their acceptable use
policies.  CA*net will also examine ways of connecting to
Internet that do not restrict type of use.

While the highest priority for CA*net will be the provision of
data network services, the network should also evolve to
supporting voice and image services.  The network bandwidth will
be incrementally increased when funds allow to cater for
increasing demand.  This is already happening: the bandwidth of
four internal links and all three links to the USA are in the
process of being increased.

The plan states that the timing, pace and specific nature of the
implementation of low-level OSI protocols should be dependent on
the needs of the regional networks, but that testing proceed to
ensure that such implementation will not be delayed by the CA*net
infrastructure.  Higher level OSI standards should be used
wherever practical, and OSI compliant inter-regional directory
services should be established.

Over the past two to three years, the research and development
networking communities in Canada have defined their future in
terms of the proposed network called "CANARIE" (CAnadian Network
for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education).  This
initiative is sponsored by Industry, Science and Technology
Canada (ISTC) and is a bold plan to create a state-of-art multi-
purpose high speed network serving all communities.  From the
outset the CA*net board has seen this as the next evolutionary
step beyond CA*net to a multi-media, multi-gigabit network of the
future.  Members of the CA*net board and the regional networks
have been working with representatives of the provincial and
federal governments, and from all sectors of industry in the
CANARIE project.  Clearly, through these efforts the CA*net and
the regional networks have demonstrated their support for this
project.  While waiting for the successful conclusion of the
current planning and negotiation processes, and without
detracting from its support of those activities, CA*net has the
obligation to continue to define its own plans and has done so by
producing the strategic planning document discussed in this
article.


 * Peter Jones, Chair, CA*net Board of Directors