011.20 Chile by Florencio I. Utreras <futreras%uchdci01.bitnet@vtvm2.cc.vt.edu>
REUNA: The Chilean Academic and Research Network
REUNA: Red Universitaria Nacional Chilena is a computer network developped by the chilean universities, headed by the University of Chile. Its main goal is to promote the development of cooperation among the different universities thru the exchange of non-comercial information between their researchers, students and teachers. Another important goal of the network is to facilitate the interaction between chilean researchers and their colleagues in Europe, the US and other countries, specially other Latin American countries.
The network has been built using existing research computing equipment and vendor networking software: SNA, DECNET, UUCP; and recently: TCP/IP. Additionally, in order to ensure connectivity among different pieces of the network, some software has been developped at the Computer Center (CEC) of the University of Chile which acts as center of the network.
REUNA is composed of three pieces. One connecting IBM mainframes is using SNA software and uses leased phone lines to ensure a 24 hour service. Its services include mail, file transfer, on-line messages and remote login. The second piece connects Digital equipement using DECNET software over leased lines and virtual X.25 links. Its services are the same as those of the SNA portion of the network. Finally the third piece connects minis and micros using UUCP software over dial-up connections. This part of the network supports only mail and file transfer services (using encoding and packaging).
The three pieces are joined together at the Computer Center of the University of Chile where two gateways using TCP/IP software are supported. The gateway machines are an IBM mainframe and two Digital minis running simultaneously their native vendor communications software and TCP/IP. Finally, a dedicated satellite link to Maryland (USA) connects REUNA to BITNET where it has been accepted as a cooperative network.
The full list of universities afiliated to REUNA is the following:
-Universidad de Chile
-Universidad Catlica de Chile
-Universidad de Concepcin
-Universidad de Santiago
-Universidad Catlica de Valparaso
-Universidad Federico Santa Mara
-Universidad de Tarapac
-Universidad de Antofagasta
-Universidad de La Serena
-Universidad Austral de Chile
-Universidad de Talca
The number of nodes at each university is variable running from 20 at the U. of Chile to 1 at Tarapac or Antofagasta. Not all the universities have an internal network so that several of them use the gateways of REUNA to interconnect their machines of different type.
The network has agreed to evolve to TCP/IP protocols. In particular thanks to the support of the National Commision for Science and Technology (CONICYT), the network is now connected to the Internet thru SURANET in Maryland. A new administration scheme is being developped so that CONICYT will take the lead in teh administrative part and other Operation Centers will join the University of Chile to improve the operationa3 ca+ab535t5es 6f the network.
Other interesting features of the Chilean Network is that the National Bibliographic Service (RENIB) is connected to the network giving Bibliographic research services thru the network. Of special iterest is also BITNIS a project funded by the PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) allowing to selected users of the network to use the National Library of Medecine (US). This use is done thru a gateway designed and instaled by the University of Chile in the NIH (US) seat of NLM.
