Middleware Announcements

["Lee Perlis" <>]

Internet2 (R) Members Update
December 2003

<> Internet2 Workshops in January 2004
<> Call for Proposals:  Spring 2004 Internet2 Member Meeting
<> National Internet2 Day
<> Board and Council Update
<> Internet2 and the Harvard Business School Workshop
<> International Update
<> Middleware Update
<> End-to-End Performance Initiative (E2Epi) Update
<> Applications Update
<> Internet2 K20 Initiative Update
<> New Internet2 Members
<> Future Internet2 Events
<> Internet2 Days
<> Showcase and Spotlight Opportunities
<> Internet2 Related Events

The monthly member updates are archived at:
http://members.internet2.edu/memberupdates/

<> Internet2 Workshops in January 2004
+ Joint Techs Workshop
The Joint Techs Workshop will be held January 25-28, 2004 as part of the
Techs in Paradise (TIP) meeting, January 22-31. All sessions will be held at
the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu.  Register now
at: https://services.internet2.edu/tip2004/index.jsp

For details on the Workshop and for information on and links to the other
TIP meetings, see http://www.hawaii.edu/tip2004/

+ Internet2/New World Symphony Performance and Master Class Production
Workshop
Internet2 and the New World Symphony are hosting a hands-on audio/video
production workshop, 14-15 January 2004 at the New World Symphony campus in
Miami Beach, FL. The emphasis will be on real-time experience connecting
with remote sites over Internet2, setting up live situations involving
incoming and outgoing video and audio, dealing with a multi-camera shoot,
placing lighting and projectors, troubleshooting and operating codecs. This
workshop will explore, in depth, the elements needed to do everything from
simple one-on-one interactions to larger scale stage productions via
Internet2. There is a registration fee of $125 for the 2-day workshop.
http://events.internet2.edu/2004/NWS-workshop/

<> Call for Proposals:  Spring 2004 Internet2 Member Meeting
The Spring 2004 Member Meeting Program Committee is now accepting proposals
for track sessions for the 2004 Spring Member Meeting in Arlington,
Virginia. General areas of focus for this meeting include security, network
infrastructures, K-20, cyberinfrastructure, global collaborations,
middleware, and collaboration case studies. Deadline for submitting
proposals is Friday, January 9, 2004. Proposal submitters will be notified
regarding acceptance of their proposal by Monday, January 26. You may submit
the required information in email to Laurie Burns 
<>
 or
more detailed information regarding proposal submission including the
submission form can be found at:
http://events.internet2.edu/2004/spring-mm/call-for-proposals.cfm

<> National Internet2 Day - March 18, 2004
Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 18, 2004, the date for the
first-ever, virtual National Internet2 Day!  The event will feature a series
of virtual presentations, demonstrations, and performance events across
disciplines. Member campuses are encouraged to host their own Internet2 Day
events with presentations by local faculty supplemented by netcast speakers.
Internet2 will assist participating institutions by providing technical
support and equipment, including loan equipment, as well as publicity and
local media support.  If your campus is interested in participating in
National Internet2 Day, contact Marianne Smith (734) 352-4976
<>
 by the week of January 19, 2004.
For updated information on National Internet2 Day activities, please see:
http://events.internet2.edu/2004/Internet2Day/

<> Board and Council Update
+ Board of Trustees and Council Nominations
Nominations for the Internet2 Board of Trustees and Advisory Councils are
now being accepted. Any member of Internet2 may nominate a candidate for the
Board or a Council. Advisory Councils have the following openings:
Applications Strategy Council (ASC), 4 openings; Industry Strategy Council
(ISC), 3 openings; Network Planning and Policy Council (NPPAC), 4 openings;
and Network Research Liaison Council (NRLC), TBD openings. In addition, the
Nominating committee will recommend a slate of 3 Trustees for the Board of
Trustees. The Nominating Committee will meet to review the nominations and
make their recommendations to the Board. The new Council and Trustees will
be announced at the Spring 2004 Member Meeting, April 19-21. Nominations may
be submitted on the web, sent to 
<>,
 or faxed to (734)
913-4255. All nominations must be received by February 20, 2004. For more
information see: http://www.internet2.edu/about/nominationinfo.html

+ Industry Strategy Council Meeting
The Internet2 Industry Strategy Council Meeting was held November 21, 2003.
The Council addressed Internet2’s strategic direction and the role of
industry in areas including cyberinfrastructure, optical networking,
middleware, and security.  Presentations on topics discussed at the meeting
are available at the following URLs:

- The Report of the National Science Foundation Blue-Ribbon Advisory Panel
on Cyberinfrastructure
http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/20031121-ISC-Atkins.pdf
-  Abilene, National LambdaRail, FiberCo, and Hybrid Optical Packet
Infrastructure (HOPI)
http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/20031121-ISC-Corbato.htm
-  Federations and Identity management
http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/20031121-ISC-Klingenstein.htm
- Network Security and the Security at Line Speed Workshop
http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/20031121-ISC-Klingenstein2.htm
- Internet2 Corporate Program Update
http://www.internet2.edu/presentations/20031121-ISC-Arnold.htm

<> Internet2 and the Harvard Business School Workshop
The future of business applications was the focus of a workshop led by Dick
Nolan and Rob Austin, faculty at Harvard Business School (HBS). Co-sponsored
by Internet2, the workshop brought together a select group of academics,
business leaders, and industry specialists in Phoenix during the SC2003
conference to create a framework for identifying advanced business
applications made possible by emerging information technologies.  A visit to
SC2003's exhibit hall in order to gain a better understanding of advanced
technology trends and capabilities was a highlight of the workshop.  The
next meeting of the group will be held using Access Grid technology in late
January.  An upcoming HBS publication will document the learning’s of the
group.

<> International Update
+ TANet2 upgrading connections to Internet2 Networks
TANet2, the high-performance national research network in Taiwan now has a
2.5 Gbps connection to the Pacific Wave International exchange point,
located at the Pacific Northwest Gigapop in Seattle, WA.  Connections of
1Gbps and 622 Mbps will also be extended from Seattle to Chicago's Starlight
facility.
The new connections increase bandwidth from 155Mpbs to 2.5Gbps between
Taiwan's TANet2 and emerging TWAREN networks and research and education
networks in the US and beyond, including Internet2's Abilene backbone
network. Taiwan's National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC),
which operates the connections, has been an Internet2 international partner
since 1999.

http://www.tanet2.net.tw/
http://www.twaren.net
http://www.pacificwave.net
http://www.startap.net/starlight/

<> Middleware Update
+ Shibboleth
As the result of a solicitation for volunteers, a focus group of university
librarians has been formed to assist in the design of a GUI for using
Shibboleth technology.  This focus group is now meeting to define
requirements for the Shibboleth Library Administrators' Tool. The use of
Shibboleth continues to grow, there are now approximately 30 universities
registered in InQueue, the federation of research and education
organizations interested in using Shibboleth technology and exploring the
issues surrounding federations.

A special thank you goes to the InCommon Policy group for its advice and
counsel in moving toward implementation of the production US research and
education federation, InCommon, and in drafting the InCommon Prospectus.
Expect the InCommon Prospectus to be available soon. A management group is
now being set up to oversee the operations and management of InCommon.

More information can be found at:
http://shibboleth.internet2.edu/
http://inqueue.internet2.edu/
http://incommon.internet2.edu/

+ NSF Middleware Initiative (NMI)
The next NMI Release is expected in mid-December. Look for the following
NMI-EDIT components to be included: Videoconferencing Middleware Cookbook;
two additional webISO’s:  A-Select (the Netherlands) and Co Sign (University
of Michigan); new revisions to LDAP Analyzer, eduPerson, the Enterprise
Directory Implementation Roadmap, Shibboleth, PERMIS, and H.350.

+ CAMP Directory Workshop: Register Now
Modeled after the Enterprise Directory Implementation Roadmap, the next CAMP
will review the directory implementation steps, such as financial and staff
planning in the management track and directory architectures, person
registries, and operational issues in the technical track. To register,
visit the workshop website at:
http://www.educause.edu/conference/nmi/2004/camp041/

For more information about the Enterprise Directory Implementation Roadmap
see:
http://www.nmi-edit.org/roadmap/directories.html

+ Pre-Workshop Tutorial on Beginning an Identity Management Project:
Register Now
Preceding the CAMP Directory Workshop, an introductory workshop for
institutions planning to implement an identity management project will be
offered. Attendees will learn about the critical pieces in identity
management infrastructures, and leave with enough knowledge to attend the
CAMP Directory Workshop. Participation in this tutorial is limited, so
register early at:
http://www.educause.edu/conference/nmi/2004/camp041/

+ Presentations Available from the NMI Integration Testbed Results Workshop
The presentations from the NMI Integration Testbed Results Workshop held
preceding EDUCAUSE 2003 in Anaheim, CA are now available. Sessions included
case studies and evaluations of many of the NMI components. For more
information:
http://www.nsf-middleware.org/testbed/meetings/workshop1103/1103agenda.html

+ NMI 2 - Middleware Diagnostics
The newly awarded second NSF Middleware Initiative Agreement, NMI 2, is now
underway in the area of middleware diagnostics.  We appreciate the
continuing support of NSF in the extension of our work to this critical
piece of the middleware infrastructure.

An advisory group, led by Charles DiFatta of Carnegie Mellon, has been
meeting and a charter and website for the project have been created.
Middleware diagnostic scenarios are being developed and plans for a survey
of institutional requirements are under discussion. More information can be
found at:
http://middleware.internet2.edu/e2ed/

+ Directories
MACE-Dir is conducting a survey of directory usage in higher education and
will be issuing a white paper detailing results in January 2004.  There is
still time to submit your institution's response.  Please go to the
following URL for access to the survey form:
http://middleware.internet2.edu/dir/localsurvey.html

The survey report will highlight any emerging best practices on how
institutions support internal applications and services in their directory
schema.  It will also inform the work of a new MACE-hosted effort to
coordinate person schema development work on a global scale.  Participants
from around the world, including Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom, Spain,
the US and Australia, will be working on this project in early 2004.

+ Integrated Infrastructure for Instant Messaging (I2IM) Working Group
Since its start in September of this year, the I2IM WG has generated a great
deal of enthusiasm and participation from the community. Its goal is to
explore the needs and applicability of messaging and middleware
infrastructures to support federated administration and the needs of Higher
Education and Research. As the work of this group proceeds, it will involve
the myriad of IM vendors to explore and understand the issues exposed and
how available technologies may address these issues.

With a wide variety of participants who are driving standards efforts
underway within the IETF, as well as members advocating for cross-platform
interoperability, as IM becomes a key collaborative tools in R&E as well as
in business, I2IM is working on example scenarios to guide its efforts.
http://middleware.internet2.edu/i2im/

<> End-to-End Performance Initiative (E2Epi) Update
+ E2E piPEs (End-to-End Performance Initiative Performance Environment
System)
The team gave a major demonstration at SC2003 which included live
performance data and analysis from the Abilene backbone using Iperf, OWAMP
(One-Way Active Measurement Protocol), trace route, and a new tool, recently
developed by the E2E piPEs team, BWCTL (Bandwidth Control).  The BWCTL tool
allows authorized users to schedule throughput tests from their home
location into the core of the network; these tests self-schedule in the
presence of scarce resources. For more information see:
http://e2epi.internet2.edu/E2EpiPEs/index.html

+ OWAMP (One-Way Active Measurement Protocol)
A new version of OWAMP is available.  Manpages have recently been made
available to simplify the download and initial use. For more information
see:
http://owamp.internet2.edu

+ Workshops
A Bandwidth Estimation (BEst) Workshop, scheduled for December 9-10 at SDSC,
aims to discuss recent advancements in this field, resolve arguments (e.g.,
regarding the terminology and definition of bandwidth metrics, acceptable
degree of intrusiveness in active measurements, evaluation of existing
measurement tools), and to identify open problems that require further
research.  The Workshop is sponsored by CAIDA, IMRG, and the DOE Office of
Science. More information can be found at:
http://e2epi.internet2.edu/workshops/BEst-workshop-announcement.html

E2Epi is hosting a workshop, December 11-12 at SDSC, to bring together
experts in the area of measurement, networking, and E2E performance issues
to develop a Roadmap for the topic area.  An NSF grant awarded to Matt
Zekauskas will fund this workshop.
http://e2epi.internet2.edu/workshops/roadmap.html.

+ Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Working Group
A $1.1 million grant, recently awarded to Penn State University (PSU) by the
Andrew W. Mellon foundation, will enable PSU to partner with the Internet2
consortium (change to membership?) in the development of a technology called
LionShare, an innovative tool that will facilitate legitimate file-sharing
among institutions around the world through the use of authenticated
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks.  More information can be found at:
http://p2p.internet2.edu/index.html.

<> Applications Update
+ Megaconference V Takes Place December 10
December 10, 2003 marks the fifth occurrence of the Megaconference, an
annual event that is the largest, worldwide Internet videoconference. "The
Megaconference is great fun for all those who participate, and it pushes
H.323 technology and practice to greater heights every year," says Bob
Dixon, the organizer and founder of the Megaconferences. On December 10
throughout the day, Megaconference V presenters will cover topics under the
theme, "Sustaining Global Communities through Videoconferencing." All
connections will be based on H.323 videoconferencing technology, with a
minimum connection speed of 768 Kbps. This fifth year, the Megaconference
and Internet2 will recognize those participants who have attended all five
of the Megaconferences with a special award.
http://www.megaconference.org

+ Commons Training Goes Global
Internet2 Commons training is going global, with several Commons training
activities scheduled in the coming months. Commons training typically covers
such topics as audio/video basics, room/environment setup for
videoconferences, Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) scheduling, and much more.
Although you might not be able to make it to Singapore or Australia, the
Midwest and East Coast can be quite nice in the spring. Visit this link for
details:
http://commons.internet2.edu/train/

+ Subscribe Now to the Commons H.323 Videoconferencing Service
If you haven't subscribed to the Internet2 Commons H.323 videoconferencing
service, January is a great time to start. The prorated figures beginning
January 1st are 200 port hours for $1340. Through Internet2 Commons
videoconferencing, you can connect to your peers, independent of endpoint
brands, through your existing Internet2 network connection. Apply today and
start collaborating face-to-face with the global education community. For
more about the Commons H.323 multipoint service, visit:
http://commons.internet2.edu/h323/

+ Internet2 Detective Now Available for the Macintosh
Internet2 Detective is a small, easy to install application that provides
information about a network connection that previously only advanced users
or network engineers knew how to obtain. Internet2 Detective offers computer
users easy access to the status and capabilities of their current network
connection by providing information about advanced network capabilities,
including connectivity to an Internet2 backbone network, an estimate of
available bandwidth and multicast capabilities. Version 3.1 of the Detective
is now available for the Macintosh (running OS X).
http://detective.internet2.edu/

+ Report from Security at Line Speed Workshop Now Available
The goal of the Security at Line Speed (SALS) Workshop, held in August 2003,
was to identify the requirements, architectures, and best practices needed
to guide future network deployments for the research community. SALS
organizers and participants have co-authored a report that summarizes the
workshop’s discussions. The report describes current security practices,
identifies known problems using case studies, and suggests a proposed
research agenda. You’ll find the report, as well as additional background
information on SALS activities, by following the link below.
http://apps.internet2.edu/sals/

<> Internet2 K20 Initiative Update
+ K20 Community Celebrates the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial
A couple of very interesting projects in the K20 community have emerged to
commemorate the 200th anniversary of this historic event.  The project,
Lewis and Clark Then and Now: Linking the Trail to America's Students will
commemorate the Bicentennial of the Corps of Discovery's historic journey
across America-what it taught America then, how it changed America after,
and what a retracing of that journey can teach America today. Throughout the
2003 to 2006 school years the project will follow the Discovery Expedition
of St. Charles as members re-enact in real time the three-year voyage of the
Corps of Discovery.
For more information see:
http://ali.apple.com/lewisandclark/
http://www.lewisandclark.net

MORENet has also put together a nice collection of links to various Lewis
and Clark resources with the goal being to facilitate the creation of
high-quality digital resources for Lewis and Clark materials for classroom
use. http://www.more.net/programs/internet2/projects/

<> New Internet2 Members
+ Affiliate Members
   - NJEDge.Net - http://www.njedge.net

<> Future Internet2 Events
+ Spring 2004 Internet2 Member Meeting:  Arlington, Virginia, April 19-21
+ Fall 2004 Internet2 Member Meeting, Austin, Texas, September 27-30

<> Internet2 Days
Hold an Internet2 Day for your Internet2 member organization. Technical
support for live demonstrations and informational materials are available.
For more information contact Marianne Smith 
<>
 or see:
http://apps.internet2.edu/Internet2-Days.html

<> Showcase and Spotlight Opportunities - Projects and People
A Showcase on the Internet2 Web site is a great way to highlight the
milestones, events, collaborations and efforts that are a result of your
work in the advanced networking community. You are also encouraged to submit
a profile of anyone in the Internet2 community whose efforts merit notice.
Include a brief description (less than 100 words), all appropriate links and
images, and contact information. If you have suggestions about projects,
people or news that might be featured, please contact Adam Csillag
<>.

<> Internet2 Related Events
+ Online Calendar
For a complete listing of events for and of interest to the Internet2
community, see the online Internet2 Calendar. Be sure the Internet2-related
event you are holding or know about is listed at:
http://events.internet2.edu/calendar/main.php

If you are holding an event of any kind related to Internet2, we will be
glad to assist members with resources such as printed publications,
equipment or speakers. Please contact Marianne Smith for more information
<>.

+ U.S. IPv6 Summit 2003
8-11 December 2003
Arlington, VA
http://www.usipv6.com/

+ Megaconference V
10 December 2003
Virtual Event
http://www.megaconference.org/

+ GlobusWORLD 2004
20-23 January 2004
San Francisco, CA
http://www.globusworld.org/