Middleware Announcements

["Lee Perlis" <>]

Internet2 (R) Members Update
January 2004

<> Internet2 2003 Year in Review
<> Internet2 Workshops in January 2004
<> Call for Proposals:  Spring 2004 Internet2 Member Meeting
<> Internet2 Members Featured in Syllabus
<> National Internet2 Day
<> EDUCAUSE Excellence in Networking Awards
<> Board and Council Nominations
<> International Update
<> Middleware Update
<> End-to-End Performance Initiative (E2Epi) Update
<> Applications Update
<> Internet2 K20 Initiative Update
<> 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 2003 Year in Review
In a recent letter to the Internet2 membership, Dr. Douglas Van Houweling,
President & CEO of Internet2, takes a look back at accomplishments of the
Internet2 community over the past year. Internet2 members have invested in
high-performance campus and regional networks, deployed technologies such as
multicast and IPv6, and supported the implementation of middleware and the
development of new network applications. Highlights from the past year
include, the completed Abilene backbone network upgrade to 10 gigabit per
second links, the release of Shibboleth 1.0, and expanded efforts in
security. Other highlights and the letter to members can be found at:
http://www.internet2.edu/about/update-200401.html

<> Internet2 Workshops in January 2004
The Joint Techs Workshop will be held 25-28 January 2004 as part of the
Techs in Paradise (TIP) meeting, 22-31 January. All sessions will be held at
the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu.  Internet2 will
be hosting or co-hosting several other side meetings and sessions in
conjunction with the Joint Techs Workshop including an IPv6 Workshop, an
Internet2 Commons Videoconferencing Workshop (with APRUNet), and a VoIP
Summit (with APAN).  Several Internet2 Working Groups and BOFs will also be
meeting in conjunction with Techs in Paradise, including the High-Energy and
Nuclear Physics Working Group, the Routing Working Group, and the Astronomy
BOF.  In addition, the Internet2/EDUCAUSE Security Task Force will be
hosting a Middleware/Security BOF. Register now at:
https://services.internet2.edu/tip2004/index.jsp.

For details on the Workshop, netcast times, and for information on and links
to the other meetings (some of which require separate registration), 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 networks, setting up live situations
involving incoming and outgoing video and audio, dealing with a multi-camera
shoot, placing lighting and projectors, and 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 networks. There is a registration fee of $125 for
the 2-day workshop. See:
http://events.internet2.edu/2004/NWS-workshop/

<> Call for Proposals:  Spring 2004 Internet2 Member Meeting
The Call for Proposals deadline for the Spring 2004 Member Meeting,
scheduled for 19-21 April 2004 in Arlington, VA has been extended to Friday,
January 16, 2004.  The Spring member meeting traditionally highlights
Internet2's partnerships among academia, industry, government and the
international community. The Program Committee is seeking proposals that
focus on collaborations with and among federal agencies, between the
corporate community and higher education, and with international
organizations. Key areas of focus include cyberinfrastructure initiatives,
cooperative funding arrangements among federal agencies, global e-science
collaborations, security on high-performance networks, as well as
presentations of advanced applications underway on member campuses,
deployment of middleware capabilities, and advancements in the K/20
community. More information on the Call for Proposals and a proposal
submission form can be found at:
http://events.internet2.edu/2004/spring-mm/call-for-proposals.cfm

<> Internet2 Members Featured in Syllabus
Several Internet2 members are featured in the January 2004 issue of Syllabus
magazine, a publication read by more than 50,000 higher education faculty
and IT professionals who use technology to support their teaching and
learning. The January edition of Syllabus, a special issue on campus
networking, features bylined articles and case studies from Internet2
members including Brian Voss of Indiana University, Christianne Orto of the
Manhattan School of Music, Erik Hofer and Tom Finholt of the University of
Michigan, Franz Kurfess of California Polytechnic State University at San
Luis Obispo, Joe Mambretti of Northwestern University, Tom West of National
LambdaRail and CENIC, and Kathleen McMonigal of ResearchChannel. The
Syllabus case studies describe how these institutions are using Internet2
networking for their work in developing and/or deploying advanced network
technologies.  These stories can be found on the Internet2 Web site at:
http://news.internet2.edu/ncAllShow.cfm or on Syllabus online at
http://www.syllabus.com.

<> National Internet2 Day – 18 March 2004
Is your campus participating in National Internet2 Day on Thursday, March
18, 2004? If so, have you signed-up? The first-ever, virtual National
Internet2 Day will feature a series of virtual presentations,
demonstrations, and performance events across disciplines. Member campuses
are encouraged to host local National Internet2 Day events with
presentations by campus-based faculty supplemented by netcast national
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 
<>
 no later than 23 January 2004. If you are a
corporate member interested in sponsorship opportunities, contact Ellen
Vaughan (734) 652-4954 
<>.
 For updated information on
National Internet2 Day activities, please visit:
http://events.internet2.edu/2004/Internet2Day/

<> EDUCAUSE Excellence in Networking Awards
Applications for EDUCAUSE's Excellence in Networking awards are being
accepted through 1 February 2004. Winners of the 2003 awards included
Internet2 members Indiana University and Purdue University for their work to
create I-Light, Indiana's optical fiber network. The award program honors
strategic, innovative networking programs or practices that improve the
quality of campus network services through new or enhanced network
architectures, infrastructure, integration, management, and/or operational
practices. For more information and an application form, see:
http://www.educause.edu/awards/network/

<> Board 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 20 February 2004. For more
information see:
http://www.internet2.edu/about/nominationinfo.html

<> International Update
+ Dual 10Gbps between Australia and North America
Announced on December 12, 2003, the SX TransPORT (Southern Cross
Trans-Pacific Optical Research Testbed) project will provide dual 10 gigabit
per second capacity circuits that will expand current connections between
Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet) to the advanced research
and education networks in North America, such as Internet2's Abilene
network. Currently, AARNET connects to the Abilene network via a 310 Mbps
link to the Pacific Wave international exchange point, located at the
Pacific Northwest Gigapop in Seattle, WA. AARNET has been an Internet2
International Partner since the Fall of 1999.

The SX TransPORT results from a partnership between Southern Cross and
AARNet to catalyze new, effective ways for Australia's research community to
participate in and contribute to global e-science programs. The Australian
Minister for Education, Science and Training announced
that the Australian Government will contribute AU$16.4 million towards the
total project cost of $44.8 million. More information can be found at:
http://www.dest.gov.au/Ministers/Media/Nelson/2003/12/n561111203.asp
and http://www.aarnet.edu.au/news/sxtransport.html

AARNET, http://www.aarnet.edu.au
Pacific Wave, http://www.pacificwave.net/
Southern Cross, http://www.southerncrosscables.com

+ Philippines, Sri-Lanka and Thailand Join APAN as Primary Members
APAN, the Asia Pacific Advanced Networking consortium and an Internet2
international partner, recently announced three new primary members:
Phillipines, Sri-Lanka and Thailand. In the Philippines, ASIT (Advanced
Science and Technology Institute) manages PREGINET, the Phillippine's
Research, Education and Government information network. LEARN, the Lanka
Education And Research Network interconnects research and education
institutions across Sri-Lanka. In Thailand, APAN-TH consists of both
Thailand's Social/Scientific Academic and Research Network (Thaisarn) and
UniNet- Thailand's Education and Research Network. Both of these
organizations are Internet2 international partners.

APAN-TH, http://www.th.apan.net/
ASTI, http://www.asti.dost.gov.ph
PREGINET, http://preginet.asti.dost.gov.ph
LEARN, http://www.ac.lk/
APAN, http://www.apan.net
TransPAC, http://www.transpac.org

<> Middleware Update
+ Shibboleth
An intriguing number of additional countries are showing interest in
Shibboleth.  The group recently welcomed organizations in Australia and the
CSC, the Finnish IT center for science in Finland to Shibboleth
experimentation.  Special thanks go to the Swiss network, SWITCH, which
contributed important code to Shibboleth. More information on Shibboleth can
be found at:
http://shibboleth.internet2.edu/

+ NSF Middleware Initiative 2 (NMI2)
Authority Systems:
The Authority System group is starting to engage, a face-to-face meeting is
scheduled for 12-13 January 2004.  They will concentrate on finalizing the
detailed content and style specifications of the Authority System Recipe and
associated case studies.  They will also work on detailing the components,
timeframes, and responsible individuals for the toolkit pieces.

+ Registration Still Open for CAMP Directory Workshop
Held in Tempe, AZ on February 3-6, the CAMP Workshop on Directories has a
few openings available. Register now to attend and learn about enterprise
directory implementation for both management and technical staff. For
detailed agenda and speaker information about the CAMP Directory Workshop,
visit:
http://www.educause.edu/conference/nmi/2004/camp041/program.asp.

To register, visit the workshop website at:
http://www.educause.edu/conference/nmi/2004/camp041/

+ New NMI Released December 2003
 NMI-R4, released on 16 December 2003, included a robust collection of tools
and services for organizations to build their security and identity
management infrastructure. For more information on the released components,
visit:
http://nsf-middleware.org or
http://www.nmi-edit.org/development/index.html.

+ Directories
International eduPerson
The International person schema group had its first conference call in
December.  The goal is to coordinate person schema development work on a
global scale.  Current members of the team hail from Australia, Norway,
Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.  One of the first
tasks of the group will be to identify a list of attributes of common
interest that are not already standardized in such specifications as X.520,
inetOrgPerson and eduPerson. For more information, see:
http://www.educause.edu/eduperson/

<> End-to-End Performance Initiative (E2Epi) Update
+ E2E piPEs (End-to-End Performance Initiative Performance Environment
System)
The team is planning a demonstration of integrated data collection (along
with NLANR’s The Advisor Project) via a common web interface at the January
2004 Joint Techs in Hawaii (between the UIUC and the University of Hawaii
campuses).  For more information see:
http://e2epi.internet2.edu/E2EpiPEs/index.html

+ OWAMP (One-Way Active Measurement Protocol)
A new version of OWAMP is now available. Man Pages are available to simplify
the download and initial use.  Development of the BWCTL (bandwidth control)
tool is progressing quickly; the tool is under review by folks from
TeraGrid, ESnet, and AMP to see if it meets their needs.
http://owamp.internet2.edu

+ Workshops
E2Epi hosted a workshop, 11-12 December 2003 at SDSC, to bring together
experts in the area of measurement, networking, and E2E performance issues
to develop a Roadmap for the topic area.  A white paper is being developed
and will be reviewed by the attendees, who included (in part) Matt Mathis,
Kevin Thompson, Steve Wallace, Connie Logg, Brian Tierney, kc claffy,
Margaret Murray, Tony McGregor, and Chas DiFatta. For more information see:
http://people.internet2.edu/~matt/perfmeasarch/

+ Case Studies
A case study regarding videoconferencing problems encountered by the Visible
Human Project (VHP) has been posted at:
http://e2epi.internet2.edu/CaseStudies/VHP/VHPcs-index.html.

+ H.323 Beacon
Internet2 corporate member Polycom recently recommended the H.323 Beacon
developed at ITEC-Ohio. See:
http://www.itecohio.org/beacon/polycom_govt.pdf (page 12) and
http://www.itecohio.org/beacon/polycom_itprof.pdf (page 12).

+ E2Epi Info Sheet
A new E2Epi Info Sheet was distributed in the quarterly member mailing; a
PDF version was added to the online InfoKit. Find it at:
http://www.internet2.edu/pubs/200311-IS-E2E.pdf.

<> Applications Update
+ New Internet2 Radiology Working Group
Internet2 has formed a new Radiology Working Group, which will draw together
the academic, clinical and industrial communities that manage the
development and implementation of medical imaging advances in the health
sciences. Speeding the entry of advanced networking technology into the
healthcare enterprise is a critical goal, and the Radiology Working Group
will leverage the widespread use of medical imaging in the clinical setting
to do so. The Radiology Working Group will leverage existing standards in
medical imaging and the large imaging research base in academic medicine in
order to meet its goals. The chair of the Radiology Working Group is Dr.
Greg Mogel, University of Southern California 
<>.
 For more
information see:
http://health.internet2.edu/WorkingGroups/Radiology.html

+ H.323 Videoconferencing Training in Hawaii on January 25
Videoconferencing experts from Internet2 member institutions will introduce
a broad framework for understanding H.323 videoconferencing over advanced
networks. Sponsored by APRUNet, the advanced networking activities division
of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, and Internet2 this day-long
training held in conjunction with the Joint Techs workshop will cover topics
such as: H.323 basics; gateways and gatekeepers; the new H.350 directory
standard; introduction to SIP; room set-up basics; tools and
troubleshooting; hands-on equipment demonstrations; and more. The fee is
$100. Join us in Honolulu on 25 January 2004! To register or to learn more,
visit:
http://commons.internet2.edu/train/200401/

+ Disaster Recovery Trial Core Network Built
With the ultimate goal of enabling telecommunications carriers or
universities to route calls via either circuit-switched or IP networks, the
Internet2 Voice Disaster Recovery project's Phase II build-out of the core
network is ninety-percent complete. The trial's disaster recovery network,
which could someday service Internet2 members, consists of: two BroadWorks
nodes at MAX/Georgetown University and Texas A&M University; emergency SIP
(Session Initiation Protocol) phones deployed on participating campuses; and
SIP gateways within PAETEC points of presence, which terminate in College
Park, MD and Boston, MA. The project, a part of the Voice over IP working
group, consists of Internet2 members: Broadsoft, Georgetown University,
Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX), PAETEC Communications Inc., and Texas A&M
University. The group will soon examine the possibilities of offering an
operational service to the Internet2 membership. Find out more at:
http://voip.internet2.edu/dr/

+ Megaconference V Building Strong Videoconferencing Community
At least 167 institutions in 28 countries participated remotely for the
fifth annual Megaconference, a 13 hour videoconference held on 10 December
2003. "By all accounts, this was the best Megaconference ever," said Bob
Dixon, chief organizer and founder of the Megaconferences. The
Megaconferences have allowed engineers and technicians to develop tools and
technologies to establish H.323 Internet videoconferencing communities in
education and research around the world. For organizations that had
participated in all five Megaconferences, Internet2 sponsored a special
recognition award. Of the 16 institutions recognized, 13 were Internet2
member organizations. Vendors donated a total of 34 prizes to participants,
and Internet2 members Polycom and Radvision donated upgrades to the
Internet2 Commons Multipoint Control Units at the heart of the
Megaconference cascade. For more details than can be covered here, or to
watch the archives, visit:
http://www.megaconference.org

<> Internet2 K20 Initiative Update
+ Indiana Named SEGP of the Month
Indiana's first K20 Initiative project focused in 2002-03 on introducing
public schools to Internet2 and IP videoconferencing using the JASON
Project. The Intelenet Commission (manager of the state network), IHETS
(operator of the state network), and the Indiana Web Academy (a joint
project of Intelenet and the Indiana Department of Education) worked to
raise awareness among school teachers, provide technology training, place
videoconferencing equipment in schools, and provide multiple distribution
mechanisms for the JASON broadcasts (including not only satellite
redistribution but also IP video bridging, live streaming, and on-demand
access to indexed programs).

For more information on this story and Indiana's SEGP please see the
Internet2 K20 website at:
http://k20.internet2.edu/segp/index.html

<> Future Internet2 Events
+ Spring 2004 Internet2 Member Meeting:  Arlington, Virginia, 19-21 April
2004
+ Summer Joint Techs Workshop, Columbus, Ohio, 18-22 July 2004 - hosted by
the Ohio Valley Internet2 Consortium
+ Fall 2004 Internet2 Member Meeting: Austin, Texas, 27-30 September 2004

<> 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

+ National Internet2 Day
18 March 2004
http://events.internet2.edu/2004/Internet2Day/

<> 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
<>.

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

+ A Gathering of State Networks - A 
Net@EDU
 Event
4-5 February 2004
Tempe, AZ
http://www.educause.edu/netatedu/events/sn04/

+ NANOG 30
8-10 February 2004
Miami, FL
http://www.nanog.org/

+ HIMSS Annual Conference
22-26 February 2004
Orlando, FL
http://conference.himss.org/ASP/index.asp

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Do you have a news item or event you'd like the Internet2 community to
know about? Send a brief description and pointers to any information on
the Web to 
<>

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