This article is about a technology development organization. For the next-generation Internet backbone, see
Abilene Network.
Internet2 or UCAID (University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development) is a non-profit consortium which develops and deploys advanced
network applications and technologies, for education and high-speed data transfer
purposes. It is led by 212 universities [2] and partners with 60 companies in areas from the networking (Cisco Systems, Nortel[1] and others), publishing (Prous Science)
and technology industries such as Comcast, Intel and Sun Microsystems. "Internet2"
is a registered trademark [3].
Achievements
Internet2 (and its members) created the Abilene Network and was a prime investor ($10
million) in the National LambdaRail (NLR) project [4]. During 2004–2006, Internet2 and NLR held extensive discussions regarding a
possible merger [5].
Key to this merger was the condition that Internet2 would operate its successor to Abilene using NLR's infrastructure (NLR has
IRUs on actual fiber infrastructure from WilTel, now Level(3), where Internet2 utilizes
leased optical wavelengths from Qwest for Abilene). Those talks paused in the Spring of 2006, but have since resumed (March
2007). The complete merger is expected to take 2 years [6].
These technologies and their organizational counterparts were not only created to make a faster alternative to the internet.
More and more applications for Internet2 technology become apparent all the time. Many fields have been able to use the Abilene
network to foster creativity, research, and development in a way that was not previously possible. Students who belong to poor
quality libraries now find themselves downloading not only text but sound recordings, animations, videos, and other resources.
Another application is the robust video conferencing now available to Internet2 participants. Neurosurgeons can now video
conference with other experts in the field during an operation in a high resolution format with no apparent time lag. There are
many possible applications of this network.
History of the next-generation Internet backbone and Internet2
The beginnings of the internet were based on the communications of computers over a network. One of the first major examples
of such a network was ARPAnet, developed by the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency. As more networks like ARPAnet were created, the need to standardize and make them compatible
arose. This is how the Internet began to evolve into what it is today.
Since the internet was developed and first used by governments and universities, such institutions were the first to outgrow
the internet's bandwidth limitations. Universities realized the need for a network that would better support bandwidth- and
computer-intensive work, like data mining, medical imaging, and particle physics. This need for a higher bandwidth network
resulted in the creation of the very-high-performance Backbone Network Service, or vBNS. The vBNS
was developed in 1995 by the National Science Foundation and
MCI telecommunications company specifically to meet the needs of the supercomputers at educational
institutions. The concept of “the next generation of internet” was born. MCI engineered this backbone for the National Science
Foundation, but when their agreement expired the participating institutions looked to the Internet2 organization to offer the
same service as MCI.
Internet2 relationship to the Abilene Network
There have been times when the media have reported on a network called "Internet2." This is misleading since Internet2
is in fact a consortium and not a computer network. "Internet2" is sometimes used, albeit a misnomer, for the Abilene Network.
The Abilene project is supported greatly by Qwest Communications through the use
of Qwest's optical fiber networks. Internet2's Abilene transport agreement with Qwest is
due to expire somewhere around October 2007. [7]. Internet2 has contracted with Level3 for the fiber required to support the
successor to Abilene.
Important dates for Internet2 and Abilene
- 1996
- Internet2 organization is created.
- April 1998
- Abilene network announced at the White House.
- February 1999
- Initial operation began. 2.5 gigabits per second backbone was completed.
- March 29, 2000
- Internet speed record is set at 8.4 gigabytes transferred over 81 seconds for a data rate of 957 megabits per second.[8]
- 2004
- Abilene upgrade to 10 gigabits per second completed.
- 2006
- Internet2 celebrates its tenth anniversary.
- February 20, 2006
- The speed record is broken. Data is sent at 8.8 gigabits per second over a distance of 30,000 km for a period of 45
minutes.[9]
- December 31, 2006
- The speed record is broken again. This time data is transferred at 9.08 gigabits per second over a distance of 30,000 km for
a period of five hours.[10]
- October 10, 2007
- Backbone speed increased to 100 gigabits per second[11]
Selected bibliography
Barnes, Christopher, and Terresa E. Jackson . INTERNET2: The Backbone of the Future. Brooks Air Force Base, Tex.: Air
Force Research Laboratory, 2002. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA406627 (9 February 2007).
Internet2. Internet2 - Home. http://www.internet2.edu/ (9 February 2007).
Matlis, Jan. "Internet2." Computerworld, 28 August 2006,
30.
Moschovitis, Christos, Hilary Poole, Tami Schuyler, and Theresa M. Senft. History of the Internet: A Chronology, 1843 to
the Present. Santa Barbara, Cal.: ABC-CLIO, 1999.
Internal Links
- DANTE (Not-for profit org. managing the pan-European research network)
- GEANT (The pan-European research network)
- SURFnet (Dutch research network)
- Renater (French research network)
- CANARIE (Canadian research network)
- TERENA
- Kennisnet
External links
References
- ^ Light Reading, Nov. 09 2004 "SURFnet, Internet2 deploy Nortel" [1]
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