CIC Chicago Ring Projects

1
CIC Chicago Ring Projects

• Northern Tier Meeting
• June 24, 2005

2
Background

• Several important Chicago networking sites
• Long haul termination
• Commercial ISPs
• Research and Education network
• Interconnections between these sites
• Change with time
• Can be expensive
• Cost, flexibility are key

3
Fiber Project Overview

• Organized through the CIC
• University of Michigan RFP
• University of Illinois served as fiscal agent
• MOU between participating schools
• 12 Universities are founding members
• Wayne State, Norte Dame and Merit joined later
  as participating members
• Others can still join (Until September 1, 2005)

4
Fiber Specifics

• 20 yr. IRU, prepaid maintenance
• 104 strands total
• 7 Chicago locations
• One fiber ring from Level 3
• Two overlapping fiber rings from Looking Glass
  Networks
• Each founding member purchased 8 or 10 strands
• Splicing/Jumpers are institution specific
• Costs - 15,500 per fiber pair

5
Looking Glass Networks
6
Level 3
7
Ring Operations Support Project

• Need for common services
• Collocation space
• Remote hands and eyes
• Engineering services
• NOC services
• Developed RFI
• Individual services
• OmniPOP services

8
OmniPOP Services

• A group of services performed by the vendor at
  several locations
• Layers 1,2 and 3
• Engineering Support Services
• NOC Services
• Engineering Strategic Planning Services
• Administrative Services

9
Service Status

• RFI issued for individual and OmniPOP services
• 10 responses
• 3 responses addressed the OmniPOP
• Enough interest to warrant further discussion
• May pursue an RFP

10
Questions?