Peter Kirstein,

1

The Silk Project

• Peter Kirstein,
• University College London
• NATO Science Committee Chair Computer Networking
  Panel

2
Plan of the Talk

• The Background of the Project
• The Project Concept
• The Parameters Chosen
• Selection Procedures
• Costs
• Implementation Actions
• The Next Steps
• The Long Term

3
Acknowledgements

• Based on our paper for next NATO Science
  Committee Meeting
• Work of Whole Silk Task Force
• Particularly Robert Janz, Hans Frese and Walter
  Kaffenberger, Rolf Nordhagen and Sergei
  Berezhnev, Peter Kirstein

4
Activity of Network Panel

• The Networking Panel has been supporting NIGs for
  many years
• Southern Caucuses and Central Asia is current
  principal area
• Internet Connectivity has become a large part of
  each NIG
• Current bandwidths much too small
• but all that can be afforded from budget

5
Intentions of NIG Grants

• Improve National Research Net Infrastructure
• Encourage National Collaboration
• Encourage International Collaboration

6
Current Connectivity

• Bandwidth from NATO sources currently 64 512
  Kbps
• Would like to go up by an order of magnitude at
  least
• Cost unaffordable in current model
• NRENs partially exist in most of the intended
  currently

7
Possible Technologies

• Mainly Fibre in Western Europe
• No affordable fibre yet in Caucasus or Central
  Asia
• Satellite attractive in these areas
• Satellite Bandwidth driving force
• Broadcast capability can be useful
• Proposed Silk Project in 2000
• Based on VSAT Technology

8
Schematic of Silk System
9
Initially Proposal

• Earth Station for each Partner site
• Operated by Satellite Carrier
• Larger hub Earth Station onto Internet
• Providing Internet access directly
• Routers for each Partner site
• Linked on one side to the Satellite Channel
• On the other side to the NREN

10
Final Proposal

• Two routers at each site
• One for connection to NREN
• Second to connect to Earth Station
• Management responsibility ends at their interface
• Satellite Router controlled by Provider
• NREN manages second router
• Content Engine to cache at Earth Station

11
Schematic of Each Site
Satellite
Router
NREN
Content
Router
Cache
NREN
12
Equipment at Each Site
13
Functions of Cache

• Cache information that comes into Earth Station
  from any requests
• Information may be requested from other
  workstations in another country
• All web requests go first to Content Engine
  Operator
• Only uncached information is expected to be
  provided through the Internet

14
Financial Constraints

• Only 2.5M is available from NATO Panel Budget
  2001-2004
• Other Financial or in kind contributions
  additional to this budget
• Have financial approval in principle
• But big expenditures need Science Committee
• Guaranteed expenditure only one year and Next

15
Preliminary Discussions

• Provided Schematic Diagram
• Discussed with Potential Satellite Service
  Providers
• Considered possibilities for local sites
• Came up with detailed specs
• Sent out tender to see how much bandwidth we
  could afford

16
Planned Silk Bandwidth
17
Tender Results

• Huge Differences in cost
• More than a factor of 10
• EurasiaSat best on balance, and we are
  negotiating details for the contract
• Cisco agreed to provide Network Eq
• 400K donation for equipment and installation
• DESY offered to house hub
• 350K for hub management and equipment
• 125K for access to the Internet

18
Annual Expenditure Plans
PL
Virtual Silk Highway
EurasiaSat (05/09)
Year
2001
2002
2003
2004
Total
Operational expenses
2,280,840
72,487
450,976
725,571
1,031,806
Investments
772,000
241,500
80,500
0
1,094,000
Budget requirement
(3,374,840)
(844,487)
(692,476)
(806,071)
(1,031,806)
19
Annual Operating Expenses
20
Cost of Equipment Investment
21
Planned Income/Expenditure
Virtual Silk Highway
PL
EurasiaSat (05/09)
Year
2001
2002
2003
2004
Total
Operational expenses
72,487
450,976
725,571
1,031,806
2,280,840
Investments
1,094,000
772,000
241,500
80,500
0
Budget requirement
(3,374,840)
(844,487)
(692,476)
(806,071)
(1,031,806)
Grants
2,500,000
NATO
630,000
400,000
600,000
870,000
400,000
Cisco Systems
200,000
150,000
50,000
DESY
20,000
110,000
110,000
110,000
350,000
DESY/DFN
5,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
125,000
Total grants
855,000
690,000
800,000
1,030,000
3,375,000


Liquidity
160
10,513
8,038
1,966
160
22
NATO Grant Plans

• Almost Standard Grant
• Hans van der Schmitt DESY Co-Director
• One Co-Director from each Partner Country
• Grant to 2004
• But because of annual NATO budget, can only
  guarantee one year ahead
• DESY will handle monies and Equipment
• As is usual in these grants

23
Staged Implementation

• 2001 Upgrade DESY Node
• 2001 Implement 4 sites
• E.g. Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyz Rep, Uzbekistan
• 2002 Implement 3 sites
• E.g. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan
• 2003 Implement Turkmenistan
• Order depends on readiness of sites

24
Requirements of Host Sites

• Need Governmental approval to connect Earth
  Station to NREN
• Must have suitable site with power and network
  connectivity
• Must have some capability to operate system
• If these not available well before installation
  date, will install another site first

25
Project Management

• DESY will provide Technical Management
• Area Consultants plus Silk Task Force will
  provide first Process Management
• If project grows, may get professionals
• Project Steering Committee provide high level
  policy management

26
Policy Steering Committee

• Will include at least all Co-Directors and
  representatives of funders
• Terms of Reference to be decided by members
• Expect ad hoc meeting at Workshop
• Policy includes AUP rules, bandwidth rules, any
  dispute resolution etc.

27
Cisco Equipment

• Will remain Cisco Property
• Cisco will donate the equipment and provide the
  installation
• The NATO funds will provide ongoing maintenance
• Cisco plans to organise spares and to provide
  consulting

28
Project Extension

• Additional bandwidth costs around 35K/Mbps pa
• Additional co-funders will be welcome
• Conditions will have to be worked out
• May be NRENs, Government or NGOs
• We must both discuss with such bodies, and make
  early the post 2004 plans

29
Conclusions

• The Project is ready to start
• The technical and organisational framework is in
  place
• The plans look exciting
• Let us all now pull together