hostname: naic.nasa.gov
filename: files/general_info/nren.txt
updated:  9/93 (AM)


NATIONAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORK (NREN)


The NREN is both a goal of the HPCC Program and a key enabling 
technology for success in the other components.  As used in this 
report, the NREN is the future realization of an interconnected 
gigabit computer network system supporting HPCC.  The NREN is 
intended to revolutionize the ability of U.S. researchers and 
educators to carry out collaborative research and education 
activities, regardless of the physical location of the participants or 
the computational resources desired to be used.  (See Figure 2)  As 
its name implies, NREN is a network for research and education, not 
general purpose communication.  Nonetheless, its use as a testbed 
for new communications technologies is vital.  A fundamental goal 
of the HPCC is to develop and transfer advanced computing and 
communications technologies to the private sector of the U.S. as 
rapidly as possible, to enhance the nation's research and education 
enterprise.  The development and deployment of advanced 
applications, such as image visualization and distributed computing, 
will be applied to problems such as medical diagnosis, 
aerodynamics, advanced materials, and global change, and will 
provide the impetus necessary for transferring the supporting 
technologies and capabilities throughout the U.S. science, 
technology, and education infrastructure.  These capabilities and 
technologies will be developed through the cooperative effort of U.S. 
industry, the Federal government and the education community.

In order to ensure a coordinated Federal program in this area, a 
Federal Networking Council (FNC) has been established.  The FNC has 
the primary responsibility for coordinating the efforts of 
government HPCC participants and other NREN constituents, in 
addition to providing a liaison with others involved or interested in 
the program.  To further collaboration with non-Federal communities 
such as state and local government, U.S. industry, and private 
education, the FNC has established the Federal Network Advisory 
Committee, consisting of distinguished members from those 
communities.


The NREN component of the HPCC is comprised of two interrelated 
and complementary subprograms, the Interagency Interim NREN 
subcomponent, the the Gigabit Research and Development 
subcomponent.


INTERAGENCY INTERIM NREN (IINREN).  The IINREN is an evolving 
operating network system.  Near term (1992-1996) research and 
development activities will provide for the smooth evolution of this 
networking infrastructure into the future gigabit NREN.  IINREN 
activities will achieve this goal by expanding the connectivity and 
enhancing the capabilities of the Federally funded portion of today's 
research and education networks, and by deploying advanced 
technologies and services as they mature.  The IINREN builds on 
NSF's NSFNET, DOE's Energy Science Network, NASA's Science 
Internet, and other networks supporting research and education.  
During 1992, the IINREN will accelerate the introduction of 
commercial 45 megabit transmission technologies and services into 
operational use, including the Switched Multi-Megabit Data Services 
(SMDS).  These advances will support both HPCC and non-HPCC 
related research and education , extend our understanding of the 
uses of moderately high capability networks and promote the 
evolution of IINREN performance towards gigabit speeds.

Additional research and development activities include the 
following:

o Assist upgrades of regional and community-of-interest networks, 
where appropriate, especially where these upgrades enhance end-to-
end reliability.

o Produce improved user-level tools to enable scientists and 
educations to take advantage of the networks capabilities.

o Refine the understanding of the requirements for high capability 
networks: bandwidth, latency, predictability, and stability.

o Improve the technologies necessary for policy controls, resource 
allocation, fair sharing, accounting, security, peering, and routing 
coordination.. Integrate commercial services fully and interconnect 
to other relevant networks.

o Provide for a network information service that acts as a primary 
source of information on access to and use of the network.

o Enhance the current interconnected multi-agency architecture to 
provide for the interoperability of Federal and non-Federal 
networks, to the extent appropriate, in a way that allows for the 
autonomy of each network component.


GIGABIT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. The Gigabit Research and 
Development subcomponent is a research and development 
subprogram aimed at providing the technology base needed to 
achieve , at a minimum, gigabit speeds and advanced capabilities in 
the NREN.  It will include efforts to develop technology to 
implement, operate, and effectively use a very high capability 
communications infrastructure.

Specific research and development activities include the following:

o Develop technology for advanced high throughput, low latency 
switches.  Develop advanced computer-network interface technology 
to enable end user to access the capabilities of the network.

o Develop methods for control of congestion and network flow for 
high capability networks where the transit time across the network 
has a significant impact on the problem.

o Support gigabit testbed networks to provide early evaluation of 
research concepts and advanced data communications equipment in 
the context of applications.  These testbeds include collaborations 
of government laboratories, university researchers, and industrial 
partners.

o Incorporate the advanced communications technology now under 
development in coordination with industry, in testbeds and gigabit 
research efforts.  Transfer these advanced technologies to the 
IINREN as they mature and become stable.

This program subcomponent will include industrial partners, thereby 
assisting them to develop prototypes for a future high capability 
commercial communications infrastructure and reduce the risks for 
U.S. communications vendors in several important ways:  defining 
and developing the market for the high capability network services; 
reducing the risk of implementing, operating, and managing leading 
edge networks;  promoting the prompt and timely adoption of 
standards for advanced communication protocols; and providing 
commercial communications vendors with successful examples of 
high capability networks which can form a basis for economic 
analysis of their future offerings.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

o Packet traffic on the major IINREN backbone has doubled in the 
past year, as has the number of attached networks.

o Interagency collaboration has been initiated on a gigabit 
networking research, and several testbeds have been established, 
each focusing on specific applications for high capacity networks.

o Multi-protocol routers are now in preliminary use to support 
interoperation and integration of diverse networks.




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