Network 21 Update

The UC Davis network has been switched from the broadband backbone to a fiber-optic infrastructure. Network users in campus buildings that have been cut over to the new infrastructure are already experiencing faster connection speeds. The switch was made without a break in service.

This switch was a major milestone for campus technicians, who took over the electronics portion of the project from 3Com Corporation in February when 3Com project managers missed several deadlines, and routers failed to meet the Network 21 project requirements. Network 21 technicians began in May to link unconnected buildings and new users to the campus network. By the time they finish in November, about 16,000 computers will be on the system, up from 3,800 when the project began in 1993. More than 220 buildings will be linked to the network by December 1997. ResNet, the project that provides students in residence halls with direct ethernet connections, will be completed in September. DaFIS users can look forward to a July 1 connection date.

Fiber Portion Near Completion

The fiber optic infrastructure was placed by Digital Corporation, the vendor for the construction phase of the project. UC Davis technicians have noted that among the hundreds of connections made to date there has not been one incident of a bad fiber. Digital and its subcontractors worked under significant constraints, including sensitivity to archaeological sites, asbestos mitigation, and building access limitations. UC Davis was represented by a dedicated Network 21 fiber team, led by Jim Burns and including Sandra Duncan, Bill Fewell, Dick Harris, Ed Peterson, and Diana Ross. Final completion of this phase of the project is expected by mid-July.

Cutover Continues

On June 4, the Cutover team successfully completed cutover for Area 3. This milestone cutover activated connections for previously unconnected sites, DaFIS users, and new users within connected buildings.

Cutover of unconnected buildings in Areas 2, 6, 7, 1, 4, and 5 is scheduled for June 5 - 16. A cutover schedule by Area may be viewed at the Network 21 Web site at http://net21.ucdavis.edu/BLDGSCHD2.htm.

Think Tank

The Network 21 Team hosted a Think Tank in May, inviting specialists from Stanford, and UC campuses at Berkeley, Irvine, San Diego, and Santa Cruz to help analyze and recommend the most desirable electronics for the new UC Davis network.

Although Network 21 was originally designed to include ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) switches, fast ethernet has recently emerged as an alternative for high-speed networking. Participation in Internet 2, the high-end network that will link research universities across the country, relies on upgrading UCDNet to high-speed capabilities. During the two-day Think Tank, UC Davis and off-campus specialists convened to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The Network 21 Oversight Committee will make a recommendation on the ATM versus fast ethernet question within two months.

If you have questions about Network 21, send e-mail to net21info@ucdavis.edu.