1. The Singapore Advanced Research & Education Network

2. SingAREN and Singapore MIT Alliance

3. Motivation for SingAREN + To provide technology support for Singapore ONE –in the use of new broadband technologies –in testing inter-operability of equipment and protocols + To promote and facilitate R&D in next generation broadband and internet technologies + To link Singapore’s research and education (R&E) community to the global information infrastructure and foster collaboration

4. Goals of SingAREN + To be the leading broadband network technology centre in the region for network R&D and testing + To facilitate the deployment of several high impact broadband applications in Singapore and the region + To lead in Singapore’s transition to the next generation internet + To make Singapore a major node of the global information highway for research and education

5. Driven by : National Science & Technology Board Kent Ridge Digital Labs National University of Singapore Nanyang Technological University Funded by : Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore

6. Overall Network Configuration + SingAREN now has a PoP in Los Angeles to aggregate all its US traffic + US local connections to StarTAP & Abilene upgraded to 45 Mbps & 155 Mbps respectively + PoP provides control over the amount and type of in-bound traffic entering SingAREN’s 14Mbps international link

7. Network Configuration

9. Features Update + Current multicast peers –vBNS, StarTAP, APAN (Japan & Korea), SurfNet & NUS –Selective multicast streams to conserve bandwidth + IPv6 peers –Native : 6TAP, 6BONE, APAN (Japan & Korea) & NTRC (NTU) –Tunneled : Merit, UUNET, AMS-IX, Deutche Telekoms + Rudimentary “Quality-of-Service” is provided –SingAREN’s 14M link to US is partitioned into different bandwidths –Each partition carries different grades of traffic –Currently, traffic is being graded as either premium or normal

10. Multicast Configuration + Current multicast peers –vBNS, StarTAP, APAN (Japan & Korea), SurfNet & NUS + PIM, MBGP & MSDP are deployed with these peers + Bandwidth hungry service that we cannot afford to leave it “always-on”

11. IPv6 Configuration + A Cisco 7505 provides connectivity to the IPv6 world + Using KAME stack for hosts + Native IPv6 peers –6TAP, 6BONE, APAN (Japan & Korea) & NTRC (NTU) + Tunneled IPv6 peers –Merit, UUNET, AMS-IX, Deutche Telekoms

12. QoS Configuration + Rudimentary “Quality-of-Service” is provided –SingAREN’s 14M link to US is partitioned into different bandwidths –Each partition carries different grades of traffic –Currently, traffic is being graded as either premium or normal + Joining Abilene Premium Service (APS) soon

13. Distance Learning Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) Program + A very selective Master/Ph.D. joint program + Involves National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) & MIT + Launched in July 1999 + Students undergoes initial orientation in Singapore, then 1 month in MIT followed by continuation of program in Singapore. + Students earn single degree with indigenous registered institution + 3 programs totaling about 67.5 conferencing hours/week + Expand to 5 programs totalling about 100 hours/week in August 2001

14. SMA DE - Configuration Student access via web for revision NUS Auditorium / SMART Classroom Online digitization onto video server Video Server MIT MITAuditorium Internet 2 Audio / Video Conferencing Application Sharing via Internet 2 ISDN View video View video

15. SMA DE Connectivity NUS Gateway SingAREN* GigaPoP NUS Classroom LA PoP MIT Gateway MIT Classroom 14 Mbps ILC OC-3 Abilene 155 Mbps

16. SMA DE Connectivity (cont.) CC1ATM GW Firewall R R R R 137.132.4.2 NUS One Arm Router 137.132.2.3 NUS 137.132.2.98 NUS 178.18.163.66 NUS SingAREN (Ayer Rajah) 202.8.94.1 202.8.94.50 SingAREN (LA PoP) 202.8.94.94 MIT 198.32.8.17 198.32.8.2 198.32.8.14 198.32.8.6 198.32.8.26 198.32.8.39 137.132.21.134 NUS PT210 18.39.0.145 MIT PT210 192.5.89.101 192.5.89.10 18.168.0.14 SingNet Internet II NUS MIT Layer 3 Route Abilene

17. SMA DE – Distance Counseling + Primary instructor works with remote assistants + Multiple platforms: –Email –Discussion forum –Desktop conferencing –Chat rooms + Lecturers equipped with Distance Education kits: –Desktop conferencing –Scanner –Writing tablet mouse + Students have access to desktop multimedia conferencing stations

18. SMA DE – Lessons Learnt + Synchronous teaching/learning: –A challenge to maintain Line of Presence in large classroom –Sustained audio quality a challenge (noise & breakups) –Single screen mode demands higher video resolution –Delay in camera tracking system poses problems for Q&A sessions – improvements using push-to-talk system –Secondary communication channels for inter-team session monitoring to ensure rapid problem resolution

19. SMA DE – Lessons Learnt (cont) + Pedagogical Issues: –Faculty needs to understand technical limitations –Adaptation required –Conducting an effective Q&A session is challenging –Backup connectivity activation disrupts flow of lessons + Support Issues: –Requires well understood inter-team operational protocols –Inter-technical team building essential –Core technical staff available on mobile/beepers –1-man operation highly risky –Replicated services in local helpdesk a necessity for quality service

20. SingAREN Applications Clusters + Six Applications clusters: –High Performance Computing –Telemedicine –Telemanufacturing –Distance Education –Digital Libraries & Distributed Databases –Earth Monitoring & Observation + Network Research Cluster

21. Supported by Organised by

22. Objectives l Encourage R&D and deployment of novel advanced e-business application for business enterprises, dot.com’s l Encourage tertiary students to develop expertise in advanced technology to support e- businesses in areas of e-manufacturing, e- finance, e-engineering, e-marketplace, e- visualisation, etc.

23. Prizes l Team Prizes (one per team): l 1st Prize$4,000 cash + plaque l 2nd Prize$3,000 cash + plaque l 3rd Prize$2,000 cash + plaque l Best Java Application $2000 l 4 Merit Awards of $500 cash + plaque

24. SingAREN’s Achievements Nov 97 - present

25. Achievements in Connectivity  First to connect to STAR TAP outside NA  Nov 97 - 14 Mbps link to USA and Canada  1998 - 2 Mbps link to Japan  1999 - 2 Mbps satellite link to Malaysia & 2 Mbps link to Korea  Presently peers with many R&E networks globally e.g., vBNS, Abeline, CA*net II&III, NORNUNet, SURFNet, MirNet, TANet/I2, DANTE, DFN, IUCC, Renator-2, SuperJanet (1-4) etc

26. Contributing to International R&D + Presently collaborating in 20 international projects in Digital libraries, Distance Education, High Performance Computing, Tele-medicine, Tele- manufacturing and Communications technology. + Collaborating and contributing to MPLS with STAR TAP, etc. + Collaborating and contributing to IPv6 test-bed trials + Collaboration and contributing to I2 in QoS, I2DVN, etc. + Node for DSI project under APAN + Contributing to iGRID in HPC

27. Contributing to Local R&D + Administerd Broadband Grant on behalf of NSTB and encouraged projects from industry + To date SingAREN supported some 20 projects under the grant. + Collaboration with local hospitals + Collaboration with IBM in MPLS + Collaboration with Cisco in DPT under project SPRINGi - 6 projects supported + ATM testing services

28. + Distance Learning –moved from demos to actual courses delivered e.g., Stanford-NUS-KTH (Sweden) and SMA courses & more on the way + Mbone - node on multicast network and are receive Mbone feeds and also distribute MBone feeds e.g., Dr. Vint Cerf lecture in Dec 99 + DAC Competition + IPv4-IPv6 gateway implemented + 6Bone node - for IPv6 + e-Biz Competition Contributing to Local R&D (cont)

29. Support of High Level Demos + TelMin3 in Singapore in July 98 + ATM Interoperability trial with Korea, and Japan during ATM Multimedia Forum in 1999. + iGRID 1998, 2000 + Virtual Trade Mission - May 2000

30. SingAREN’s Industry Collaborators Cisco IBM JVC Panasonic (Singapore) Singapore Telecom Deutsche Telecom The Edge Consultants Pacific Internet Singapore Technologies Computer Systems & Services

31. www.singaren.net.sg Tel: +65-7796692