University opens Internet 2 access
Rutgers researchers among first to use high-speed connection
Archived article from Sep 24, 1999
By Harvey Trabb
Rutgers is moving into the passing lane on the information superhighway by becoming one of the first research institutions connected to Internet 2 (I2), an extremely high-speed, advanced version of the Internet. The university has some of its high-bandwidth desktop connections to I2 already in place, with the balance of the first set of I2 connections to be completed by next summer, according to Michael McKay, executive director for computing and information technology.
I2 is being developed and deployed by a consortium of more than 160 American research universities, federal agencies, corporate partners and others. It gives scientists greater ability to transfer much larger sets of research data than can be carried over the commonly used, or "commodity," Internet, McKay explained.
As a charter member of the consortium, Rutgers was among the first 20 universities to have access to I2 at 155 megabits per second (Mbps), as compared to the connection to the commodity Internet at 34 Mbps.
Christine M. Haska, vice president for institutional research and planning, said Rutgers' involvement with Internet 2 is significant both on the campuses and at the national level. "This is an opportunity to bring an important new resource to our faculty and to exercise national leadership among our peers across the country."
"The quality and quantity of Rutgers research continue to grow, as does the reputation of Rutgers faculty," said James L. Flanagan, vice president for research. "Connection to Internet 2 will amplify our research capabilities and accelerate our growth. It will also open new opportunities for collaboration with peer institutions nationwide."
Since it is not physically possible to provide upgraded I2 connectivity to all laboratories and offices instantly and simultaneously throughout the university, McKay said that Rutgers University Computing Services (RUCS) asked the assistance of the university's Research Advisory Board (RAB), which Flanagan chairs, to help establish priorities for the connections.
"These were developed in light of such factors as geography, engineering feasibility, costs, available budgetary resources, criticality of need and scheduled implementation of the RUNet 2000 backbone during the current fiscal year," said McKay.
Based on these priorities and in consultation with RUCS, the RAB reviewed a series of statements of need for I2 connections that had previously been solicited from faculty members and developed a list of buildings and laboratories for the initial group of I2 connections. McKay said that people working in buildings on the connection list will benefit from data transmission speeds of 100 Mbps into the Rutgers network provided by the enhanced I2 connections, as compared with the traditional 10 Mbps connection that is currently available.
Those whose laboratories were selected for upgraded connections are all working collaboratively with researchers at other I2-participating institutions, explained McKay. In addition to being able to transfer large research data sets more effectively, the higher speeds of I2 will enable these researchers to further the development of the network-based applications and services that can best take advantage of the higher bandwidth I2 provides.
I2 connections are already in use by researchers in such units as the Center for Computer Aids for Industrial Productivity (CAIP). By the end of this calendar year, RUCS will provide external infrastructure for enhanced I2 connections to a total of 13 Rutgers buildings, including those already connected, McKay said. By campus, they are: the biomedical engineering modular building, the College of Pharmacy, the CoRE Building, the Engineering Building, the Library of Science and Medicine, the Nelson Biology Laboratories, the Serin Physics Laboratory and the Wright-Rieman Labs, all on the Busch campus; the Kilmer Library on the Livingston campus; the Graduate School of Education and Alexander Library on College Avenue; the Douglass Library at Douglass; and the Aidekman Research Center in Newark.
According to McKay, RUCS will also provide internal building connections to the following laboratories, listed by campus and alphabetically by last name of the principal investigator. On the Busch campus, Helen Berman, chemistry; Grigore Burdea, CAIP; John Conway, Thomas Devlin, John Hughes, B. Gabriel Kotliar, David Langreth and David Vanderbilt, all in physics; Ronald Levy, chemistry; and Wise Young, biology. On the College Avenue campus, Steve Barnett, Carolyn Maher and John Young, all in the Graduate School of Education. At Newark, the Super-computer Remote Access Center in Aidekman Hall.
Further, during the next year and through the RUNet 2000 project, the Engineering Building, the Library of Science and Medicine, and the Kilmer Library will have internal wiring completed that will provide I2-class connections to all users in those facilities, McKay said. Those users include three faculty members who submitted I2 connectivity proposals -- Doyle Knight in engineering and Harriette Hemmasi and Martin Kesselman in the Rutgers libraries.
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