INTERNET2: Next Generation Internet

Internet

THE NEXT GENERATION INTERNET

The Internet was developed during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a network or computers capable of sustaining global communication. The original Internet, initially intended as and educational and governmental tool, has since reached a global commercial user base. The original Internet has proven a successful means of disseminating and communicating information to more than a billion users, thanks to technological advances.

A new wave however, has occurred in Internet technology. Educators and researchers are currently investigating and implementing new technology, referred to as Internet2. This new communication outlet was built to help ease the congestion researchers, government agents and educators currently face when attempting to access the Internet. The information superhighway has in fact, become jam packed, as an interstate during rush hour. Scientists, educators and government officials have invested in a program that will hopefully result in a more technologically advanced superhighway that will allow instantaneous communication at 100 to 1000 times the speed of the original Internet. Researchers have already begun utilizing the new technology to make discoveries and share theories with other scientists globally. The benefits of the new information superhighway far outweigh the costs associated with implementation and development.

It is highly feasible that at some point in the near future, Internet2 will become commercially available, thus repeating the problem of congestion and frustration. This in turn will likely lead to the development of an Internet3 and possibly and Internet4. In the meantime, the Internet2 represents the latest in technological advances, for the purpose of disseminating information more efficiently and quickly than ever imagined before. The benefits and capabilities of this new system are explored in greater detail below, as well as the relationship of Internet2 to NGi, or Next Generation Internet.

The Internet

The Internet, developed primarily in the early 1970s, revolutionized the manner in which computer communications occurred. The Internet at once introduced the possibility of a "world-wide broadcasting" agent; it was created as a tool for disseminating information, and as a medium for facilitating interaction between individuals and computers "without regard to geographic location" (Leiner, et. al, 2004).

The concept of the Internet originated through a series of memos written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August of 1962 that discussed the potential for social interactions that could occur through computer networking (Leiner et. al, 2004). Licklider referred to the Internet as his "Galactic Network" concept (Leiner, et. al, 2004). He convinced others of the importance of the concept. Leonard Kleinrock at MIT later published a paper on packet switching theory, which suggested the potential feasibility of communication via packets instead of circuits, the first real step toward computer networking (Leiner, et. al, 2004). In 1965 the first computer, the TX-2 in Massachusetts was connected to the Q-32 in California via a low speed dial up thus forming the wide area computer network (Leiner, et. al, 2004). This computer networking concept was further developed. Later Interface Message Processors or IMP's were developed, and during the late 1960s the first host computer was connected (Leiner, et. al, 2004).

The first Internet was referred to as the ARPANET. Eventually networking research led to development of the well functioning web. The Internet itself was based on the idea that there could be "multiple independent networks of rather arbitrary design" (Leiner, et. al, 2004). The Internet now embodies an Internetworking architecture (Leiner, et. al, 2004).

Over the last several years the Internet has grown. What was once a small network of small computers connecting primarily researchers has grown into a global network connecting people and organizations all over the world (Dimitrov, n.d.). As the Internet has grown and changed, so too has its role in society. With the advent of technological advances, the Internet has become a commercially-based tool, utilized by large organizations and small, by individuals and government entities. It is used for a variety of purposes, including banking and conduction of other personal affairs (Dimitrov, n.d.). There are now large networks of thousands of computers that are available for employees who work remotely; suppliers and business partners have also taken advantage of the ever increasing technology. There are some limitations with the system at present. Many have referred to the current Internet as very slow. Because of the incredible large volume of users and information passed back and forth on a daily basis, government agencies and researchers have raised concerns regarding performance. There are also a number of security issues that have been realized in recent years, which are currently being addressed. Primarily because of the advent of even newer technology and advanced educational and governmental needs, a next generation or Internet 2 has been developed.

Internet2/NGI

The use of the Internet has grown exponentially. In 1996 home usage of the Internet topped out at approximately 11 million Americans (Harper, 1997). By the year 1997 that figure rose to 150 million online, with the expected projection at the time for 2000 to reach 1 billion (Harper, 1997). The Next Generation Internet, often referred to as Internet 2, was conceived as a "collaborative network of universities" receiving millions of dollars in federal funds to enact a more comprehensive partnership among industries, academia and government (Harper, 1997).

NGI or Next Generation Internet, has become a term that is used by governments, corporations and educators "to describe the future network and the work underway to develop it" (NGI, 2004).

NGI has grown out of the larger and more crowded Internet, in response to the needs of governments, scientists and universities who are looking for a new way to send information accurately, powerfully and efficiently. Internet 2 and NGI have grown out of the desire to realize this goal. The purpose of both new Internets is to develop faster technologies that will ultimately enhance research and communication.

The Internet 2 and NGI combined are a collection of more than 100 universities and high tech companies, using high-speed fiber-optic circuits and sophisticated software to share information across the superhighway (Swartz, 1997). The intention is to minimize utilization to government researchers and educators (Swartz, 1997).

Scientists, researchers and Internet architects are attempting to create a new Web that is 100 to 1,000 times faster than the current system (Swartz, 1997).

The project is sponsored by a number of sources. While in office, the Clinton administration set aside more than three hundred million dollars over a three-year period to help develop NGI, which would ultimately prove beneficial to the government by providing links much faster than the current Internet capability offered (Swartz, 1997).

NGI includes sponsorship from government R&D agencies including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Swartz, 1997).

The goal of NGI, according to Tom Kalil, the senior director for the White House National Economic Council is as follows: "To create the foundation for the networks and applications of the 21st century - just as DARPA and NSF Net led to the creation of the current Internet" (Swartz, 1997).

The Internet2 along a similar vein, is being developed among a collaboration of 135 universities and corporations, and is sponsored among others by the following: Stanford, the University of California at Berkeley, Harvard, Cornell, Yale and the University of Virginia (Swartz, 1997). The goal of this project is in essence, "to create a virtual university for students and professors to access books from libraries thousands of miles apart, to take classes at other campuses and to collaborate on research projects" (Swartz, 1997).

Each of the universities involved contributed $25,000 initially and a total of $500,000 a year for the project over a three-year time span (Swartz, 1997). Corporate sponsors of the project include IBM, AT&T and MCI, who together are contributing more than $1 million each to help promote the construction of the Internet2 (Swartz, 1997).

Whereas NGI is more governed by government agencies, Internet2 is guided by a steering committee made up of members of sponsoring universities. NGI and Internet2 are separate projects, but share many of the common goals and aspirations. Both for example, are aiming to provide links to the commercial web, and both will depend upon the traditional Internet for email service and low-level research (Swartz, 1997).

Summary of Benefits/Sponsorships/Outcomes NGI/

Purposes:

Connect Universities and National Labs

Operate at speeds 1,000 faster than present

Enable Advanced Networking and Research

Enable better medical diagnosis and scientific research

Costs: $300-500 million

Financing: Federal Government which will contribute $300 million initially

Universities and Private corporations, which will contribute millions

Members: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,

Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, NASA,

National Institute of Standards and Technology,

Founded: October 1996

Source: Swartz, 1997; SCV, 1997

Summary Outcomes/Benefits/Sponsorships Internet 2

Purpose: link university networks

Connect at speeds 100 times faster than the Internet for the purpose of research and academic collaboration

Members: More than 100 universities, and corporations

Cost $300 million

Financing: Universities paying $500,000 annually for three years,

Corporations contributing more than $1 million

Founded October 1996

Source: Swartz, 1997; SCV, 1997

The general applications that are scribed to NGI include the following: health care, national security, distance learning, energy research, biomedical applications, environmental monitoring and manufacturing (SCV, 1997).

Technological requirements

The new technology will require several advances in architecture. A local infrastructure, regional connectivity to a common point (referred to as a GigaPop) and transit to the commodity Internet are required for adequate functioning (SCV, 1997).

Benefits:

There are many benefits to the new system aside from increased performance. Higher speed transmissions and improved security are among the benefits expected from both projects. Faster access, richer video and sound and 3-D environments, as well as vast databases capable of storing greater quantities of information are expected (Swartz, 1997). The expectation of Internet2 is that it will be 1,000 times faster than the original and help medical diagnosis and scientific research efforts. Internet2 will also at minimum initially allow more directed usage of the Internet among the world of academia and corporations, hopefully supporting an environment of improved communication, better service and more optimal performance. Students and professors will be able to access larger volumes of information in a more efficient and productive environment. The frustration of overload commonly associated with use of the original Internet will be reduced and even eliminated in some circumstances. Much like the original Internet brought people together from around the world, Internet2 will have an even greater capability to bring people together. In this case they will be coming together in the name of research and understanding.

The faster access and richer video as well as large databases will also allow more voluminous research and exploration without the frustration commonly associated with long waits and slow access. The real time advantages of using Internet2 have also been explored in great detail. Government agents are interested in the potential for advanced security measures and initiatives which may be possible through the Internet. The most interesting and potentially rewarding benefit of the Internet2 is the ease of communication that will be afforded educational institutions. Through these institutions the spread of knowledge will continue at increasingly efficient and product rates. Also, researchers that formerly had to rely on email can now utilize more efficient same time mechanisms to work on projects together despite vast geographical difference. There are those that criticize Internet2 projects, stating that the costs are too much to bear. However the reality is that the costs do not outweigh the tremendous benefit that stands to be gained from more collaborative efforts among researchers, corporations and educational institutions.

According to Douglas Van Houweling, president and CEO of the University Corporation of the Advancement of Internet Development or UCAID, Internet2 offers many benefits that support the notion of human collaboration. According to Van Houweling, "The Internet of tomorrow will see people working together to solve problems; Tomorrow's Internet will have billions of users, there will be a convergence of today's applications and services with a real-time, rich media environment" (Emory, 1999).

Internet2 Initiatives

Many initiatives have formed in recent years in response to the creation and desired increased utilization of the technology being formed through Internet2. Middleware is often considered the "glue" or layer of software that exists between a network and its resulting applications (INT2, 2004). The software serves specific functions including provision of services such as identification, authentication and security (INT2, 2004).

Traditionally in the original Internet environment applications had to provide such services to themselves, often resulting in incompatible standards and performance; not so with the Internet2 Middleware initiative, or I2-MI, which is currently aspiring to develop and deploy "core middleware services" at universities utilizing Internet2 technology (INT2, 2004). Middleware is important to Internet2 in a variety of ways. An increasing number of applications and customizations within those applications have established the need for a core set of data and services to centralize service areas and increase the efficiency of performance (INT2, 2004). The middleware of Internet2 will be crucial toward supporting the underlying network infrastructure and maintenance of continual high performance.

The E2Epi objective is to "create a predictable and well supported environment" where students and professors operating within the Internet2 network have continuously successful experiences "in their development and use of advanced Internet applications by improving performance problem detection throughout networking infrastructures" (Int2, 2004). E2EPi originated to help solve quality of service problems involving reliability that are dominate in the original or commercially used Internet. Among the various projects of E2Epi include the establishment of a performance measurement system across campuses and labs. E2EPi also serves to analyze the end to end user path and seeks to establish a "normal operational mode" where network capabilities and restrictions can easily be assessed (INT2, 2004). Additionally the end to end user initiative is currently working out a methodology for disseminating information related to troubleshooting tips and solutions resolutions (INT2, 2004).

The K20 initiative is intended to bring together member institutions and schools and universities, community colleges, libraries, and museums to help in the development of new applications that will be utilized as a result of the Internet 2. K20 seeks to connect state education networks which are made up of K12 schools, post-secondary institutions, libraries and museums as well as general scientific cultural institutions together as members of the Internet2 community (INT2, 2004). K20 operates through a process called "Sponsored Education Group Participants" or SEGPs, intended to allow expanded access for state and regional education networks (INT, 2004).

THE FUTURE:

The future holds continued technological advances. The intention of NGI and the Internet2 is to serve eventual commercial purposes, and researchers have suggested that the creation of an Internet3 and an Internet4 should be expected, as technology provides for higher speeds and enhanced applications (Swartz, 1997). According to M. Stuart Lynn, a University of California associate currently working on Internet2, "it's an evolutionary process, a progress."

The original Internet was created during the 1970s, by the Defense Department in an attempt to improve information sharing, eventually growing into a "nationwide electronic network" for government and education researchers alike (Swartz, 1990). Use of the Internet quickly exploded in the 1990s however, yielding an "unwieldy commercial value" and venture that was controlled by no one group (Swartz, 1990).