MREN Technical Committee Initiatives

Overview

The MREN Technical Committee, led by Linda Winkler, MREN Technical Director, undertakes a wide range of projects, including those focused on setting technical directions, analysis of advanced application requirements (especially those of the major inter-organizational scientific research projects); evaluation of available and emerging technologies; network design, engineering, and management, including key aspects of network operations and performance measurement; advanced networking technology demonstrations; and joint development projects, such as a current multidimensional one initiated with Ameritech.

Technical Requirements

In developing MREN, an important key, early decision was to design a communication system that would meet a series of challenging goals. Even as those goals were met, a new series of challenges have appeared as MREN expands, supports an increasing number of advanced applications, enhances its interconnectivity to other regional networks, to national and to global networks, and incorporates leading-edge technology. The Technical Committee tracks these requirements and translates them into design and implementation specifications.

Technologies

MREN is committed to being at the forefront of implementing the advanced networking technologies required to meet the needs of its constituencies. Consequently, the MREN Technical Committee undertakes evaluations of emerging and production advanced networking technologies. Increasingly, MREN will undertake cooperative projects that will assist in guiding the design of such technologies.

Network Design, Engineering, and Management

The MREN Technical Director and others on the Technical Committee work closely with AADS on specific projects related to advanced networking design, engineering and management. The MREN networking community has expressed a strong preference for shared development of innovative management concepts and network tools, but for basically distributed operations. Some information related to these activities is published on the web, for example PVC and PVP assignments. Selected performance statistics are also currently published on the web.

Technical Committee Meetings

Technical Committee attempts to meet at least once during the 1st, 2nd, and 4th quarter of the year. The MREN Technical Director arranges for the meeting logistics and sets the agenda. A Technical Committee meeting was held on December 5, 1997 at Argonne National Laboratory, and several presentations are available on-line.

 

[Home] [Next Page] [Previous Page]

Copyright 1997 by MREN.ORG. All rights reserved.

12.31.97