Local Area Network projects
NETS supports both NCAR/UCAR network needs as well as the special
networking needs of SCD itself. LAN projects are thus further
subdivided as being either NCAR/UCAR network projects or SCD
network projects.
NCAR/UCAR projects
Network Re-Engineering (NREP) project
NREP is a major project to fundamentally restructure the NCAR/UCAR data
communications networks. NREP is an umbrella project that coordinates
the implementation of 15 distinct re-engineering project phases. The
major goals of NREP are to:
- Restructure the conglomeration of expansionary-based legacy
backbone networks and routing structures into a facility that is
simpler and more rationally designed.
- Replace unintelligent repeater-based shared-media end-user
networks with high-speed state-of-the-art high-port-density Ethernet
packet-switches connected together with an ATM fabric that uses
VLAN/ELAN (Virtual LAN/Emulated LAN) technology to simplify the
host add-move-change problem by allowing multiple logical networks
to co-exist on a single physical infrastructure.
- Provide each end-user computer at NCAR/UCAR with a dedicated
full-duplex 10 Mbps or dedicated full-duplex 100 Mbps link to an
Ethernet packet-switch.
- Replace over 30 end-of-life-cycle routers, bridges, and ATM
switches, as well as eliminate two of the current seven NCAR/UCAR
FDDI rings.
- Add three new Cisco 7507 routers, four Cisco 1010 ATM switches,
and over 25 Cisco Catalyst 5000 packet-switches, all tied together
with an ATM fabric that will ultimately serve to replace the
remaining five FDDI rings.
About 80% of the work encompassed by NREP has already been completed.
It is expected that the rest of NREP will be completed by the end of
1997. A 32 KB diagram illustrates how the
core NCAR/UCAR network structure will
appear upon completion of NREP.
More detailed information about NREP is available at the
NREP project website.
Network infrastructure rewiring projects
A large number of network infrastructure rewiring projects were
completed in 1997. The common goal of all the rewiring projects
is to provide each workspace with a standard set of dedicated
data communications links. The overall plan calls for each workspace
to eventually connect with four Category 5 (Cat5) twisted-pair cables,
two Category 3 (Cat3) twisted-pair cables, and two pairs of optical
fiber. Additionally, intra-building (trunk) wiring must be installed to
concentrate all workspace cables to intermediate and central locations.
The MLNAC project is the biggest rewiring project completed. MLNAC is a
complete overhaul project that encompasses all work necessary to install
new network wiring infrastructure in the portions of the Mesa Lab that
have not already been rewired.
MLNAC includes all parts of the Mesa Lab building except for the
Fleischmann Building, South Tower (Tower B), and the Second Basement
(2B), all of which have already been rewired for network access.
MLNAC includes all work to complete mechanical, wiring, termination,
and equipment installation and activation. The resulting network
infrastructure is state-of-the-art Cat5 and optical fiber wiring.
All three phase of MLNAC are complete.
More detailed information about MLNAC is available at the
MLNAC project website.
Mesa Lab (ML) computer room rewire project
The ML computer room rewire project is the second biggest rewiring
project completed. Like MLNAC, this is a complete overhaul project,
and it involved the replacement of almost all network wiring and
fanout equipment in the SCD computer room at the Mesa Lab. The
existing wiring was mostly a collection of various kinds of
Ethernet and fiber cables run under the floor in a rather random
fashion. Existing Ethernet fanout equipment was primarily a large
stack of very old multiport transceiver units (MTUs) organized into
a small number of shared-media Ethernets.
The new wiring consists of a zonal distribution system of Cat5 wiring
and fiber wiring. The same type of fanout equipment used for MLNAC
(namely Cisco Catalyst 5000 Ethernet Packet Switches) was used to
replace the MTUs with dedicated 10BaseT ports for each Ethernet host.
The Cat5 wiring plant was used to replace all RS232-type connections,
and the Cat5 plant is able to support 100BaseT (100 Mbps Ethernet)
connections in the computer room.
Mesa Lab fiber retrunking project
When Tower B and Basement 2 at ML were trunked with fiber, a star
topology that linked all building wiring closets to a central location
was supposed to have been built. Instead, fiber trunks were installed
in a daisy-chain fashion between wiring closets. This would require,
for example, that a fiber run between the SCD computer room and the
furthest wiring closet be patched together with segments between each
of the other wiring closets. The resulting fiber run would exceed the
maximum allowed dB loss, and would therefore be nonfunctional.
Furthermore, inferior fiber connectors and uneven workmanship
exacerbated the dB loss problem.
The retrunking project ran new fiber bundles from each existing ML
wiring closet to a central location in the SCD computer room.
FL Cat3 retrofit project
The FL Cat3 retrofit project involves retermination of existing twisted
pair workspace cables in the Foothills Lab buildings. This retermination
will make these existing bundles capable of carrying 10BaseT Ethernet.
This is a very important project because it allows a transition away
from the 10Base2 coaxial Ethernet cables, which are increasingly
expensive and difficult to support because vendors are not providing
10Base2 options for modern fanout equipment. Another significant benefit
to the Cat3 upgrades is that the useful lifetime of the existing wiring
is extended for at least three years. This extension delays having to
perform much more expensive upgrades.
Miscellaneous LAN projects
The following areas were retrofitted this year: FL2-Floor 1,
FL2-Floor 2, FL3-Floor 1, FL3-Floor 2, FL4-Suites 245, 370, and 380.
ML Suite 55, UNAVCO second floor, and ML Suite 40 were wired to the
NETS standard this year.
Sixteen host ATM connections were activated this year.
The CGD computer room was rewired this year as well as CGD Suite 200.
The FL2 3095 Computer Room was remodeled and rewired this year.
Network labeling project
External labeling of networking components is an important documentation
and troubleshooting tool. However, until recently, no consistent method
of network component labeling had been developed or utilized at NCAR/UCAR.
During 1996, NETS defined a standard labeling method, and has continued
implementing it by using the standard for all new network construction.
As an ongoing effort, older parts of the network are being relabeled
using the new labeling standard.
The labeling plan is too extensive to describe in this report. A
detailed labeling document is available at the
Network Labeling Standard
website.
Network monitoring project
NETS was using a nonsupported software product as its principal
network-monitoring tool. The chief drawback of the monitor tool was
that it is primarily an up/down indicator. It had no ability to monitor
the myriad of SNMP-based (Simple Network Management Protocol)
statistics that have been built into modern network equipment during
the last few years.
NETS replaced this monitoring tool with HP Openview this year, and it is
fully operational and is being used for 24-hour monitoring of the UCAR
network.
RS232-type serial line support project
NETS supports 9 terminal servers that connect to about 280 RS232-type
lines. These terminal servers provide RS232-to-RS232 connections as
well as RS232-to-telnet sessions. PPP, SLIP, and ARAP are supported
on many of the RS232 ports.
One ancient terminal switch, the PACX, provides only RS232-to-RS232
connections. The PACX currently services about 70 RS232-type
connections, including 8 modem connections. Eighty percent of
these connections have been moved from the PACX to terminal servers,
and the PACX will be retired by the end of calendar year 1997.
NETS CSAC support project
The NCAR/UCAR Computer Security Advisory Committee (CSAC) has been
chartered by the SCD Director to assess the state of computer and
network security at NCAR/UCAR, and to make recommendations to assist
NCAR and UCAR management in setting policies related to the security
of computers and other devices attached to the NCAR/UCAR network.
Membership of CSAC is composed of technical representatives located
throughout the various NCAR/UCAR organizations. CSAC has produced a
consensus document titled
NCAR/UCAR
Security Plan that makes a variety of security recommendations.
NETS has been involved with CSAC because almost all security plans use
various types of network-connected devices located between the networks
belonging to the external world and the institutional networks that are
being protected from the external world. These network-attached devices
can operate as filters and/or authentication devices operating at one
or more OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) layers, usually at the
Network Layer (Layer 3) and higher.
NETS already provides Layer 3 security filtering on the NCAR/UCAR
external network routers. Other CSAC recommendations have been
implemented as required.
NCAR/UCAR ongoing network support project
NETS is responsible for all aspects of daily operation of the NCAR/UCAR
LANs. Among these responsibilities are monitoring, management, tuning,
trouble diagnosis and resolution, upgrading, reconfiguration, and
expansion.
SCD projects
In addition to its overall NCAR/UCAR networking responsibilities, NETS
has additional special support responsibilities for SCD. NETS handles
or consults on most of the host-based SCD networking, including all
supercomputing networking. NETS is also responsible within SCD for
several other tasks including:
- Dicomed maintenance and film processing -- this service was
decommissioned on 9/30/97.
- MASnet support
- External and local conference networking and system support
- Special-grant projects
Ongoing SCD network support project
NETS is responsible for most aspects of daily operation of the SCD LANs
and host networking. Among these responsibilities are monitoring,
management, tuning, trouble diagnosis and resolution, upgrading,
reconfiguration, and expansion of SCD LANs and host networking.
New work-request/trouble-ticket system project
Working with the SCD Trouble Ticket Committee (TTC) in 1997,
NETS built the first revision of a new work-request/trouble-ticket
system using the Remedy database package.
Supercomputing network support project
NETS supports almost all aspects of networking for all SCD
supercomputers. This includes hardware, software, and routing
configuration support for FDDI, ATM, and Ethernet interfaces. HIPPI
(High-Performance Parallel Interface) software and IP routing
configuration support is also provided for the supercomputer HIPPI
connections.
MASnet support project
MASnet is an SCD-developed distributed remote job entry system that
has been in place since 1980. MASnet has been used to submit batch
jobs and return batch job output for the Cray supercomputers, to
transport metadata commands for the NCAR Mass Storage System, and to
submit graphical output jobs to TAGS.
Originally MASnet ran only on HYPERchannel networking equipment, but
it has recently been modified to run over any IP network to extend
its lifetime. Currently MASnet still runs on over 16 systems, almost
all of which are IP-based nodes.
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