APCCIRN-003

Minutes of the APCCIRN Meeting

12 November 1991

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.

Present:

S. Asano Japan Co-Chair

R. Erskine Australia Co-Chair

N. Brownlee New Zealand

K. Chon Korea

J. Houlker New Zealand

G. Huston Australia

J. Murai Japan

T. Nielson Hawaii

M. Topping New Zealand

B. Bostwick CCIRN Observer

J. Hart US - NASA Observer

K. Neggers CCIRN Observer

T. Villasenor US - NASA Observer

1. Review of August 1991 Meeting

The APCCIRN considered the current status of international links in the Asia / Pacific region, as

refined from the previous presentation of this inventory of link assets (which was collated in August

1991) is attached to these minutes.

In assessing progress since the August meeting, the APCCIRN noted the regional commitment to the

process of international coordination through attendance by the various national representatives at the

APCCIRN meeting and the CCIRN and IEPG meetings. To assist in progressing activity items

between the APCCIRN meetings, a mailing list of APCCIRN members is being maintained as

apccirn@aarnet.edu.au

The meeting noted that a Terms of Reference document for the APCCIRN has not been prepared to

date. It was resolved to place this item on the agenda for the next meeting. The meeting noted that the

CCIRN Terms of Reference document would be a useful starting point for immediate

commencement of this activity over e-mail. The meeting also nominated that the activity of

nomination of goals and objectives for the APCCIRN should also be undertaken, as a parallel

document to the more general Terms of Reference document.

2. Discussion of APCCIRN position regarding the CCIRN November 19 meeting agenda

The issues discussed here are addressed in the following two sections of these minutes.

3. Link Coordination

The APCCIRN noted the current issues of connectivity, particularly as related to the matter of

research and commercial use of Internet facilities. The APCCIRN voiced the position of support for

a policy of international connection to the highest point in the hierarchy of the national network

infrastructure, which was seen as being consistent with the desire to enhance the general quality and

reliability of the international connectivity service that is being forwarded into the national

infrastructure through such links.

The APCCIRN voiced a requirement for a clear definition of the role of the infrastructural

international links with particular reference to the broad spectrum of usage requirements across the

academic, research and commercial domains. With regard to the Asia / Pacific region's international

links a general position of open connectivity was agreed as a desirable objective, with an associated

desire to support the implementation of policy neutral exchange practices to allow each nation the

ability to implement specific national objectives in terms of the area of coverage of the national user

community as per national requirements.

4. Transit Policy

Regarding issues of transit requirements, the APCCIRN was briefed by Bill Bostwick of the US

FNC, who provided a description of the relevant aspects of this matter from the perspective of the

US Federal Agency network infrastructure.

The meeting noted the current interim transit policy within the United States where the NSFNET has

indicated that it will carry general transit traffic within the United States and between the Asia /

Pacific region and Europe. The interim nature of this arrangement was stressed to the APCCIRN

members.

5. IBM Presentation to APCCIRN

Mr Glenn Wightwick of IBM Australia presented a proposal to the APCCIRN relating to APCCIRN

support of a study of networking requirements in the Asia / Pacific region. The text of the proposal

was distributed to the mailing group before the meeting.

The overall structure of the activity proposed by IBM is that of a survey of requirements within the

total region as well as a survey of applicable constraints (including regulatory constraints,

technological constraints, long distance carrier availability constraints and similar)

that this material be presented to the APCCIRN in the form of a public document.

Subsequent proposed activity was described as consisting of a design of a regional network structure

based on the collected material and a final report to the APCCIRN describing this design.

The resources nominated by IBM to support this activity would include consultative input from

Advanced Networking Systems (ANS)

Funding provided by IBM would include provision for travel, project administration and ANS

consultancy.

The timeframe proposed by IBM indicated an expectation of a 6 month project with activity

commencing in November 1991, the survey work to be conducted in January / February 1992 and

the design activity to be undertaken in March - April 1992.

The APCCIRN considered the various aspects of this proposal, and an alternate scenario for APEPG

activity was outlined by Torben Nielson that would be impacted by components of the IBM proposal

(APCCIRN consideration of the APEPG proposal is minuted in the following section of the

minutes).

The specific areas nominated here relate to the proposed involvement of ANS in a

consultancy role in the design phase of the project and a potential conflict of interest in the event of a

solicitation for the provision of services.

The APCCIRN considered that the major value of the study lay in the first survey report, and that

they were not willing to make any form of commitment at this stage to sponsoring or considering any

IBM design proposal for an Asia / Pacific infrastructural network that may be prepared as an

outcome of the survey work, but were willing to sponsor the survey work proposed by IBM. The

APCCIRN also indicated that in the event that IBM proceed with the survey, that IBM should work

closely with the members of the APEPG. Note was made of the necessity of including US

requirements within the survey, particularly relating to the specific requirements of NASA, DoE and

the NSF. The APCCIRN also indicated that they would expect IBM to commit to the proposed

schedule, so that a survey report would be available to the APCCIRN by March 1992.

It was resolved that Robin Erskine would include the above considerations in a draft response to

IBM. Following joint consideration within the APCCIRN mailer of the response a final version

would be forwarded to IBM by the end of November 1991.

6. APEPG Activity Proposal

Within the context of the APCCIRN's consideration of the IBM proposal the co-chairs of the

APEPG, Torben Nielson and Jun Murai, presented an initial proposal for APEPG activity. The

substance of the proposal was for the APEPG to undertake an 18 - 24 month program of engineering

a comprehensive Asia / Pacific infrastructural common communications facility. The objective here is

that of utilizing the widespread current (and near term)

and through a process of consolidated procurement of international network services, work towards

the provision of a high performance international network infrastructure within the region.

The initial structure of the APEPG proposal was indicated to the APCCIRN to be structured as

follows:

1) Consolidate APEPG membership 2 months

2) Collect requirements and constraints 4 months

3) Formulate initial proposals and consolidate this into a

comprehensive business plan with parallel activities in the

APEPG (engineering issues) and the APCCIRN (associated

policy and management issues) 6 months

4) Determine methodology for solicitation and operation of the

facility and then issue solicitation 2 months

5) Implementation and Operation of the facility 6 months

Some of this timing was determined by the need to consider US funding timeframes, with funding

requests being required around the October 1992 timeframe.

The APCCIRN endorsed the proposal.

7. Promotional Activities

The proposed INET92 timetable was presented to the APCCIRN. The conference timetable is as

follows:

Sun Jun 14 UNESCO lecture

Mon Jun 15 tutorials

Tue Jun 16 ~ Wed Jun 17 INET'92 Conference

Thu Jun 18/Fri Jun 19 open

The APCCIRN undertook to coordinate a presentation on Friday June 19 9:00 - 12:30 relating to the

promotion of network connectivity in the Asia / Pacific region. (At the full CCIRN meeting , this

was subsequently rescheduled to Thursday 18 June in the afternoon.)

8. Next Meeting

Two future meeting dates were determined by the APCCIRN.

The next meeting is a one and one half day meeting, to be held in late March / early April in

Honolulu. Items to be included on the agenda for this meeting are consideration of the IBM survey

report and detailed consideration of the initial activities associated with step 3 of the APEPG activity

plan. The meeting was nominated to be a joint APCCIRN / APEPG meeting, with APEPG members

continuing to work for a further three and a half days on the APEPG engineering activity as an

international joint working session.

The second meeting for 1992 was nominated to be held on Jun 14 (in conjunction with INET92) at

Kobe. (At the full CCIRN meeting, this was subsequently rescheduled to be held on Tuesday 9

June in Tokyo.)