III. COMMUNICATIONS/NETWORKING

The campus network, including the physical cable and hardware components that connect them, can be viewed as the "electronic glue" that binds our local and centralized resources and services together into a fully integrated system. In a sense, the network is our system for it provides the structure and means of connecting our desktops, departments and computing centers into a cohesive campus computing environment. Without it, we cannot meet our campus computing goals nor effectively implement our computing strategies. The campus network that is currently scheduled to go into place during 1990 will touch nearly everyone on campus and provide the means for basic electronic communication services (described below) and campus-wide access to the "universe" of information resources and services we have described in this plan.

The campus network will actually be designed as an internet -- a network of networks. The campus "backbone" network will provide the physical connection and networking services between campus buildings and departmentally-based Local Area Networks (LANs) will connect individual users to the backbone. Our campus internet will then connect, via SUNYnet, to the National Internet (described below).

Campus-Wide "Backbone" Network

The campus-wide "backbone" network consists of the cabling and hardware connections between all buildings on our campus. Fiber optic cable will be laid between buildings and between floors within buildings and form the basis of the backbone. Thinwire coax cable and unshielded twisted-pair wire will connect each individual office and room, via a wall faceplate, to the backbone. All cabling will support the Ethernet communications protocol

Goals:

To install and fully implement the campus-wide network backbone to each building on campus

To establish and support IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) as the physical layer communications standard for the campus backbone

To establish and support TCP/IP as a transitional communications standard for off-campus network access until OSI standards are developed

To develop and support the integration of voice, video and data technologies on the campus network where appropriate and possible

Departmental Local Area Networks

In order to avoid congestion on the campus backbone network, it will be important to isolate local communications and networking activity for users of departmental servers (see Departmentally-Based Services under Local Resources and Services). This can be accomplished by establishing departmentally-based Local Area Networks (LANs) which physically connect users of a given department, group of departments (e.g., a building) or a computing center (e.g., computer classroom) with their departmental server(s), while isolating them, and their network activity, from the campus backbone. A LAN "gateway", bridge or router, will allow any user desiring to use a resource (e.g., a printer or another departmental file server) or service outside their physical LAN, to do so whenever they request it.

Goals:

To establish a departmentally-based LAN for each departmental server used on campus

To develop departmental-based LAN standards which, as a minimum, support the following protocols:

*AppleTalk

*DECnet

*Novell IPX

*OSI (when available)

*TCP/IP

The National Internet

The National Internet is a national consortium of colleges, universities, government agencies and organizations around the country connected via hi-speed communication links in a manner similar to our campus internet. Access to the Internet is restricted to paid members. The Internet provides a variety of services that would be of tremendous benefit to our campus. Users of the Internet can log into remote computer sites and make use of the computing resources (e.g., the supercomputer facility at Cornell University) available at that site; however, a fee may be charged for this service. File servers, which offer public domain software and software updates to applications used on our campus thatcan be copied as easily a software is from one disk to another on a personal computer, are also available on the Internet. File transfer (FTP) capabilities and electronic mail is also available and can be expected to replace these similar services available to us now through BITNET.

At this time, Potsdam College is not a member of the Internet. However, SUNY is in the process of negotiating a SUNY-wide membership which may be in place within 12 months. However, if such an agreement cannot be achieved SUNY-wide, it would behoove our campus to consider a membership on our own.

Goals:

To establish a membership on the national Internet through SUNY, if possible, or as a campus, if SUNY membership is not possible



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Document prepared by Robert Jewett. Email: jewettrj@potsdam.edu