"Proposal for the Networking Support and Coordination, transmitted by RARE to the CEC" 1. Scientific theme: Establishment of open data communication networks for research in Central and Eastern Europe and their interconnection with R&D networks of the Community countries. 2. Title: Support, counselling and training coordination for the establishment of R&D networking in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) 3. Acronym: SCTC - CEEC 4. Name and organization of the project coordinator: RARE, with those of the member organisations, national networks, which are operating in the European Community countries: DENnet, Renater, DFN, ARIADNE, HEAnet, GARR, SURFnet, INIC, RedIRIS, JNT. Coordinator RARE secretariat, T. Kalin, Secretary General 5. Summary of motivations, objectives and major initiatives: The existence of any S&T network in Europe can not be envisaged without infrastructural support by a pan-European computer network and network services. A period of intensive consolidation of network service provision is taking place now in EC countries, but the history of European networking seems to be repeating itself in the Central and Eastern European countries. Establishment of communication islands, each connected to a national or international network, using a wide variety of communication media and protocols is the present trend. It is, of course, the prerogative of each national organisation to tailor its national network to its own needs. Unfortunately, it takes more to achieve a good international connectivity. The wish of the whole European networking community to assure a harmonised pan-European R&D networking infrastructure may be in jeopardy. RARE is proposing to establish a centre for coordination of technical support, counselling activities and training for the needs of Central and Eastern European countries in the area of computer networking. By establishment of such service, one can assure a balanced approach to the task of R&D network development in whole Europe. 6. Cost Summary Table Proposers Institution Country Total 1st Year T. Kalin RARE EU 589,250 271,000 E. Huizer SURFnet Netherlands - - K. Ullmann DFN Germany - - J. Hutton JNT United Kingdom - - M. Bonac ARNES Slovenia 10,000 5,000 P. Bakonyi HUNGARNET Hungary 20,000 10,000 Total: 619,250 286,000 7. Major milestones & proposed reports: Phase I. Agreement on the strategy for the development of the R&D networks in participating Central and Eastern European countries, with particular emphasis on the interconnectivity. Deliverable: Report on the strategy for R&D networking in CEEC. Date: 31 March, 1993 (+6. months after award of the support) Phase II. Design of communication infrastructure (Layers 1-3) for the S&T network participants with regards to connectivity to pan-European multiprotocol backbone. Deliverables: Report on the design. Date: 31 July, 1993 (+10 months) Phase III. Support implementation of the Phase II plans, support for service provision. Deliverables: Implementation reports. Date: 31 December 1993 (+ 15 months) Phase IV. Support in the planning and implementation and for service provision of network application services. Deliverables: Implementation reports. Dates: +15 months to + 36 months. Final Report. Date: September 1995 8. Name, date, and signature of the coordinator on behalf of all joint proposers: Tomaz Kalin RARE Secretariat Amsterdam, 30 July, 1995 10. Objectives of the scientific network and motivation: Today, one can not envisage any effective European scientific network without high-quality network services and without a pan-European computer network. This fact has been recognized by the EC member states and EFTA countries which have, assisted by the CEC, launched the Eureka Project COSINE. The project proved that common actions toward creation and operation of Europe-wide computer can successfully contribute to harmonisation of R&D networking in Europe. The proposals for the establishment of the Operational Unit and the ECFRN initiative grew out of understanding of the need for common and coherent action. One can claim that the general trends in networking in Western Europe are pointing into the right direction. Unfortunately, we are very likely to see the pre-consolidation history of European networking repeated in the Central and Eastern European countries. It is of course the prerogative of each national organisation to tailor its national network to its own needs, taking into account communication infrastructure and other resources available. Unfortunately, it takes much more to achieve a good international connectivity and the failure to do so, may considerably affect the whole Europe. Establishment of communication islands, each connected to a national network in a EC or EFTA country, or to an international network, using a wide variety of communication media and protocols seems to be the present trend. The results may lead, if the trend continues, to a mesh of unharmonised communication infrastructures with the consequence of an inferior price performance and poor services for the end users in Central and Eastern European countries and users of the R&D networks in the EC when communicating with Central and Eastern European countries. The present efforts for harmonisation like OU and ECFRN will not be able to provide a harmonised pan-European R&D infrastructure in the required time. This would lead to a waste of resources, human and financial. This situation is to a large extent a consequence of one-sided information and advice provided. RARE is proposing to establish a centre for coordination of technical support, counselling activities and training for the needs of Central and Eastern European countries in the area of computer networking. By establishment of such service, one can assure a balanced approach to the task of R&D network development in the Central and Eastern European countries and at the same time secure participation of all expertise and resources available in the RARE community. It is obvious that the function proposed is vital for European R&D networking. Up to now, counselling and help with service establishment etc., for the newcomers in the field has been provided in the framework of RARE Working Groups. This was possible since the number of new networks and support they needed was minor compared to the main body of the RARE community and the total work performed in the RARE Working Groups and in the COSINE projects. With the large membership increase of the European networking community, this support function has to be provided in a properly organised way, the cost of which is financially beyond the possibilities of RARE's normal operation budget, thus the submittal of this proposal. It should be noted, that RARE is coordinating another proposal within the same programme: Introduction of MHS and Directory Services in the Central and Eastern European countries. The two proposals are fully compatible. If they are both accepted an even better utilisation of common resources will take place since they will be both coordinated by RARE which will provide technical and administrative support to both S&T networks. 11. Rules for incorporation of new members: The activity is structured in such a way that addition of new partners only slightly increases the cost of the exercise, but not its modus operandi. New members can join with less cost per entry due to the general nature and applicability of the results of the Phase I (Network Architecture). This is true for the generic part of the results of the Phase II. as well. 12. Plans of joint activities and costs: The main method of working on the common project is direct support of the project teams elaborating on the particular subject: Network design in Phase I Infrastructure design in Phase II Implementation in Phase III Service provision support in Phase IV The support, by the specialists from the national networking organisations from European Community countries to Central and Eastern European countries, will take any or more of the following forms, for each task: development of parts of designs and implementations participation in the mixed teams consulting on job training of operators in EC countries on job training of management staff in practices and methods of service provision The main expenditures is in travel costs and subsistence for the specialists from the European Community countries and reimbursements to their organisations for the time spent on the common projects. The budgeting is done in such a way to enable the widest possible utilisation of resources available in the networking organisations and research institutions in the Community countries, thus the majority of the funds are proposed to be allocated to RARE, which will act as a clearing house responsible to find the most suitable specialist for the task at hand. This should yield a better price/performance ratio and the required flexibility for the widely variable conditions taking place in the networking environment. 13. Existing and planned infrastructure: The main task of this proposal is to provide the necessary data, parameters designs and knowledge for the extension of the network services the Central and Eastern European countries. The network infrastructure on the side of RARE community is already existing, while it is under development (and the subject of this proposal) in the Central and Eastern Europe utilising PHARE funds as well. 14. Infrastructural needs and costs: No particular infrastructure is needed for the performance of the common tasks, other than basic communication services like E-mail, which is available to all participating countries at least in a rudimentary form. 15. Workplan for setting up the initial S&T network and its operation: The work will proceed in the following way: Immediately after the project grant: establishment of the Network Coordination Committee with one member from each participating organisation/country with secretarial support provided by the RARE Secretariat. elaboration of a detailed workplan for Phase I ( + 1 month ) execution of the workplan by Phases RARE is prepared to provide secretarial support for the proposed S&T network and for the X.400/X.500 project (another proposal in the running) if they are approved by CEC. Related budget line is proposed in the cost section. 16. Management of the S&T network: The management will be done by the Project Committee, using RARE financial rules and supervised by the RARE Council of Administration. 17. Extension of the workplan to other members: The function provided by the S&T network is, as described before, to contribute to the harmonised development of the pan-European research and development network. Therefore, it is a natural wish to include everyone, who wishes to participate. The organisation of the project into phases, with Phase I. and Phase II. providing general development strategy and network architecture, applicable to everybody, gives enough time for the latecomers to join the network and even to influence the course of the developments. Further phases will follow commonly defined framework by giving support to the efforts of the individual Central and Eastern European network service providers for their service implementation and management. New members not in the original group can join at this time as well. Financial consequences will amount to proportional increase of the effort and costs for the Phases III. and IV. 18. Financial proposal A: Overall management costs: 1. Coordination Committee 3 meetings/year *12 persons * 1000 ECU (36,000 ECU/year) 2. Professional support one (1) technical staff at RARE Secr. (55,000 ECU/year) financial mngmt., secretarial support for CC, organisation of meetings, mngmt. of contracts (25,000 ECU/year) Total A: 121,000 ECU/year B: Operation of the network: 1. Task force for Phase I: 2 meetings * 12 persons @ 1000 ECU (24,000) 5 visits of experts 2 @ 3250 ECU (16,250) preparation of the report 10 days @ 300 ECU (3,000) Total B.1.: 43,250 2. Phase II: 2 meetings * 12 persons @ 1000 ECU (24,000) 15 visits of experts @ 3,250 ECU (48,750) 5 visits of experts @ 1750 ECU (8,750) preparation of the reports 40 days @ 300 ECU (12,000) Total B.2: 93,500 3. Phase III: 20 visits of experts @ 3250 ECU (63,500) 10 visits of experts @ 1750 ECU (17,500) software and subcontracts (35,000) final Phase III meeting 12 pers. @ 1000 ECU (12,000) Total B.3: (127,000) 4. Phase IV: 20 visits of experts @ 3,250 ECU (65,000) 10 visits of experts @ 1750 ECU (17,500) final Phase IV meeting 15 pers. @ 1000 ECU (15,000) Total B.4: 97,500 Total B: 361,250 First year's cost (Phase I, Phase II, and half of Phase IV) is: First year 286,000 ECU Total cost of running and managing the S&T network for three years (taking into account 1/2 of professional staff at RARE) is: TOTAL Network 619,250 ECU Remarks: 1. If both Network proposals from RARE are accepted, 1/2 of a technical staff can be appointed for the task and costs for professional support are reduced accordingly and A amounts to 86,000 ECU/year. 2. Expert priced @ 3750 ECU if 300 ECU/day reimbursement for the institution is included, @ 1750 is the cost for average travel cost and subsistence for one week. 19. Relation with other projects or programmes and finance received or expected from other sources: There is a correlation with the second RARE coordinated proposal with the acronym M&DS proposing extension of the messaging services and directory pilot service into Eastern and Central Europe, establishing a coordinated and managed set of services. Both proposals do not duplicate the effort since the present proposal addresses mainly basic interconnectivity issues and does not include the application services approached be M&DS network. One can expect that some funds from the PHARE programme will be utilised for the infrastructure inside the Eastern and Central European country and some for the international connectivity as well. Additional input can be expected from the national networks in the form of free expert's time. 20. Reference information on the proposers: Due to the infrastructural nature of the proposed S&T network, scientific references are not the primary measure of the relevant experience of the proposers. Most of the proposers have long experience in technical field and operational experience in the network service provision (E. Huizer, J. Hutton, K. Ullmann, M. Bonac, P. Bakonyi). K. Ullmann is managing director of DFN, the German research network, and past President of RARE. Coordinator, Prof.T. Kalin is the now Secretary General of RARE, with past experience in computer science and international project management (Project leader COST 11bis). Proposers are members of different relevant international bodies: ISOC BoT, IETF, IEPG, CCIRN, COSINE Policy Group, ECFRN Steering Committee, Operational Unit SC, RARE CoA, RARE Technical Committee, etc. Together with their staff, they can commit at their home institutions, as they represent a good cross section of technical and managerial background to secure competent guidance and efficient execution of the contract.