Chicago NAP Status

Mark Knopper mak at aads.net
Fri Apr 21 05:39:38 UTC 1995


Chicago NAP Status
April 21, 1995

Mark Knopper
Ameritech Advanced Data Services

General Status:

        The "Contingency Plan" FDDI configuration at the Chicago NAP is
operational now. At the downtown Chicago site, AADS has purchased and
installed routers for ANS, MCI and Sprint to support the NSFNET transition.
MCI and ANS are peering and exchanging production traffic across the local
FDDI. The Routing Arbiter's route server is also attached to this FDDI. The
Sprint circuit order is still in progress. These FDDI-attached routers are
also all attached to the ATM switch at DS-3. (The routers are cisco 7010
and the ATM switch is AT&T GCNS-2000.)

        The Kentrox ATM DSU buffer overflow bugs have been fixed with a new
revision of the hardware. All ADSUs have been upgraded.

NAP Customer Status:

AGIS (circuit being installed - DS3 ATM)
Alpha Net (connected - DS3 ATM to Milwaukee site)
ANS (connected - DS3 ATM + FDDI)
Argonne National Laboratory (connected - DS3 ATM, upgrading to OC3c)
B3 (letter of intent received - DS3 ATM)
Databank (circuit being installed - DS3 ATM)
Fermi National Laboratory (connected - DS3 ATM)
ISI/Merit Routing Arbiter (connected - DS3 ATM + FDDI)
MCI Internet(connected - DS3 ATM + FDDI)
MCI vBNS (circuit being installed - DS3 ATM)
NETCOM On-line (circuit being installed - DS3 ATM)
Network 99 (circuit being installed - DS3 ATM)
Sprint (stated intent - DS3 ATM + FDDI)
University of Chicago (connected - DS3 ATM)
University of Illinois at Chicago (order in process - OC3c ATM)

Inquiries:
        AT&T
        Bell Northern Research
        Compuserve
        Computer Masters International
        Concentric Research
        Hyperspace Computers
        IBM Global Network
        Iowa Network Services
        MC**2
        RustNet
        Sprint ATM Backbone
        Wiltel

Monitoring:
        Via AADS Network Operations Center, Southfield MI.

Peering and Transit Agreements:
        Chicago NAP customers have begun meeting monthly, and are working
on a multi-lateral peering agreement. This will allow mutual exchange of
routes to customer networks. Also, many regional (ie. single NAP-connected)
providers are working on establishing transit agreements with national (ie.
multi-connected) providers.

Recent Events:
        Argonne, Fermi and University of Chicago have upgraded from their
DS3 SMDS trial to ATM NAP connections. Fermi and UOC will remain at DS3,
while Argonne will upgrade to OC3c. In addition, University of Illinois at
Chicago is connecting at OC3c.
        The AT&T switch has been upgraded with new port cards, for greater
buffering capability and a new software revision.

Next Steps:
        Many circuit installations are in progress and new orders are being
taken. Peering agreements should allow many new ATM PVCs to be established.
Ongoing testing of router, DSU and switch performance is occuring at the
AADS lab in Hoffman Estates, IL. Bellcore is testing the cisco DS3 AIP
card. It is expected that the DS3 AIP will be the next upgrade step for NAP
customers, as it supports rate shaping and eliminates the ADSU. The
contingency plan routers and FDDI will remain in place for at least 6
months, or until the ATM performance is proved to be satisfactory.

For More Information
        Please contact nap-info at aads.net for inquiries or to place orders.

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