mainpc

General Information

General Interest Project
Date of approval by the General Assembly:	January 1996
Included in ACWP 95 as Project Proposal number:	PP5211
Project Leader and Contractor Code:	Henk Groen (NL)
Project Supervisor:	Amardeo Sarma
Participants in Project:	AF BT FT IT NL ST TI
Project start date:	10 January 1997
Original planned finished date:	December 1997
Actual date of completion	June 1998

Rationale

The current worldwide Internet networks are based on the protocol IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4). Drawbacks of these networks are:

traffic management is not possible (currently more than 66.000 networks involved)
end-to-end bandwidth cannot be guaranteed (Store and Forward transport, CBR services not guaranteed)
security and address space are limited
network performance and QoS control are undefined

Notwithstanding these drawbacks, usage is increasing and, from a technical point of view, almost all known telecommunication services and applications can be offered over this network. Examples are:

e-messaging services
telephony services
audio services
video (still picture and moving picture) services
retrieval and conference services

The next version of IPv4 is on its way (IPv6) and is now being tested. This version will then provide additional support concerning the following problems of the current version 4:

"unlimited" address space (665.570.793.348.866.943.898.599 addresses per square meter of earth surface)
security (authentication, integrity and confidentiality)
network performance and QoS control (traffic priority)

IP version 6, which is compatible with version 4, will increase the usage of IP networks even more. This will harm the profitability of PNOs investments, especially the investments done in the trunk part of the PSTN and ISDN networks. The aim of this Project is to investigate network scenarios and specify building blocks, which combine the best of two worlds: the Store and Forward IP world and the Circuit Switched Telephony world. In particular, the building blocks defined should be seen to add additional and complementary capability to the existing leased line based Internet infrastructure. The functional architecture and the functions specified should be applicable to any public switched network.

Such a network will have the capability of supporting all currently known basic, supplementary and value-added services, including terminal and management systems. The specification should re-use as much as possible existing and developing applicable standards, e.g. the GSM standards concerning security protocols (authentication, confidentiality), subscriber identity module (SIM), mobility support, ATM and IETF.

Co-operation between PNOs is essential for the following reasons:

An intelligent IPv6 router must be specified as an elementary building block for the network: this has to be done fast (in 1997) and jointly. Manufacturers can produce this router based on a common specification.
Individual PNO actions will lead to a fragmented IP network in Europe. The effect of this can be noticed everyday when using the current IP network: no QoS can be guaranteed.
An assessment of the current development of the IPv6 protocol shows that it has rich capabilities suitable for both Store and Forward and Constant Bit Rate types of services. A market and service driven approach means that the best protocol should be adopted and that the R&D effort of the PNOs should not be diluted over several technologies.
It is the common interest of the PNOs to be able to buy elementary building blocks of the network, to be able to use the installed network base as much as possible. The reference example is the GSM services.

Even networks built on IPv6 may suffer from congestion due to the decentralised organisation. There may therefore be some advantage in using the proposed network architecture, which makes use of the already installed well-managed SS7 controlled digital network.

Objectives

This Project aims to:

investigate the alternatives for an IP over public switched networks
Two experiments will be specified and implemented to demonstrate IP over public switched networks, of which the second will be done in co-operation with one or more suppliers

The following constraints apply:

cheap adoption of all kinds of existing and future services, voice, video and data transport,
exploitation of the installed base as much as possible
reduction of the number of network technologies (reduction of training, management, interworking effort): "keep it simple!"

Today, all nodes, hosts and terminals are based on IPv4; this should be the starting point. However, those characteristics of IPv6 that have an implication on the aims of this Project will also be considered.

Note that according to Internet terminology NBMA, or Non-Broadcast Multiple Access is identical to what is conventionally termed public switched networks, e.g. ISDN, PSTN, Frame Relay and ATM VC.

Deliverables

No.	Deliverable title
D2	Final results
Brochure

Deliverable 2, Final results

Two experiments were defined by P702: Experiment 1 was experimenting IPv6 and using ISDN as a back-up triggered at the Decision Point by traffic characteristics measured at the host. Participants of P702 did this experiment. This experiment was internal to the Project and served to get experience with IPv6. One of the main findings is that the IPv6 protocol stack can be established on both UNIX and LINUX equipped workstations by loading the proper files. Tunnelling over the IPv4 network works well.

The second experiment was specified in co-operation with Telebit. In addition, the University of Lancaster produced the software for the demonstration of video material over an IPv6 network. This demonstrator is reported in this Deliverable.

Demonstrator, produced by Telebit/University of Lancaster

The feasibility of the P702 concept was demonstrated several times. Demonstrations were at EURESCOM seminars, once at CEBIT (April 1998 Hanover) and once at the ATM Forum Demonstration in Birmingham from 23 – 25 June 1998.

Brochure P702

In March 1998, a brochure of the Project was completed. It gives an overview of the Project P702 and of the concepts involved. This brochure is available on request from EURESCOM.