nato anw: the third ceenet workshop on network management zagreb 22-24 september 2002 reflections on...

NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management

Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

REFLECTIONSON DEVELOPMENT OF

ALBANIAN ACADEMIC NETWORKHow a NATO NIG project could survive?

NEKI FRASHERIINIMA - ANA

Albanian

Academic

Network

Neki FrasheriINIMA - ANA

NATO ANW: The Third CEENet Workshop on Network Management - Zagreb 22-24 September 2002

Reflection on Development of Albanian Academic Network 2

ALBANIA - WAS THERE ANY ACADEMIC NETWORK ???

THE PAST ...The beginning - seventies• Computing introduced in 1971

– Center of Mathematical Calculus (academic center)– Mathematical modeling, engineering, statistics etc.– Other specialized centers of calculus

(seismics, topogaphy, miltary, accounting)• There was no networking ...

– Old technology & no interconnection of computers– Missing of redundancy to stimulate data exchange– Missing of international collaboration




Development - eighties• Project funded by UNDP executed by UNESCO

– Metropolitan network of star topology (1985)– Proprietary technology DSA (Bull France)– Managed by INIMA (Academy of Sciences)– 40 Sites, academic institutions and ministries– Training of specialists in different levels– Chair of informatics at University of Tirana

• But ...– Each site had one ASCII terminal with (?) printer– The main service used was remote calculation – Majority of specialists had difficulties to access the

network directly - had to collaborate with someone




Decline - nineties• The creation of network was an important event• But it happened in a bad time

– Emergence of personal computers that from beginning, even in small numbers, did a strong concurrence to a network considered as simply a calculation engine

– For some years while it was in a monopolistic position, this network survived. When this position terminated the network was abandoned by its users and shut down because of lack of financial means

• Everything had to restart from the beginning...




Lessons learned• Network needs to offer useful services.

– There is big difference between “potentially useful” and “really useful” services

– Concurrence between alternate solutions. • In DCs the main service used is the Internet

– Today donors prefer to invest in content production– Balance between content, connectivity and hardware

• Direct access to the network is important– impact of a single workstation connected to a

broadband network would be negligible compared with slow dial-up connection available for many workstations.





THE PRESENT• Renaissance - nineties

– Emerging isolated local networks– First experiments with TCP/IP etc.– Testing dial-up connection with EARN, 1992– First dial-up email connection with Internet, 1994– A NATO NIG proposal, partially implemented...– Public dial-up email service created by UNDP, 1996– Internet service created by Soros Foundation, 1997

This played the role of a small academic network– Different attempts to create an academic network– June 2002 - the first step for creation of ANA




The Millennium• Termination of Soros Foundation Internet project

that supported a part of academic institutions – Impossible to use the scarce outdated infrastructure– The need to rebuilt the academic network from the

scratch,• Creation of first organization structures for the

new Albanian Academic Network (ANA)– Joint decision of Ministry of Education and Science

and of Academy of Sciences to create two boards– a Managerial Board– a Technical Board




Managerial Board of ANA(1) Minister of Education and Science, co.-chairman(2) Chairman of Academy of Science, co.-chairman(3) Rector of University of Tirana (*)(4) Rector of Polytechnic University (*)(5) Director of Institute of Informatics and Applied

Mathematics(6) Charged with ICT in the Ministry of Education and

Science (actually the general secretary of Ministry)(7) Director of telecommunications at the respective

ministry_______________________________________________(*) Two rectors are appointed by the Conference of Rectors




Technical Board of ANA(1) Charged with ICT of Ministry of Education and Science,

actually Chairman of the Board (A.Minxhozi)(2) Director of Institute of Informatics and Applied Maths.(3) Representative1 from University of Tirana(4) Representative2 from University of Tirana(5) Representative3 from University of Tirana(6) Representative1 from Polytechnic University(7) Representative2 from Polytechnic University(8) Representative1 from Academy of Sciences,

actually secretary of the Board (N.Frasheri)(9) Representative2 from Academy of Sciences(10) Representative from University of Elbasan.(11-13) Three representatives of telecommunication sector




Perspectives for ANA• Infrastructure

– metropolitan network in Tirana,– interurban links to connect other five cities – international connectivity,

including cross-border links with neighbor NRENs

• Possible funding are identified:– Aids from Italian Government– National Programme for Research and Development – EU & NATO grants (ex. EU project SEEREN)– Other donors (to be found, ex. UNESCO initiative)




• Principles for a sustainable network– Built private network infrastructure– Extend network access towards end users– Outsource only a part of maintenance and services– Get minimal guaranteed funding from government

• Necessary conditions for success– Synergy within boards of ANA, in order to optimize

resources and strengthen the basis for collaboration– Involvement of decision makers for their support

and push them to develop local networks & services– Involvement through motivation of specialists from

the academic community, to contribute for developing of network infrastructure, services and applications




Lessons learned• “Gift” versus “Work” approach

– the former is good but dangerous approach– the latter lead to working network but is difficult– The best would be a mixed approach

• Coordinate actions with other organizations– Otherwise need to change objectives of the project

• Be careful with what you will attract users– implement useful services– compete with active ISPs– balance content with connectivity




Other lessons• Take care of decision makers

– they may neglect networking– they may tace care of themselves only

• Design a scaleable solution– that may survive even with minimal funding

• Be careful with selection of your partners– you need good-for-network-building partners.

• Involve local human resources through projects– a way to pay people without asking simply higher

salaries, the latter is difficult to be achieved





THE FUTURE• It is difficult to speak for the future• The question “would we be able to follow up the

development of ICT?” remains crucial • Academic networking may appear a pure luxury

compared with other needs of the country• But it is a significant indicator for

– the degree of overall development – and emancipation of the country




THANK YOU

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