Activity report on COSINE: Motivation, technical basis and organisational structure of a RARE project

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Activity Report o n COSINE: Mottvatton, Technical Basis and Organisational. Structure of a RARE Project K. UIImann RARE Executive Committee, DFN, F. R. Germany

An analysis of today's situation in scientific data communication in Europe shows that most of it is done via manufacturer solutions insofar as the protocol structure of the communication services is concerned. Examples of this kind are the IBM-sponsored EARN and the DEC-product DECNET. For the users and for the service providers those solutions have certain advantages-they are integrated in existing operating systems, they are easy to use and easy to provide and the software support comes directly from the manufacturer. The disadvantages of these services are their restricted functionality (in terms of new services) and the fact that they impose a direct dependence of users and service providers upon a manufacturer. A solution without these disadvantages would be very useful to both users and providers. RARE now plans to build a set of OSIbased services to overcome these disad-

vantages. As a first step a dialogue service (X.3/X.28/X.29), a file transfer service (ISO-FTAM), and a message- handling service (X.400 H) has been proposed. The protocol profiles should be taken from C E N / C E N E L E C ; the implementation should be taken from manufacturers. COSINE plans call for certain kinds of infrastructure support and a strategy for a migration path from the existing nonOSI world to the OSI world. COSINE is a EUREKA project. This means that there will be a EUREKACOSINE policy group which formulates the general policies for the project. This policy group consists of high-level representatives of the COSINE countries and the CEC. It has given a grant to RARE, which is responsible for the project in technical terms. As one of more RARE projects, COSINE is integrated into the consensus-finding process of the association.

Activity Report on L=a,son RARE-CEPT Albert KLindig Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland

1.

Introduction

In the course of the first European Networkshop in Luxembourg, it emerged

quite clearly that a coordinated improvement o f the telecommunication services for universities and research in Europe would depend crucially on good relations

with the PTTs. In order to promote these relations, two complementing lines of contact would have to be established: National university and research networking organizations should individually contact the P T T ' s in their respective countries; - RARE should establish, if possible, a direct liaison with CEPT, the European Postal and Telecommunications coordinating body. The latter task was allocated to Switzerland, and the networking group of the Conference of Swiss Universities charged the author of this report with an appropriate mandate later in 1985. -

2. CEPT Structure As far as RARE is concerned, the corresponding C E P T organization is the socalled Telecommunications Commission. This guides the work of several committees, of which the following are relevant for RARE: - CAC, the commercial action committee; - CCH, the committee for harmonization coordination; - CCTS, the committee for coordination of satellite communication; - CLTA, the committee for transatlantic links.

3. Establishment of the Liaison As a result of different contacts with the responsible C E P T officials, the following links have now been established: (1) As regards short and medium term planning of services and networks, a standing relation exists with CAC, represented by its Permanent Nucleus (presently located in Copenhagen). (2) For technical activities, CCH has nominated three of its working group chairmen as direct contacts, namely: *GSLB/Mr. Kneisel (D), for broadband services; *GSI/Mr. Moore (UK), for ISDN; *TD/Mr. Brenton (UK), for data communication. The author was given the opportunity to present RARE and its activities at the 101