OSC participated in the first-ever National Internet2 Day on March 18. This nationwide virtual event consisted of nearly 40 leading research universities from across the country, including four major Ohio institutions: The Ohio State University, University of Toledo, Case Western Reserve University, and University of Cincinnati.
National Internet2 Day featured a series of virtual presentations, demonstrations and performance events across multiple disciplines that originated from member campuses across the country and was carried over the Internet2 network. National speakers from disciplines including collaboration and integrated technologies, science and research, teaching, and the performing arts were featured in the presentations. Speakers covered timely and relevant topics such as security, cyber-infrastructure, applications, performance initiatives, Internet videoconferencing, and many others.
Ohio is home to 10 of the 206 universities nationwide that are members of the Internet2 consortium. All Ohio institutions connect to Internet2 through OARnet, which also serves as the Gigapop for Ohio schools to connect to the Internet2 backbone network. OARnet is also home to ITEC-Ohio, one of only three Internet2 Technology Evaluation Centers in the country.
OSC and Ohio State hosted local and national webcast presentations at the new OSU Digital Union. Local presenters included Dr. Robert Dixon, Chief Research Engineer for OARnet, and OSU’s Office of the CIO; Prasad Calyam, Systems Developer/Engineer for OARnet, ITEC-Ohio and the Internet2 End-to-End Performance Initiative; Steve Acker, Director of Learning Technologies Research and Innovation at OSU; Cindy Gaillard, Producer for WOSU-TV; and Dan Boord, Associate Professor of Theatre at OSU.
OARnet’s Calyam showcased new technology he has developed during the past two years. His research in network performance measurement studies is part of a network-wide advanced Internet measurement infrastructure that will be deployed on Ohio’s Third Frontier Network when it goes online this spring.
OARnet is currently using newly developed Internet technology, called H.323 Beacon, to conduct traffic characterization tests with networks in 15 countries to help understand how Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can better handle real-time videoconferencing traffic in conjunction with other network data traffic. Calyam presented the latest research on H.323 Videoconferencing traffic analysis, which utilizes the H.323 Beacon.
“The H.323 Beacon was used to obtain data from sites in multiple continents, connected via disparate network paths that included research networks, commodity networks, and last-mile cable modem connections, DSL modem connections, and Satellite connections,” Calyam said.
