[For recent information on Stage III, visit Stage III Scope and Information.]
During the Spring quarter of 1997, Information Technology has been installing network equipment to provide connectivity to previously unconnected buildings and users. This has been an interim strategy intended to relieve departmental pressure by staging cutover and to provide an opportunity to reevaluate the Network 21 technology and the current marketplace.
As part of the reevaluation process, Information Technology invited representatives from Stanford University and several other UC campuses to attend a "think tank" where technology and vendor options were discussed. The conclusion of the "think tank" was that two viable options now exist rather than one: Fast Ethernet and ATM. The "think tank" members further concluded that because of a loss of vendor support for aging UCDNet equipment and increasing demand on the network, it was imperative to come to a quick conclusion on the appropriate technology and to quickly begin implementation. A draft Network 21 Architecture document developed by the "think tank" members discusses the technology options in detail.
A more detailed analysis is currently being conducted to determine which of these two technologies will be deployed in the final stage of Network 21, and this document is available in rough draft form here. This will be cleaned up on Monday July 7.
The Network 21 Budget and Policy Oversight Committee will be rendering a decision on this by mid-July. Before it does this, however, it would like the benefit of campus input. Consequently, a town hall meeting has been scheduled for July 8, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., in 1100 Social Sciences. Your attendance and input at the Town Hall Meeting is greatly appreciated.
At the town hall meeting, a presentation will be made of the conclusions reached by the Network 21 Technical Subcommittee based upon the financial and technical analysis currently underway. This, and a collection of the responses received from the campus community in attendance at the Town Hall Meeting, will be presented to the Budget and Policy Oversight Committee in order for it to render a final decision.
For recent information on Stage III, visit Stage III Scope and Information.