Table of content

Participants

Stefan Liström - SL (NORDUnet)
Fresia Pérez - FP (NORDUnet/SUNET)
Jan Ferre - JF (Forskningsnettet) - via VC
Vegard Vesterheim - VV (UNINETT)
Marius Olafsson - MO (RHnet)
Jani Myyry - JM (Funet)
Jörgen Qvist - JQ (NORDUnet) - present during Inter NREN forum update

Agenda

  • Introductions and setting the agenda
  • NREN Operational updates
  • NREN development update
    • Network inventory
    • Trouble ticket information exchange
  • Funet "CPE-router" service (non-virtualized)
  • TF-NOC update
  • GN3 wavelength and BoD services
  • Inter-NREN forum update
  • Operational forum review
  • New action points
  • AOB and next meeting

Minutes of meeting

Introductions and setting the agenda

The agenda was accepted

NREN Operational updates

  • UNINETT - VV
    • UNINETT is testing the Camtasia relayserver for recording presentations
    • Developing a firewall builder which is generating access lists (included in the toolbox server for campuses) both ipv4 and ipv6, it is opensource and compatible with Cisco and UNIX
    • A NAV reference group has been founded founded, it has been suggested to create a NORDUnet forum for NAV, new version will be available in September
    • The UNINETT IRU with Ventelo has been extended
    • There are plans for a sea-cable connecting Longyearbyen to Ny-Ålesund
    • UNINETT is deploying 10G to several customers using MX80s
    • The core network have been upgraded, three new ASR9010 routers have been installed in Oslo
  • Funet - JM
    • Upgraded uplink to NORDUnet to two 10G links
    • Metro ring network in Helsinki area soon in production (probably during November)
      The Metro network consist of six routers of which two are connected to NORDUnet
    • Funet is planning on setting up a new customer portal (software still in evaluation), the goal is to have it in production in December
    • An internal ipv6 taskforce in CSC has been created to make sure that services are IPv6 compatible
      IPv6 planning is based on SURFNET document for internal service IP allocation
    • Funet is also hosting IPv6 training for customers to increase the deployment rate
    • There is an ongoing evaluation of DNSSEC
    • Funet is investigating dynamic services, the plan is to setup a MPLS testbed running OSCARS version 0.6
  • FSKnet - JF
    • New staff have been hired to primarily work with the DWDM network
      This has lead to faster provisioning of services in the network to customers
    • FSKnet is currently investigating how to best monitor layer 2 connections to customers
      JM commented that Funet is using the UNINETT system Stager to monitor DWDM circuits. Information is sent from the DWDM NMS to a server (UNIX) and then forwarded to Stager which process the information.
    • Been starting to use the NORDUnet MCU for VC conferencing services for customers. There was an initial issue between old and new equipment but it is getting better now
  • SUNET - FP
    • Finalized the replacement of Ciena 4350 to Junpier MX80s, the NOC has had about 50% less incidents since the change
    • The SUNET core site has been completely separated (red/green network), the core site is now split up in two sites
    • SUNET has had to buy more licenses to Adobe connect due to the increased number of users (maximum number of concurrent users have about around 500 so far)
    • The mailfilter service is now in production and a couple of universities have started using it
      There was a discussion about mailfiltering services in the different countries. A central service is used in UNINETT (greylisting system which is in-house developed) and many customers are using it; A central Blacklisting service is used in Funet; customers run their own in RHnet and there is an option for FSKnet customers to use a centralized solution.
  • NORDUnet
    • Adobe connect has been setup for UNINETT and Funet is considering to start using the service too.
    • There was a power outage at one of the Stockholm sites on the 11th of October and unfortunately there was also a problem with the UPS. Once the generator had started the network worked as expected however some services had further problems. Measures have been taken to avoid similar issues in the future.
    • New goals have been setup for the NORDUnet NOC and there will soon be a customer survey sent out to NRENs
    • NORDUnet is starting to prepare the new network tender.
    • During a discussion about peering the question came up why NORDUnet is not peering in Finland. This is because of the current rules to connect to the Finish IX. However JM thought the rules have been changed and will investigate if that was correct.
      New AP on JM to check the rules for NORDUnet to peer in Finland.
  • RHnet
    • 10G build out is finalized in Reykjavik, it is harder to extend the 10G infrastructure outside Reykjavik due to the quality of the old fibers
    • A new Nordic HPC initiative is being built on Iceland, which will be connected to RHnet.
    • Preparations have started for the Terena conference on Iceland next year.
    • RHnet have decided to use NAV (the UNINETT software) and are currently waiting for hardware to be able to install it.

NREN development update

  • Networking inventory
    The Network inventory is now used in production and NORDUnet have started to move information into the system.
    AP SL - arrange a demo/workshop for developers to get an overview of how the Network inventory work
  • Trouble ticket information exchange
    NORDUnet is investigating the possibility to disseminate and exchange trouble ticket information in a formal way using activity streams.
    RHnet, UNINETT and Funet use RT and it would be beneficial if information from NORDUnet could be "integrated" easier into their systems.
    Fresia mentioned that an former colleague to her had worked on a plugin to RT which creates tickets from external information, she would investigate if it was possible to get access to that code.
    VV commented on their current integrations between monitoring, ticket and inventory system. In UNINETT they can create a trouble ticket from an alarm in Hobbit which is then also registered in the inventory system. In other words the number of issues concerning e.g. equipment can be viewed easily in the inventory system.
    JF - In FSKnet they use OTRS as ticket system and are currently looking into developing a tool that disseminate information to the FSKnet customers in a more selecting way, i.e. not only emails.

Funet "CPE-router" service (non-virtualized)

JM presented their CPE-router service that they now offer to their customers.

Inter-NREN forum update

JQ presented the work and updates from the Inter-NREN forum.

  • NORDUnet MCU service
    FSKnet is now using the NORDUnet MCU service and Funet is evaluating the same service
  • Adobe connect service
    SUNET and UNINETT is using the service and Funet is going to test the service
  • Filesender
    UNINETT developed filesender and now there is an interest among all NRENs to use it, there are discussions how it could be integrated into Kalmar and hosted for the NRENs
  • Mailfilter/spamfilter
    SUNET is using Canit domain pro and it is currently under discussion if other NRENs would be interested in using the same setup for their customers.
  • Gateway services
    There are discussion in the forum how to best connect the Nordic NRENs to the Akamai service.
  • New services
    There are also ongoing discussions in the forum about if and how we can develop services together and also tender for services together instead of having to duplicate similar work in every NREN.

TF-NOC update

The last TF-NOC meeting was held in Brussels.
Some of the things being worked on in the task force currently are:

  • Nagios/monitoring
    Most of the participants at the meeting use Nagios as one of their monitoring tools. It was suggested that the task force organise a opportunity for Nagios "developers" to exchange experiences regarding their setups and use of the software.
  • Ticket system integration
    A few organisations in the task force are investigating if it is possible to disseminate and exchange trouble ticket information in a more formal way than have been done before.
  • Script library
    At the meeting it was decided that each participant should send in one script that they are using in their day-to-day job to try to build up a repository of scripts useful for network operations.
  • Survey
    The NOC survey have been finalized and is now being analyzed. The results will be released early 2012.

GN3 wavelength and BoD services

  • Wavelength
    The wavelength service is now being launched. I-SHARe is used to store information about the different domains participating in the service. E.g. contact details to operational departments, logistical details about where different domains have a point of presence (POP) and technical details like which kind of interfaces different domains have available to connect a wavelength at a certain POP.
  • BoD
    The BoD service is now in the operational phase, i.e. it is not setup on the production network but the project is testing the software and integration between the domains to make sure that the service is going to work as expected when implemented on the production network in each domain.

Operational forum review

VV read the Operational forum charter and all agreed that it is still relevant and indicates what we should be doing.
VV - It is important and useful to exchange experiences and it is unnecessary to reinvent the wheel all the time, which it seems like we are doing. It would be good if we could find some common interest and agree on some tasks/work being done in that regard.
It was decided that we spend some time on the next operational meeting to brainstorm common interests and see if there is something we could collaborate on to make it better.
MO - It is good to get updates on what is happening in GEANT and Europe and also get updates about NORDUnet network changes.
Having a meeting once a year might be to seldom and it does not seem like enough new things are happening to motivate having a meeting four times a year. The group agreed that between two and three meetings a year is a good interval.

New action points

AP (SL) - arrange a demo/workshop for developers to get an overview of how the Network inventory work
AP (FP) - to check code for RT ticket integration
AP (All) - think about unsolved problems, brainstorming for common areas of interest until next meeting
AP (JM) - check rules for NORDUnet to peer in Finland

AOB and next meeting

It was decided that we have the next meeting at RHnet on Iceland around April. SL will send out a doodle to find a suitable date.

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