National Knowledge Network

NKN = National Knowledge Network

I. What is this all about?

This is a Rs 6000-crore project which will be approved by the Union Cabinet for creating a network among the research institutes, universities and colleges. This has been initially been implemented at the NIC level along with other 54 research organizations. It is a logical interaction between different organization following a multi network, multi homing architecture, thereby bridging the gap between creators and users.

The workshop was chaired by Prof. Raghavan from IITM and Dr. Dekhne from B.A.R.C, through Video Conferencing.

II. What NKN would provide?

1. Internet bandwidth of 1 Gbps (though initially that will be less, up gradation of the link is to be done after 80% utilization )
2. High Availability and Reliability of the link
3. Internet space from APNIC
4. Data Centre’s to host Mail, DNS, with backup
5. 24×7 support
6. Interface with other networks
7. VPN support

III. What NKN would not provide?

1. No internal application support
2. LAN support
3. Security issues inside the organization

IV. Requirements?

1. Space for the equipments
2. 24×7 access to NKN personnel
3. Seating place for NKN personnel (Though the requirements does not specify that the personnel necessary or not. In case there is enough back end team at the end node, these requirement will be obsolete)
4. IP camera (In case this is infringing the institutes’s privacy these can be removed)

Maximum number of hops to internet (worst case scenario) = 6

The links is to provided from in ring architecture. The internet bandwidth will be free for use for a preiod of 10yrs, but mostly this will be used for Video Conferencing. If required priority wise bandwidth allocation can also be done.

There was an arrangement of shifting the existing network to the NKN network. Static routes to be provided in case there is a link failure so that access is maintained.