HARPER@CSC.FI ("Robert Harper Finland", CSC) (04/13/91)
***** TELESTROIKA UPDATE ***** Networking and Electronic Mail in Eastern European Countries Claudio Allocchio, INFN This small note summarizes the results of a survey perfored among parteci- pants to the First International School on Network Management and Analysis, held in Trieste from Dec 4th to Dec 16th 1990. The situation can differ a lot from country to country: some have alreay networking structures available, some other still lack the basics, but in all countries there is a strong push to establish connections and to open conctacts with other nations. The major common problems are the bad financial situation and licensing. Also know-how is a lacking point in many situations. A final table tries to compare the different situations. This note is only a first and non-exhaustive survey, but I hope it can help. Let's now look more in detalis the various situations. Hungary: There is currently available a national experimental X.25 network called IIF "Information Infrastructure Network" of the Hunagarian Academy of Sciences. This network is a semi-private infrasctructure for a closed community (the R&D community) but it is operated by Hungarian PTT. On this network volume charghing is applied. There are currently one EARN node and one EUnet node, both interfaced with IIF network. There are plans to increase a lot networking capabilities within the country in the near future; during 1991 the public X.25 service, interconnected with other PSDNs will be established. The intention is to run OSI services on the X.25 network, but also a number of tcp/ip point to point connections are foreseen. A tcp/ip connection to HEPnet via CERN is also in preparation. E-mail in Hungary is available via the ELLA system, with an x.400-like user agent developed locally, running on top of IIF X.25. There is a gateway connecting ELLA with EUnet and EARN. The plans are to implement an X.400 MHS as soon as the public x.25 service will be available. Poland: Since a few years there is an experimental x.25 network connecting 8 sites via leased lines. This is supposed to be the kernel of the Counry Academic Computer Network (KASK) wich is supposed to be completed at mid 1991, covering 16 sites, and having gateways to EARN and DFN. There is alrady an EARN con- nection in Warsaw and Wroclaw, and two DECnet connections to CERN from Cracow and Warsaw. E-mail: EARN and HEPnet nodes are reachable with their native protocols, but there is no current gateway to the national x.25 infrastructure. Romania: There are currently only a few and poor quality connection in the country at 4800 bps joining single instituations, and no international links are available. However the PTT started a program to make available networking capabilities (x.25) in the country. It will take some years. For international connectivity satellite links are probably the correct solution. USSR: The USSR situation is very fragmented and there is not what can be called a 'nation wide' networking strategy. Public X.25 service (IASNET) is available and is connected to the major PSDNs in the world, using both ground and satel- lite links. The research community had free access to this facility, but starting from 1991 each Institute will have to pay the service and this is a major problem. The largest research institutes have some small local private X.25 networks, and DECnet technology is also used locally. Leased lines are obtainable, but due to the country geographical situation satellite links are more reliable. Any institute is trying to provide its user with connecti- vity with the foreign countries, but often local connectivity is much less implemented, showing real cooperation problems exist. The PAD access to remote sites providing services is the most diffused situation. Apart from public X.25 the cooperative "DEMOS", settled in Moscow, is the recognized Internet entry point for domain '.su' and has a link to Helsinki (Finland). It provides access using UUCP to about 30 sites. Many other institutes join the services via dial-up connections (remote login) to DEMOS and using Kermit to transfer data to their remote account. The DEMOS services are expanding to reach more sites and to improve quality. There is also a planned EARN link from Moscow to Poland and plans to establish DECnet connections on top of public x.25 links to the HEPnet community. The most used connectivity method however is still remote login to some foreign institute to access its services. Electronic mail is avaiable from DEMOS sites, via EUnet, but most of other institutes access to it indirectly via remote login to collaborating remote partners. Czecholslovakia: The networking in the country is currently based on 9.6 Kbps lines used for the national EARN backbone and on 2.4 Kbps dial up lines used within the EUnet community. International connectivity is assured by an EARN link joining Pague to Linz (Austria) and an EUnet link joining Bratislava to Vienna. In 1992 the public X.25 service will be available with international connectivity. The intention is to build a national backbone enabling multi- protocol transport (at least SNA, TCP/IP and X.25) and to have a 64 Kbps link to Internet. Electronic mail is available directly, using both EARN ans EUnet facilities. Summary of Networking is Eastern European Countries | Hungary | Poland | Romania ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public X.25 | Expected 1991 | NO (experimental | NO available | IIF (semi-private | network 8 nodes) | | network for academic | | | community, 200 DTEs) | | | | | Pad Access | YES | NO | NO available | | | | | | Leased lines | YES (but takes | YES | YES (very available | long time) | | poor quality) | | | Available | up to 9600 bps | up to 9600 bps | up to 4800 bps Speed | | | | | | Satellite/ | ground | ground | ground Ground lines | | | | | | DECnet net | some Local | some local | NO exists | implementations | one link to CERN | | | | TCP/IP net | some local | 1 local | NO exists | implementations | implementation | | | | EARN net | one link to | one int'l link, | NO exists | TU-Wien | 5 nodes | | | | EUnet net | one link | NO | NO exists | | | | | | Other net | IIF nation | exper. X.25 | NO exists | wide X.25 | nation wide | | | | Planned | YES | YES | -- DECnet | nation wide | some sites | | | | Planned | YES | YES | -- TCP/IP | nation wide | nation wide | | | | Planned | YES | YES (SNA) | YES EARN | nation wide | nation wide | | | | Planned | YES | -- | -- EUnet | nation wide | | | | | LAN | NOVELL, | NOVELL | NOVELL technology | DECnet | | | | | E-mail | YES | YES | NO available | directly | directly | | | | E-mail | ELLA, UUCP | VMSmail, | N/A protocols | RSCS | RSCS | ******************************************************************** | URSS | Czechoslovakia -------------------------------------------------------------- Public X.25 | YES, IASNET connected | NO (expected in available | to most of PSDN in | 1992) | Europe and USA | | | Pad Access | YES (x.21) but not | NO available | from all sites | | | Leased lines | YES, but sometines | YES available | with poor quality | | | Available | up to 9600 bps | up to 9600 bps Speed | | | | Satellite/ | ground & satellite | ground Ground lines | | | | DECnet net | some Local | NO exists | implementations | | | TCP/IP net | NO | NO exists | | | | EARN net | NO | one int'l link, exists | | 5 nodes | | EUnet net | YES, link to Finland | YES exists | | | | Other net | -- | -- exists | | | | Planned | YES | NO DECnet | nation wide | | | Planned | YES | YES TCP/IP | nation wide | nation wide | | Planned | YES | YES EARN | nation wide | nation wide | | Planned | YES | -- EUnet | nation wide | | | LAN | Ethernet, | Ethernet technology | DECnet | | | E-mail | YES, directly from | YES available | some sites | directly | | E-mail | UUCP | UUCP, protocols | | RSCS ******************************************************************