terena nordunet networking conference 1999 lund norman wiseman jisc head of programmes...

TERENA NORDUnet

Networking Conference 1999

Lund

Norman Wiseman

JISC Head of Programmes

head.programmes@jisc.ac.uk

JISC Programme for Middleware JISC Programme for Middleware Development Development

Joint Information Systems Committee

Programme

• The JISC: a thumbnail sketch

• Middleware: what it is and why it is important

• What JISC is doing and an update on current projects

• Next steps

Joint Information Systems Committee

• JISC is the Joint Information Systems Committee

• JISC receives funding from all of the UK higher

education funding bodies

• JISC provides network and other infrastructure

services to 1.5 million students and 200,000 staff

in UK higher education

• Advises funding bodies and institutions on

innovative uses for information servicesJoint Information Systems Committee

Background

Joint Information Systems Committee

Joint Information Systems Committee

Structure Budget

(Euro)

32m

12m

5m

3m

Network

Content, Resources,

Services

Development Programme

Human Issues and Advice

What is Middleware?

• An infrastructure layer that enables users to take advantage of the opportunities that powerful networks offer

• “Those things that network people don’t want to do and applications writers can’t”

• “The GLUE Factory”

Joint Information Systems Committee

What is Middleware?

Learning Research Business

Joint Information Systems Committee

Core Layer Security Quality of Service

Network ManagementNetwork Layer IPv6

Network

MIDDLEWAREMIDDLEWARE

Why have Middleware?

• Drivers– collaboration across the sector– distance learning, residential learning– sharing of information– security and trust

• Scalability• Interoperability• Improving Accessibility

Joint Information Systems Committee

Middleware for Education

Joint Information Systems Committee

• Special Needs of Higher Education– Mobility – Multiple roles for individuals– Non-monetary economics – Small market niches - remote instruments

digital libraries

• HE is a pre-market

JISC Middleware Activities

Joint Information Systems Committee

• Distributed National Electronic Resource Metadata, Z39.50, searching

• Interoperability, IMS partner

• Information Strategies and Information Security Strategies

• Network management ,monitoring, QoS- UKERNA and Technical Advisory Unit

- mirrors and caching service

JISC Middleware Activities

Joint Information Systems Committee

• Security

Studies, reports, smartcards

• Access Management

Identified need

Development Project

Pilot Service

Access Management: drivers

Growth in use of electronic services

• Simplify administration / increase efficiency

Protection of rights:

• Suppliers

• Intermediaries & Customers

Development of new markets:

• Lifelong learning and distance learners

• Government initiatives - UFI, NGFLJoint Information Systems Committee

Strategy

• Pragmatic

• Flexible

• Quick

• Short term

Develop existing product - ATHENSATHENSDevelopment work done by NISS, a JISC Service

Started April 1997, launched November 1997

Joint Information Systems Committee

ATHENS:

An access management service controlling access to distributed resources on a network

• Single, unique userid and password for all services• WWW, Telnet and Other resources • Resilient• Scaleable• Free to HE• Recommended for all JISC Services & Projects

Joint Information Systems Committee

ATHENS Service Statistics

• No. of DSP : 12

• No. of registered resources : 75

• No. of sites : 237

• Total administrators : 1,300

• Total accounts : 400,000

• Number of daily accesses : 40,000

• Peak Load : 10/second

Joint Information Systems Committee

The Lessons Learned So Far

Technology - important, difficult, expensive, must be open,

commercial solutions likely

People - equally important,

probably even more difficult!

Simplicity - essential

Trust - licensing and copyright, privacy

Joint Information Systems Committee

More Lessons Learned

Flexibility- link local, national and international systems

Awareness - information service providers,users and management

Management- resources,

cultureNew Demands -more services

more statisticsmore features

Joint Information Systems Committee

UK: Next Steps

Joint Information Systems Committee

• Middleware will be a major JISC activity

• JISC brings:– funding– experience and testbed– link all layers from network to human issues– relationship with vendors– mobilise skills in UK community

• Partnerships– Internet2 and UKERNA, Europe?

More Information

Joint Information Systems Committee

Web:

www.jisc.ac.uk

ATHENS

www.athens.ac.uk, and in DLIB

email: head.programmes@jisc.ac.uk