Institutional network connectivity 

UCISA carried out a survey on institutional network connectivity on behalf of JISC. The survey was conducted as part of the requirements gathering exercise for the next iteration of the JANET Network. The Executive Summary from the survey report is reproduced below; the full report is also available.

Executive summary

The survey was carried out on behalf of the JISC to investigate the extent to which institutions had procured secondary network connections beyond their single funded connection to the Joint Academic Network (JANET).

The results backed up the anecdotal evidence that the majority of institutions have multiple network connections with 85% of respondents reporting having at least one further network connection either through JANET or their Regional Network Operator (RNO), or procured from a commercial provider. Just over half of the institutions with multiple connections relied solely on JANET or their RNO for secondary connections with 25 having two connections and five having three or four. Three quarters of those institutions making use of commercial network provision only operate a single non-JANET link.

Resilience was the overwhelming reason for providing additional network connections (whether JANET or commercial) with 80% of those with multiple connections citing the provision of resilience for the institution’s network presence as a strategic driver. This was the case even with those institutions utilising commercial connections - although twenty institutions cited the desire to route commercial traffic separately as a driver for procuring an additional connection it was the sole reason for only six. Institutions strove to ensure that their network connectivity was truly resilient with practically all the institutions with multiple links considering the physical routes of the networks when procuring secondary connections, be it through their regional operator or JANET, or through a commercial provider. Those institutions with multiple connections entering the institution at the same point were looking to address this.

The recurrent cost of the additional connections is met in a variety of ways. The RNO in four regions provides resilient connections (to JANET) as part of their regular service. However institutions in five other regions were meeting the cost directly from institutional funds. There does not appear to be a consistent funding model for additional connections to JANET; further investigation may be required to clarify the position. Those institutions with commercial connections are largely funding them through institutional funds although a quarter are recharging, in whole or in part, to commercial activities.

Eleven institutions reported only having a single JANET network connection as their external link. Six of these came from Wales and it is to be hoped that the PBSA in the Principality will provide the resilience sought by most of those institutions. A further three institutions were located in the south of England although all three were seeking to procure additional connections to JANET. The rural or semi-rural location of these institutions highlights the challenges of delivering network infrastructure beyond the major conurbations.

The overriding message is that institutions regard a resilient external network connection as essential with JANET or the RNO being the main provider for those connections. Institutions with a single connection are looking to procure at least a second connection; a number of institutions with multiple connections already are looking to add further resilient, high speed links. It is not, however, just a matter of volume; practically all institutions with multiple connections have sought to ensure that the links take physically different routes to their institution.