M A R E NMalawi Research and Education

Network:

Backbone Network Design Implemented & Planed

Anthony MuyepaHarry Gombachika, Rodwell S. BakoloMAREN Co-founders and Task-Force members

www.malico.mw/maren (soon www.maren.mw)

Outline of Presentation

• Background

• Network Design

• Opportunities

• Challenges

AIM

• The aim of MAREN is to develop the infrastructure to facilitate wide use of Internet Technology in teaching, research and sharing of information resources at affordable cost.

Objectives

• Integrating all the Malawi Higher Education and Research Institutions in a one national broadband Network to offer high-speed, quality and economically sustainable services to member institutions including access to the global Internet.

• Providing a platform for researchers in Malawi to participate in collaborative research and development projects nationally and on the international stage and access global cyber-infrastructure

Objectives continued• Provide the infrastructure to support the development,

sharing and delivery of innovative online education content and applications nationally and internationally and the development of learning and research communities across Malawi.

• Facilitate access to national and international information resources to optimise the efforts of researchers to create, manage, discover and disseminate knowledge through services such as video conferencing, E-Learning, E-mail, etc.

.

Existing Partnerships

• Working with ESCOM to utilise the fibre available to MAREN for academic connectivity for 3 years

• Working with MACRA, for harmonious regulatory conditions or academic connectivity

• Working with MTL to access metro fibre, towers, and ducts• Collaborating with MISPA on the Malawi Internet Exchange

activities and gain peering rights.

• International Collaboration through UbuntuNet Alliance for Research and Education Networking

Design

Nairobi, 4-6 October 2008

Main Academic Sites

Mzuzu University

University of Malawi:

Bunda College of Agriculture - Lilongwe

Chancellor College -Zomba

College of Medicine -BT

Polytechnic –Blantyre

Image by CSIR

ESCOM Fibre in relation to locations MAREN member institutions

Design Considerations – Blantyre Lilongwe Backbone

Solution should address the following• 2 Gigabit bandwidth between Blantyre and

Lilongwe

• Reliable network – not subject to obstructions and interference

• Accommodate future bandwidth requirements with incremental upgradeability

• Low cost extensibility

Suggested Network Design

• Actively switched daisy fiber chain is proposed, as opposed to passive fiber

• Each site node will have an active node, and will requires a switch, a fibre distribution frame and a transceiver for each fibre cable that connects the node

• Traffic not destined at each switch is relayed to next.

Nairobi, 4-6 October 2008

ESCOM Schematic Diagram

Motivation for active daisy chain• Number of fiber strands not dependent on number of sites• New site requires fiber pulled from nearlest connected site• Cost of fiber is reduced, while requires same number of switches

16

Philosophy of the Network

INSTALLED NETWORK

International Gateway Licence• Negotiated at length with

MACRA for Licence to operate a national network which will connect Tertiary Education and Research institutions and then connect regionally.

• MACRA had already been very facilitative in granting MALICO a 5 year academic VSAT licence

• International Gateway License granted to MAREN to peer with other UbuntuNet Alliance members across borders at the MAREN Launch

ChallengesOwnership

Elaboration of final technology blueprint and user policies

Setup of implementation team and institutionalization of MAREN

Definition of campus network standards and network management guidelines

Identification of additional partnerships and project funding

ZIKOMO KWAMBIRI!