Campus Readies For Network

President Neil L. Rudenstine has no e-mail address and has no plan of getting one in the near future, according to University spokesperson Jonathan B. New.

But after this year, he may be the only person on campus without one, thanks to an ambitious project undertaken by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) to bring state-of-the-art computer technology to students and their professors.

Dubbed the Harvard High-Speed Data Network (HSDN), the project will enable students and faculty, for the price of a pair of in-line roller skates, to communicate with students from Thayer to Australia--without any messy modem cables or huge phone bills.

With the network connection itself free of charge, users are ready to connect to the network with a computer device, called the Ethernet card, through the data phone jacks already present in their rooms.

Once on the network, which resembles a complex highway, students can be easily hooked up to the Internet, an international computer network used by some 15 million people every day.

From Internet, student users can read and send electronic mail ("e-mail") almost anywhere, retrieve free software programs from a number of software libraries spread around the globe, and tap into any number of resources provided by various institutions.

Users will also have access to local Harvard information services, such as HOLLIS, the on-line library catalogue, and VINE, a database offering such campus information as daily dining hall menus and campus calendars.

And for the first time, students will be able to run a number of popular software packages from file servers housed in the basement of the Sci- ence Center, without having to buy the softwarethemselves.

What will probably be the most profound ofHSDN's features, however, is the possibility ofsetting up a new type of communication channelbetween students and the teaching staff.

"With a University-wide network," says WilliamH. Bossert '59, Arnold professor of science andmaster of Lowell House, "the interaction betweenthe faculty and the students will be muchimproved."

Such improvements will take the form ofspeedier feedback from instructors to students,because of HSDN's capacity for 24-hour access toe-mail messages.

In addition, says H.T. Kung, McKay professor ofelectrical engineering and computer science,networks often make it easier "for people tocollaborate on their research works."

"Information is the bottom line," says Kung."That's the same reason why Vice-President [Al]Gore talks about a national data superhighway."

University officials say that the completion ofthe project will place Harvard at the very top ofthe list of universities which have similar,comprehensive campus-wide networks.

"I don't know of any major universities thathave Ethernet connections to every room," saysKung, a well-known expert in computer systemdesign. "We are doing really well."

Gary R. Holmes, network manager at the Officefor Information Technology (OIT), agrees. "Thisreally puts us on the forefront of academicinstitutions," says Holmes. "It is a great stepforward for the University."

The idea of a University-wide data network goesback to the mid-1980s, when the Office forInformation Technology (OIT) decided to run twosets of wires to each room on campus. One of thewires is used for telephone connection, and theother used for data.

"It was an investment in the future at thattime," says Holmes, who is one of the project'sarchitects.

But the lack of general direction and theuncertainty about the costs of building such anetwork held back its implementation for severalyears. Many students, notably the Harvard ComputerSociety, voiced their strong support for a campusnetwork, but little was done to make use of thedata wires.

The scene changed with the arrival of PresidentRudenstine. Soon after he took office in July1991, Rudenstine, who had overseen themodernization of Princeton's facilities whileserving as provost there, promised to take aserious look into proposals to bring digitaltechnology to Harvard.

In early 1992, a committee consisting of 12senior faculty and administrators was appointed byJeremy R. Knowles, who had just become dean of theFAS, to investigate the need for better computertechnology. The faculty members representedvarious fields in the natural and social sciencesas well as the humanities.

In its report released in May 1992, thecommittee made a number of recommendations. At topof the list was "a state-of-the-arthigh-speed-data-network that pervasively linksstudents, scholars, and administrators."

The project is overseen by three Universityoffices: the Standing Committee on InformationTechnology, a body of eight faculty members andone undergraduate that advises on and coordinatesthe project; the OIT, which is responsible forlaying down the cables and selling Ethernet cards;and the Harvard Arts and Sciences ComputerServices (HASCS), whose staff develops andmaintains the communication software.

"Our strategy is to put in the fiber asinexpensively as possible in a massive way," saysPaul C. Martin '52, dean of the Division ofApplied Sciences.

According to Martin, who serves on the StandingCommittee report issued in May 1992 aboutconstructing a FAS-wide network, the fiber opticnetwork will cost less than $1 million. "We workvery hard to keep that price down," says Martin.

"The total cost depends on how studentsrespond," adds Martin. The more students opt forgetting connected to the network, the higher thecost will be, since additional switching devicesand technical support will be needed toaccommodate high demands.

The project is primarily underwritten by twoHarvard alumni, according to Martin. Operatingexpenses will be met by private donations.

But this arrangement has some worried. "I don'tthink the University understands the kind ofcommitment that needs to be made," says Bossert,who served on the Standing Committee last year. Hebelieves that the University should put morefinancial resources into the project.

According to some University officials, oneproblem with is that the network support staff istoo small. Some say this may result in poorresponses to students' needs and alienate somepotential users.

"It's not just about putting the wires out,"says Bossert. "We'll need a good staff to developand maintain software" as well as resolve anytechnical problems students may encounter.

According to Richard S. Steen, acting directorof HASCS, technicians will provide on-siteservices to help students deal with anydifficulties.

In addition, some experts point out, issueslike system integrity and security need to beaddressed to the full extent.

University officials seem to be less certainabout what kind of response will come fromstudents, especially when getting connected willcost most students a significant amount of moneyto buy Ethernet cards.

"We did a survey among incoming freshmen overthe summer," says Steen, "and 25 percent sent backreplies. Of these two-thirds said they wanted toconnect to the network."

But Lowell House Master Bossert is not sooptimistic about the level of enthusiasm studentsmay have.

"The response so far has not been active," saysBossert. "Some people are very excited and can'twait, but the vast majority of students don't knowwhat's going on and probably don't care."

Officials nonetheless agree that starting withfirst-years will help sell the network tostudents. "If the freshmen experiencesatisfaction," says Bossert, "they will make theproject a success."

Monica Alvarez '97 is one of those first-yearswho bring hope to the folks behind the project.

"This is all new to me," says Alvarez, who saysshe is very interested in getting on the network."I am concerned about technical things, but I amconfident the setup will be OK."

The HSDN project is divided into three phasesof development, according to Steen.

Planning and bids for the HSDN started in thefall of 1992, says Martin. Parts of the work havebeen assigned to the lowest outside bidders tokeep the cost down, he adds.

"This is a project in which the OIT and HASCSand the IT committee have all been workingtogether closely and sharing information andresponsibilities to assure the projectaccomplished as quickly, economically and smoothlyas possible," says Martin.

The first phase, which Steen says has alreadybeen completed, calls for the installation offiber optic data wires and communication switchingdevices in all first-year dorms (excluding 29Garden St.). First-years living in the Yard andUnion dorms can link up once they fill out anapplication with HASCS.

First-years living at 29 Garden St. will gettheir share of the network by winter, as fiberoptic cables are still being laid down in thebuilding, says Steen.

Phase two of the project will witness theaddition of Lowell House and the Quad houses tothe network by January 15, although this date isby no means set in stone, says Steen.

"We have very limited staff," says Steen, "soit will be difficult to bring everyone into thenetwork at once. We'd also like to have a chanceto tackle any problems with the network beforegoing on to the next step."

In phase three, all the remaining upperclasshouses will be networked. If all goes well, Steenpredicts that by next fall, "just about every FASbuilding will be connected."

Forming the backbone of the HSDN are tens ofthousands of feet of fiber optic cables,ultra-thin glass wires which transmit digital datain the form of laser-generated light. "Fiber isthe only vehicle that will support us for the longhaul," says Holmes.

Unlike conventional metal wires, according toHolmes, fiber optic cables are cost-effectivesince they will not rust or break.

Another important technology employed isEthernet, a networking standard originallydeveloped at the famed Xerox Palo Alto ResearchCenter, where the graphical user interface wasalso first conceived.

One major advantage of Ethernet over otheravailable network products is that it ishigh-performanced. In other words, it is fast anddoes well what it is designed to do.

Another advantage is that Ethernet is also themost popular network technology for personalcomputers. "It's good for both Macs and PCs," saysSteen, referring to computers made by Apple andthose first designed by IBM.

Discussions are already underway to extend theHSDN to all parts of the University. Just thispast May, a separate committee, theUniversity-Wide Committee on InformationTechnology, issued its own report to recommendnetworking "all Harvard faculties."

And that, no doubt, should include PresidentRudenstine.CrimsonHaibin Jiu

What will probably be the most profound ofHSDN's features, however, is the possibility ofsetting up a new type of communication channelbetween students and the teaching staff.

"With a University-wide network," says WilliamH. Bossert '59, Arnold professor of science andmaster of Lowell House, "the interaction betweenthe faculty and the students will be muchimproved."

Such improvements will take the form ofspeedier feedback from instructors to students,because of HSDN's capacity for 24-hour access toe-mail messages.

In addition, says H.T. Kung, McKay professor ofelectrical engineering and computer science,networks often make it easier "for people tocollaborate on their research works."

"Information is the bottom line," says Kung."That's the same reason why Vice-President [Al]Gore talks about a national data superhighway."

University officials say that the completion ofthe project will place Harvard at the very top ofthe list of universities which have similar,comprehensive campus-wide networks.

"I don't know of any major universities thathave Ethernet connections to every room," saysKung, a well-known expert in computer systemdesign. "We are doing really well."

Gary R. Holmes, network manager at the Officefor Information Technology (OIT), agrees. "Thisreally puts us on the forefront of academicinstitutions," says Holmes. "It is a great stepforward for the University."

The idea of a University-wide data network goesback to the mid-1980s, when the Office forInformation Technology (OIT) decided to run twosets of wires to each room on campus. One of thewires is used for telephone connection, and theother used for data.

"It was an investment in the future at thattime," says Holmes, who is one of the project'sarchitects.

But the lack of general direction and theuncertainty about the costs of building such anetwork held back its implementation for severalyears. Many students, notably the Harvard ComputerSociety, voiced their strong support for a campusnetwork, but little was done to make use of thedata wires.

The scene changed with the arrival of PresidentRudenstine. Soon after he took office in July1991, Rudenstine, who had overseen themodernization of Princeton's facilities whileserving as provost there, promised to take aserious look into proposals to bring digitaltechnology to Harvard.

In early 1992, a committee consisting of 12senior faculty and administrators was appointed byJeremy R. Knowles, who had just become dean of theFAS, to investigate the need for better computertechnology. The faculty members representedvarious fields in the natural and social sciencesas well as the humanities.

In its report released in May 1992, thecommittee made a number of recommendations. At topof the list was "a state-of-the-arthigh-speed-data-network that pervasively linksstudents, scholars, and administrators."

The project is overseen by three Universityoffices: the Standing Committee on InformationTechnology, a body of eight faculty members andone undergraduate that advises on and coordinatesthe project; the OIT, which is responsible forlaying down the cables and selling Ethernet cards;and the Harvard Arts and Sciences ComputerServices (HASCS), whose staff develops andmaintains the communication software.

"Our strategy is to put in the fiber asinexpensively as possible in a massive way," saysPaul C. Martin '52, dean of the Division ofApplied Sciences.

According to Martin, who serves on the StandingCommittee report issued in May 1992 aboutconstructing a FAS-wide network, the fiber opticnetwork will cost less than $1 million. "We workvery hard to keep that price down," says Martin.

"The total cost depends on how studentsrespond," adds Martin. The more students opt forgetting connected to the network, the higher thecost will be, since additional switching devicesand technical support will be needed toaccommodate high demands.

The project is primarily underwritten by twoHarvard alumni, according to Martin. Operatingexpenses will be met by private donations.

But this arrangement has some worried. "I don'tthink the University understands the kind ofcommitment that needs to be made," says Bossert,who served on the Standing Committee last year. Hebelieves that the University should put morefinancial resources into the project.

According to some University officials, oneproblem with is that the network support staff istoo small. Some say this may result in poorresponses to students' needs and alienate somepotential users.

"It's not just about putting the wires out,"says Bossert. "We'll need a good staff to developand maintain software" as well as resolve anytechnical problems students may encounter.

According to Richard S. Steen, acting directorof HASCS, technicians will provide on-siteservices to help students deal with anydifficulties.

In addition, some experts point out, issueslike system integrity and security need to beaddressed to the full extent.

University officials seem to be less certainabout what kind of response will come fromstudents, especially when getting connected willcost most students a significant amount of moneyto buy Ethernet cards.

"We did a survey among incoming freshmen overthe summer," says Steen, "and 25 percent sent backreplies. Of these two-thirds said they wanted toconnect to the network."

But Lowell House Master Bossert is not sooptimistic about the level of enthusiasm studentsmay have.

"The response so far has not been active," saysBossert. "Some people are very excited and can'twait, but the vast majority of students don't knowwhat's going on and probably don't care."

Officials nonetheless agree that starting withfirst-years will help sell the network tostudents. "If the freshmen experiencesatisfaction," says Bossert, "they will make theproject a success."

Monica Alvarez '97 is one of those first-yearswho bring hope to the folks behind the project.

"This is all new to me," says Alvarez, who saysshe is very interested in getting on the network."I am concerned about technical things, but I amconfident the setup will be OK."

The HSDN project is divided into three phasesof development, according to Steen.

Planning and bids for the HSDN started in thefall of 1992, says Martin. Parts of the work havebeen assigned to the lowest outside bidders tokeep the cost down, he adds.

"This is a project in which the OIT and HASCSand the IT committee have all been workingtogether closely and sharing information andresponsibilities to assure the projectaccomplished as quickly, economically and smoothlyas possible," says Martin.

The first phase, which Steen says has alreadybeen completed, calls for the installation offiber optic data wires and communication switchingdevices in all first-year dorms (excluding 29Garden St.). First-years living in the Yard andUnion dorms can link up once they fill out anapplication with HASCS.

First-years living at 29 Garden St. will gettheir share of the network by winter, as fiberoptic cables are still being laid down in thebuilding, says Steen.

Phase two of the project will witness theaddition of Lowell House and the Quad houses tothe network by January 15, although this date isby no means set in stone, says Steen.

"We have very limited staff," says Steen, "soit will be difficult to bring everyone into thenetwork at once. We'd also like to have a chanceto tackle any problems with the network beforegoing on to the next step."

In phase three, all the remaining upperclasshouses will be networked. If all goes well, Steenpredicts that by next fall, "just about every FASbuilding will be connected."

Forming the backbone of the HSDN are tens ofthousands of feet of fiber optic cables,ultra-thin glass wires which transmit digital datain the form of laser-generated light. "Fiber isthe only vehicle that will support us for the longhaul," says Holmes.

Unlike conventional metal wires, according toHolmes, fiber optic cables are cost-effectivesince they will not rust or break.

Another important technology employed isEthernet, a networking standard originallydeveloped at the famed Xerox Palo Alto ResearchCenter, where the graphical user interface wasalso first conceived.

One major advantage of Ethernet over otheravailable network products is that it ishigh-performanced. In other words, it is fast anddoes well what it is designed to do.

Another advantage is that Ethernet is also themost popular network technology for personalcomputers. "It's good for both Macs and PCs," saysSteen, referring to computers made by Apple andthose first designed by IBM.

Discussions are already underway to extend theHSDN to all parts of the University. Just thispast May, a separate committee, theUniversity-Wide Committee on InformationTechnology, issued its own report to recommendnetworking "all Harvard faculties."

And that, no doubt, should include PresidentRudenstine.CrimsonHaibin Jiu