1. RMDCN Technical Solution
Tony Bakker
WAN Group Leader, Network Section
ECMWF
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

2. Agenda (1) Background & Requirements EQUANT Solution Access
Frame Relay
X25 access
X25-Frame Relay Gateway
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

3. Agenda (2) Backup options TCP/IP Issues Prioritisation
ISDN/PSTN Dialup
Mission Critical environment
TCP/IP Issues
Prioritisation
Network Monitoring
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

4. Background (1)
Jan 1993: Working group on Planning and Implementation of the WWW in Region VI:
identified the necessity for GTS reorganization
Sep 1993: Subgroup on regional aspects of GTS
first proposal for modernisation of RMTN
RMDCN Steering Group established
RFI/RFQ for MDN
Jan 1993:
Working group on Planning and Implementation of the WWW in Region VI:
Identified the necessity to reorganise the GTS in RA VI
Oct 1993:
Subgroup on regional aspects of GTS:
first proposal for global modernisation of RMTN under the name of Regional Meteorological Data Communications Centre
May 1994: RA VI meeting Oslo
establishment of RMDCN steering group
M Fisher
Nov 1994: first questionaire
1Q 1996: RFI & RFQ (UKMO - Fisher & Lorenz
1997: Steering group recommendation:
Go for a MDN
ECMWF lead and coordinate procurement, implementationa and operational phase for all countries.
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

5. Background (2) 1997: Steering group recommendation:
A MDN provides a cost effective way for providing the requirements for an RMDCN
Requested ECMWF to lead and co-ordinate the procurement, implementation and operational phase for all countries
establish a Contract Advisory Committee
Jun 1997: ECMWF Council accepts timetable for RMDCN project
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

6. Background (3) Nov 1997: RMDCN Contract Advisory Committee and ECMWF
start preperation of ITT Documents
Apr 1998: ITT
Dec ECMWF Council approves RMDCN Contract with EQUANT
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

7. RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

8. ECNET The ECMWF external telecommunications network
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

9. Requirements combine the two networks cost savings
RAVI GTS & ECMWF
cost savings
technological improvements
fully managed network - uniform service level
high availability
prioritisation of traffic
multi-protocol (IP, X.25, DECnet)
High Availability
backup
stringent SLA
4 hour restore time
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

10. ECMWF GTS - Dissemination of products (to Member States)
- Observations (from Member States)
- Interactive sessions
- data transfers to/from Member States
GTS
- Observations
- Forecast data
- low priority messages
- other data
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

11. EQUANT Solution (1) Frame Relay Access Service
complemented by X25 Access Service
create a Virtual Private Network
LAN Access Service
fully managed CISCO router service
Management of Access Line
liaise with PTT (line order, fault reports, etc)
Fully managed CISCO router Service:
installation
configuration
management
maintenance
upgrades
EQUANT
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

12. EQUANT Solution (2) X25 - Frame Relay Gateway
TCP/IP as transport protocol
irrespective of access method
X25 encapsulated (XOT)
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

13. EQUANT Solution EQUANT Global Network Global Network KEY
SITA/EQUANT POP
LAN Access router
Leased line
Virtual Circuit
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

14. Access LAN X25 switch MSS CPE Access Line POP EQUANT Global Network
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

15. Frame Relay Access Service
MSS
X25 switch FR
CPE
LAN
POP
EQUANT
Global
Network
Frame Relay Access Service
pvc
MSS
X25 switch
POP
CPE
LAN FR
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

16. Frame Relay Access Service
POP
X25
POP
pvc
XOT
Equant
Global
Network
Access Line
pvc
POP
pvc
POP
TCP/IP FR
pvc
TCP/IP
CPE
POP
PVC’s are sub-interfaces- looks like a IPLC
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

17. X25 Access Service Frame Relay pvc EQUANT Global Network svc X25
MSS
X25 switch
CPE
LAN
POP
Frame Relay
pvc
EQUANT
Global
Network
POP GW
X25 Access Service
svc
MSS
X25 switch
POP
X25
CPE
LAN
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

18. X25 Access Service FR X25 EQUANT Global Network Access Line svc TCP/IP
CPE GW
POP
X25
POP
XOT
EQUANT
Global
Network
Access Line
svc
POP
POP
TCP/IP
svc
X25
TCP/IP
CPE
X25
CPE
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

19. X25-Frame Relay Gateway
communication between Frame Relay and X25 connected Sites
configuration
Special purpose CISCO routers
two different locations within the EQUANT RMDCN VPN
fully managed by EQUANT
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

20. Backup options ISDN/PSTN backup Mission Critical
box before CPE serial interface
Mission Critical
Dual Access Line
Dual CPE
CISCO HSRP
shadow PVC
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

21. X ISDN Dial Backup EQUANT CPE Global POP Network Access Line M M
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

22. X Mission Critical POP CPE EQUANT Global Network POP Host HSRP POP CPE
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

23. TCP/IP Issues Public IP Network Addresses
LAN interface
X25 interface
EQUANT can provide IP Network Address Range if necessary
IP routing options
Static routes
OSPF with filtering
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

24. Prioritisation Standard CISCO options works on output buffer of PVC
custom queuing
priority queues
weighted fair queueing
works on output buffer of PVC
preference for custom queuing
allocate amount of buffer to traffic pattern based on src-dest-port (IP level)
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99

25. Network Monitoring EQUANT tools:
SITAVISION: VPN view
HP Openview add-on
Allows to monitor all RMDCN CPE interfaces
TTVISION: Trouble Ticket
ECMWF will monitor the network and report regularly to RA VI via the RMDCN CAC and the RMDCN Operations Committee (ROC)
RMDCN Technical Solution
RMDCN Workshop, Jan 99