1. Introduction It seemed timely to have an update for RIPE on what was going on in JANET. This relates substantially to IP. RIPE members had noted the large and expanding number of DNS-named hosts in the United Kingdom. This was by no means all JANET developments of course: there were commercial providers in the United Kingdom, and the numbers of these were increasing. However, there was much activity in the JANET community, and that was the subject of the talk. 2. Requirements(1) - the latest! ... audio, video, high speeds, etc. - plus 'more of the same', much more. - connectivity: general, but with emphasis on 'similar communities', i.e. those around the world (as well as in the United Kingdom) involved in research, academic work and education. This much was probably as expected. JANET was an X.25 network, with IP running as an optional service over that. (The JANET IP Service, JIPS, offered a full routing service, with connected institutions having to concern themselves with routing only in so far as it was necessary for them to deal with it.) There were other network level protocols run over the X.25 service too, e.g. CLNS. However, it was X.25 and IP that were the JNT-supported services. Over 75% of the JANET traffic was IP-related, and this proportion was rising. Of the 200 or so institutions connected to JANET, some 50 or so were connected by leased lines at 2mbps, with the rest connected at 64kbps or less. JANET had international links via the US/UK 'fatpipe', and via both Ebone and Europanet. 4. Requirements Revisited - Network Services These were: IP CLNS YBTS ("Yellow Book") CONS X.25 per se (e.g. for X.29) Proprietary methods + (later?) as required for 'isochronous services'. (ATM?). In summary, the major requirement was clearly IP, but the requirement of users in the JANET community for X.25 needed to be catered for, and for the indefinite future. 5. Plans and Developments Higher Speeds (34mbps+) were required internationally. On a national basis, the SuperJANET project was developing services at these speeds and greater to add to the JANET profile of operational Network services and to enhance JIPS. To make JANET more efficient and effective, the 'base' protocol on JANET will change to IP. To cater for X.25, the JNT was seeking ways to run X.25 over IP, and X.25 alongside IP (e.g. using frame relay). 6. SuperJANET 12+ PDH-connected institutions, 4*34mbps. (Later: SDH). 45+ SMDS-connected institutions, 10 mbps, including the above. SuperJANET will provide IP connections at higher speeds to be incorporated within JIPS. There was obvious (e.g. financial) pressure to remove leased lines from institutions connected via SuperJANET. ... and later, there was to be ATM. 7. Special Issues Name Ordering:- There will be an announcement soon of a date after which the official ordering will change to be consistent with the 'international' order. Phil would keep RIPE informed. UK, GB, ISO3166 and all that:- There had been an effort to get ISO3166 changed so that 'UK' replaced 'GB'. This seemed to have failed. Changing from UK to GB should be expected to cause much disruption and inconvenience for users all over the world. RIPE might wish to consider pressing for continued use of 'UK' as the abbreviation for 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' on the global IP Internet. 8. Documents Documents (e.g. 'Network News') can be ordered care of the JANET LIAISON Desk. In particular, there was a Network news 'special issue' on SuperJANET last year. janet-liaison@jnt.ac.uk +44-235-445517 (voice) +44-235-446251 (fax)