EARN DIRECTORS: Kurt Bauknecht, Switzerland Paul Bryant, United Kingdom, EARN Technical Director Mats Brunell, Sweden Avi Cohen, Israel Frode Greisen, Denmark Michael Hebgen, Germany, EARN Secretary General Matti Ihamuotila, Finland Jean-Claude Ippolito, France, EARN Treasurer Dennis Jennings, Ireland, EARN President Arne Laukholm, Norway David Lord, CERN, EARN Vice-President O. Manas, Turkey Kees Neggers, Netherlands Jean Nuyens, Belgium S. Orphanoudakis, Greece Charles Sola, Spain Stefano Trumpy, Italy, EARN CEPT liaison EARN HEADQUARTERS: Joe Chester, Ireland, Assistant to the EARN President GUESTS: Alain Auroux, IBM Europe Herb Budd, IBM Europe Thedi Hatt, Switzerland Bernd Kirchner, IBM Germany S. Norve, Norway Mr. Seres, IBM France Marco Somani, Italy Jim Staton, IBM Germany OBSERVERS: Jan Clausen, CEPT Nick Newman, CEC ABSENT: Austria, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Iceland
Dennis Jennings, chairman, opened the meeting, welcoming all participants.
The minutes were approved and will be put onto NETSERV by Michael Heb-gen.
Michael Hebgen described the situation in Germany where the German PTT (DBF) is going to introduce volume dependent tariffs on the international EARN links.
Kurt Bauknecht proposed that a very important PTT press campaign be made and a letter be sent to rectors of universities of all countries.
Decision: A letter from the EARN President will be sent to DBP and other PTTs of these countries where there is a volume charging threaten. If the volume charging is introduced and imposed, the EARN Board of Directors expects unforeseeable consequences and has to refuse.
A press campaign will be considered if necessary.
To continue the liaison with the CEPT Stefano Trumpy will arrange a meeting.
The chairman suggested some changes in the agenda which were approved.
David Lord explained the proposal and mentioned the following points:
Decision:
Most countries have either an agreement for 1988 funding or are at least confident to get it.
It was agreed that a detailed discussion on future (after 1988) cost calculation and distribution is needed. Some countries like Denmark and Germany recommended usage dependent cost distribution.
Information items:
Coach to IBM La Gaude for lunch and further discussions.
Paul Bryant presented the EARN migration strategy (paper PB351) developed by a group of 6 people over many months and agreed at the recent EARN Technical Meeting in Crete in Spring 1987.
Etienne Gorog, Director of the IBM European Telecommunication Center, and Henri Vidil, Manager of the IBM OSI Competence Center, welcomed the EARN Board of Directors and gave a short introduction in IBM's OSI position and the following IBM presentations:
Afterwards Paul Bryant gave a short presentation on an example of X.25 hardware switches as an alternative to the IBM XI product which is a X.25 software switch.
The EARN Board of Directors had a detailed discussion on
(see also the following point)
EARN has to ensure that for technical and political reasons, current services continue and that the migration should be carefully phased so that the current services are not disturbed. The migration plan should be developed and implemented together with EARN experts from the many countries and RARE.
All the countries should provide comments on the general strategy by July 1, 1987, to the chairman. Paul Bryant will incorporate the comments and then circulate the summary for approval. The EARN Technical Group should present a detailed plan for the next EARN Board of Directors meeting.
No objection from the Board for the continuation on the experiments on X.400 products.
The following plans for topology changes will be submitted to the EARN Executive Committee for decision at the next meeting:
EARN87 Meeting is cancelled. Joe Chester will inform Prof. Schulz and Dr. Paul in Austria. The proposal to hold an EARN88 meeting in Turkey (Izmir) is accepted. 0. Manaz will setup a programm committee.
The next Board of Directors Meeting will be held in Paris, November 19 and 20, 1987.
The last meeting was held in Heraklion, Greece, on migration strategy and improvements in services (LISTSERV e.g.).
The X.400 product report was delayed due to technical changes (IBM S/l -> IBM 3725).
Information on
The chairman attended the RARE COA (Council of Administration) and the RARE Network Meeting. He explained that EARN is seen positively and that there seems to be a strong feeling of cooperation between RARE, who plans the future (OSI Academic network provider) and EARN (provider of international services).
Dennis Jennings and Paul Bryant will investigate how EARN can contribute to RARE and COSINE activities.
Today EARN has a clear and simple budget. The initial $90K from IBM came now to a $65K balance with expenses just for travelling of the EARN Executive Committee and for EARN Technical Meetings.
In progressing to more formal budgets
EARN is encouraged to expect an invitation from CEPT to meet in Copenhagen in June/July 87 with the President and Vice-President of CEPT/CAC.
Dennis Jennings explained his view on what is the EARN vision of future networking for the European academic community. The initial discussion will continue using the network.
Earn has inquires from Algeria, Cyprus, Yugoslavia and Italy in the framework of WORLD LABORATORY on behalf of the Russian Academy of Science. EARN will provide information and expects formal requests.
In case of Associate Membership some documentation is awaited from EDS, Oxford Instruments and ECMWF, the European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting.
The President will discuss expediting the membership application procedure with the EARN Membership Committee, through which any application must come which is not clearly an academic institution.
EARN operating procedures should be setup if and when they are needed. It was agreed that procedures for
are to be discussed at the next EARN Executive Committee meeting.
Dennis Jennings gave a brief summary on the BITNET network:
The question of taking portion of funding the transatlantic link because of the importance of EARN was answered by BITNET "Not yet, but maybe in the future".
Matti Ihamuotila raised the question of coordination of the X.400 pilot projects between EARN and RARE. It was agreed to bridge related mailing lists and to assign formal liaison if needed or appropriate.
