EARN DIRECTORS: Jose Barbera, Spain (deputising Arturo Ribagor-da on November 19, observer for IRIS on November 20) Kurt Bauknecht, Switzerland Paul Bryant, U.K., EARN Technical Director Birgitta Carlson, Sweden Avi Cohen, Israel Rene Florizoone, Belgium Frode Greisen, Denmark Michael Hebgen, Germany, EARN General Secretary Matti Ihamuotila, Finland Jean-Claude Ippolito, France, EARN Treasurer Dennis Jennings, Ireland, EARN President David Lord, CERN, EARN Vice-President Oguz Manas, Turkey Kees Neggers, Netherlands Stelios Orphanoudakis, Greece Arturo Ribagorda, Spain M. Salami, Algeria Stefano Trumpy, Italy EARN STAFF: Alain Auroux, Manager, Paris Office Joe Chester, Executive Assistant, Dublin Office Ann Hovenden, Secretary, Dublin Office OBSERVERS: Colin Allen, Digital (Europe) Mats Brunell, NORDUNET Herb Budd, IBM (Europe) Thedi Hatt, SWITCH Odd Jorgensen, Digital (Europe) Boudewijn Nederkoorn, SURFNET Nicholas Newman, CEC Philippe Salzedo, REUNIR Ian Smith, JANET Peter Tindemans, COSINE Klaus Ullmann, DFN & RARE ABSENT: Austria, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Norway, Portugal
References relate to the papers in the briefing document and supplemental papers for this meeting. Agenda items are numbered in a unique way to enable definite references.
Dennis Jennings, chairman, opened the meeting, welcoming all participants. He summarized major activities of the EARN Executive Committee (EXEC) since the last BOD meeting.
The EARN BOD formally thanked IBM Europe for the initiative and support of EARN in the past 4 years including a grant of 250.000 ECU for the management of EARN.
The chairman suggested a schedule for this and future BOD meetings
and some changes, additions and rearrangements in the agenda which were approved.
The minutes were presented by Michael Hebgen and with minor changes on page 1 approved. The BOD requested to speed up the distribution process for the minutes.
Matters arising: The closure of the ARPANET gatway at WISCVM and a letter to the Belgium PTT will be discussed under related topics.
The above was adopted as a policy statement by the EARN Board of Directors.
The EARN EXEC should develop an implementation plan to be presented at the next EARN BOD meeting; statements of interest for this task force came from Dennis Jennings, Paul Bryant, Kees Neggers and Birgitta Carlson. The EARN EXEC received the approval to move ahead with some details when applicable in anticipation of the plan with information of the EARN BOD.
Paul Bryant mentioned the report of the last EARN Technical meeting in Perugia which is available via NETSERV (3 documents). Dennis Jennings mentioned the next EARN Technical meeting in Lisbon where details of the operation of the exi-siting and future network are to be discussed.
The management report by the EARN BOD. presented by Dennis Jennings was accepted.
Michael Hebgen presented and the EARN BOD adopted the following operating procedures:
The EARN BOD nominated Michael Hebgen for chairman and Avi Cohen, Frode Greisen and Stelios Orphanoudakis for members of the Operating Procedures Group, which will deal with further suggested points for electronic voting procedure.
Dennis Jennings encouraged each EARN BOD member to enforce country distribution of press releases, to tailor them to local usage and to help the EARN Dublin office with country addresses. Press releases will be distributed immediately to the EARN BOD either on paper or electronically.
Ann Hovenden reminded December 1st as the deadline for the country report to enable publication in January 1988.
Joe Chester presented these medium to long term considerations which are an attempt to define the goals and what EARN is and will be. EARN tries to find commonality and enhancements of user needs like infrastructure, services, connectivity and cooperation - no extend of the physical network is mentioned.
After a controversary discussion it was stated, that this paper is a DRAFT and all participants are invited to comment. The observers are asked not to distribute this draft.
Dennis Jennings reported on activities of the EARN EXEC like negotiations with the German PTT, planned meeting with the CEPT and with the CEC. He also gave an update of the Belgium situation. Michael Hebgen gave a German update on volume charging and actual activities especially in the scientific area.
The EARN BOD agreed on actions to continue to seek elimination in cooperation with other organisations. All activities must be coordinated with the EARN country Director.
The electronic votes printed on page 42 were corrected and together with Luxembourg 4 new countries were elected:
In the case of Hungary the EARN EXEC has decided to go to the EARN BOD with the received application request because of a "COCOM proscribed country". The EARN BOD wishes Hungary to be a member of EARN and instructs Dennis Jennings together with Stefano Trumpy to clarify the situation, to setup a draft and to inform the EARN BOD.
Dennis Jennings gave a short report an the NSF plans and the ARPANET gateway situation. The node WISCVM closes the gateway end of this year and BITNET has planned 7 regional gateways to ARPA/NSF to be available in January 1988.
Stefano Trumpy stated that EARN cannot use the Italian gateway to ARPANET because UK is formally opposing any European non-Italian traffic.
He also described the ASTRO project and will arrange a presentation and demonstration during EARN88.
Alain Auroux explained the reasons for the topology changes which are volume tariffs in Germany, traffic and migration aspects.
After a lengthy discussion of different options and opportunities the EARN BOD agreed on an interim minimal change topology within the constraint of the funding model "each country pays for one international line". The votes were 14 for, 1 against and 1 abstain. The agreed topology, funding and share of the transatlantic link is listed in the appendices A and B.
Paul Bryant presented the proposed draft agenda for the next Technical Meeting in Lisbon which was distributed before the meeting over EARN. This meeting is focussing on several issues of management of the EARN network. The EARN BOD amended the following topics to the agenda:
The EARN BOD gave a vote of thank to Berthold Pasch who has done an excellent job in NETSERV development and European country coordination.
The minutes of the closed session are listed in a separate appendix C.
Oguz Manas gave an overview of the status and planning for conference EARN88. The EARN BOD approved the programme and voted for focusing on 1 or 2 themes like european infrastructure, Internetworking or migration.
The next EARN BOD meeting is scheduled for April 21 and 22, 1988, following the EARN88 conference in Izmir, Turkey.
The reports from Dennis Jennings and Joe Chester on a wide range of activities was adopted by the EARN BOD and approval was given for continuing discussion.
A letter from SWITCH was presented by Kurt Bauknecht and noted by the EARN BOD.
EARN Topology - as decided during the EARN Board, 19/20 November, based on minimum changes due to the German situation.
List of international lines - Country A pays the line A-B
A B Austria Switzerland Belgium France Denmark Sweden Finland Sweden France Switzerland Germany France (64 Kb) Greece France Iceland Sweden Switched line Ireland U.K. Israel France Italy France Ivory Coast France Netherlands France Norway Sweden Portugal Spain Spain France Sweden Germany Switzerland Germany Turkey France U. K. Switzerland
The cost of the intercontinental line Montpellier - CUNY is shared by all above countries
Format corrupted to make it unusable. Gave contributions of each member to the cost of the transatlantic line.
On the 2nd day a closed session only for EARN BOD members and EARN staff was scheduled.
Stefano Trumpy informed the EARN BOD about a planned meeting with the CEPT on December 15, 1987, in Copenhagen, an EARN only meeting at the beginning followed by a broader meeting with other parties. He also mentioned a remarkable result of COSINE discussions that one of the possible infrastructures in Europe is a private leased line X.25 network like EARN.
Jean-Claude Ippolito presented and explained the auditors report from Fiduciaire de France for 1985, 1986 and 1987, up to October 19.
The EARN BOD formally noted the report and decided that approval for 1985, 1986 and 1987 - when closed - is subject to a final statement that the EARN associations book keeping is examined and correct.
The auditors report must be itemized at least with the same headings as in the budget proposal on a year and quarter year basis - quarter year starting with 1987. A presentation of the actual and planned budget should be given each half year in advance to the EARN BOD meeting.
The EARN BOD also requested a report on the obligations, duties and responsibilities of an EARN BOD member under the French law of the EARN association.
Jean-Claude Ippolito presented a budget proposal from July 1987 to June 1989. Kurt Bauknecht stated that he is dissatisfied with the EARN Executive Committee and he requested alter native budgets for the next 5 years to be prepared; the request was seconded by Frode Greisen and Avi Cohen.
After a lengthy and controversary discussion the EARN BOD took the following motion:
The EARN EXEC should prepare a financial plan for the next five years (starting in July 1987) taking into account the following factors:
This plan will be circulated to the EARN BOD members in the first half of February 1988 for comments.
Distribution of the consequential contributions will be shown using the same keys as for the transatlantic link.
