Computer networking technologies for science and education are now actively developing in Moldova. The process of uniting efforts of different scientific and educational organizations on creation of the National scientific-educational networking segment is observed. As the result of this activity AMNET project was started. The objectives and stages of project realization, existing and future network infrastructure, detail program of the network development and project realization financial support are described.
Information, computer and applied networking technologies can be defined as a qualitatively new phenomenon, leading to the revision of the very essence of interrelations among all structures of the society, including individuals. The process of organizing a new medium and of transition to a new social-economic formation named a new information society or global information one has been proceeding.
In spite of the economic difficulties, there is observed an active interest in the development of the networking infrastructure, information technologies and applied telematics in the Moldova. This can be explained by a number of causes:
New Intranet/Internet technologies are actively developed in the scientific and educational spheres. Basic networking and information technologies are elaborated in the Academy of Sciences and leading universities of Moldova.
Initially many scientific and educational organizations in Moldova developed their internal networking segments separately, as independent sub-networks, but soon the real needs of scientific-educational society have required uniting these efforts on elaboration a project of national scientific-educational network in Moldova. The process of organization of collaborated activity passed some stages and the first practical results were obtained in 1996, when the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and the leading Universities proposed an initiative of creation of scientific-educational network "Moldnet". The Moldavian Department of Soros Foundation supported this initiative and practical realization of the project began. The institutions of the Academy of Sciences, of the State and Technical Universities, and also the Academy of Economic Knowledge of Moldova were originally the participants of the project and main users of resources of "Moldnet". Later on many colleges, Lyceums, secondary schools of Kishinev were connected to a "Moldnet". The "Moldnet" project was oriented on the use of high-speed radio-modems connections inside Kishinev. Now the central node of "Moldnet" has connectivity to Internet through the satellite channel with a capacity of 512 Kbps.
The positive experience of "Moldnet" project realization has shown future directions of Moldavian scientific-educational network development. And in 1997 the Academy of sciences of Moldova elaborated a project of development of computer network AMNET (Academy of Sciences of Moldova Network), which is to provide the Academy research institutions with the internal communication, regional information exchange with leading Moldova Universities and the improved access to Internet. The accumulated experience of organization of information systems on the basis of the Internet/Intranet technologies helped to define the strategy aims of the project:
The AMNET project realization will allow:
At the national level:
At the international level:
The project AMNET supplements and expands ideology and basic principles of realization, being the basis of "Moldnet" creation. New project planned to be fulfilled in three stages. At the first stage the main structure of highways for connection of the ASM principle scientific organizations must be realized and more data links to provide an access of scientific and educational institutions of Moldova to Internet must be organized. Joining up of the majority of scientific institutions, faculties and campuses of the leading Universities and other higher educational establishments of Kishinev into network "backbone" on the basis of the existing and additionally created radio channels, high throughput fiber channels and leased telephone lines for remote connections (Fig. 2) is envisaged at the second stage.
The third stage of the project realization provides the expansion of the Academic network on all the territory of Moldova, inclusion of scientific and educational establishments in all large cities of Moldova.
At the beginning of 1999 for closely interrelations between AMNET project participants an association with coordination purposes, which includes the Academy of Sciences and Universities representatives, was established.
At present the AMNET infrastructure consists of (refer to fig. 1):
The detail program of AMNET development for the period up to year 2000 was prepared in the beginning of 1998. Conform this plan AMNET infrastructure will base on a new communication equipment, high speed fiber optic intranet communication links and will cover all Universities of Moldova, increased number of governmental scientific and cultural organizations, and it will be open
for including commercial and non-governmental organizations. All local sub-networks and low-level domains would have at least two connection paths to the AMNET central communication node.
The AMNET development is based on some fundamental principals. All network structure is divided into some independent sub-networks (domains), which can be subdivided into sub-networks of lower levels. On every level of sub-networks division appropriate administration staff exists with its own rights and responsibility. This approach can help to control the network growth and improve network administration procedures.
AMNET central communication node was created and is developing at the Center of Information technologies of ASM. The central communication node is included in Kishinev Internet Service Provider's (ISP) information exchange ring with multi-home Internet connectivity. It permits to utilize Internet access links with the following parameters:
According to the adopted ideology most of the AMNET user's information databases opened for public access will be placed on common use servers located in the Central communication node. SUN Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard equipment is used for this purpose. Sun SPARC Ultra 1 Workgroup servers are defined as the basic information servers, on which the common use Web-sites information databases are allocated. On multi-user servers modern instrumental tool-kits for applied program systems development, Web-sites and databases production are installed.
The continuing development of AMNET databases content will require implementing new ideology for data acquisition and retrieval procedures. The most appropriate solution can be based on creating WWW-servers network in Moldavian Universities and in large ASM's institutes. The main servers will contain only the most often accessed information and also the needed references to other WWW-servers, connected to AMNET network. This proposal can be realized on the basis of architectural solutions, included in the project of AMNET Intranet development.
The increment of a capacity of communication links and communication equipment within the framework of AMNET project will allow applying new modern methods of representation of an information and interaction with information databases. Handle the multimedia applications will become possible, on-line interactions with remote tutoring systems and on-line monitoring of student's knowledge will be organized, the new technologies and applications based on moving objects and also many other modern networking technologies will become available.
Substantial financial investments are required for the development of the Academic scientific - educational network in a Moldova. The interior resources of Moldova do not allow financing in full volume such projects. Its realization is carried out thanks to the support of the international organizations and foundations - UNESCO, NATO, Soros and EURASIA in the framework of their scientific programs. The equipment for basic communication infrastructure and operation of the first high-speed satellite channel for providing AMNET/Internet connectivity was supplied by Soros Foundation within the "Moldnet" project framework. Some sum for purchasing routers, switches, hubs and other communication facilities was founded by Eurasia Foundation. High-performance information multi-user servers were installed by support of NATO Scientific Division.
Due to the support of the NATO Committee on scientific programs preparation works now already in progress for installing a new satellite channel, whish will significantly improve AMNET-Internet connectivity. UNESCO grants for purchasing equipment in order to realize the ASM Intranet segment of AMNET creation project in 1998 were obtained. We hope that cooperation with mentioned international organizations and foundations will be continued and it'll help to fulfill the project realization program in 1999.
Dr. G.Secrieru, The Center of Information Technologies of ASM, 5, Academy str., MD-2028, Kishinev, Moldova; E-mail: secrieru@cc.acad.md
Dr. P.Bogatencov, The Center of Information Technologies of ASM, 5, Academy str., MD-2028, Kishinev, Moldova; E-mail: bogatenc@asm.md