Interfaces Montréal

Network Resonance

Michel Vanier

ceo, Risq

RISQ and the worldwide academic internet: tendencies

The RISQ has been the first network in Quebec to use the TCP/IP protocol and to join newly born Internet around 1989, which was, at the time, part of the Centre de recherche informatique de Montréal (CRIM). Today, RISQ inc. is a non-profit organization which manages the advanced telecommunications network for research and education needs in Quebec. RISQ’s network is interconnected to Canadian network Ca*net 4, to American networks Internet 2 and National Lambda Rail, to European Géant network and to all private networks in the world which constitute the worldwide academic Internet, which pursues its development while being in relation with the commercial Internet.

As the commercial Internet service providers networks accentuate their migration to MPLS and to TCP/IP, it is stimulating to consider in which directions Internet technologies evolve in the academic world and for what specific needs we pursue this next generation Internet development. The presentation will address the question of ROADM optical transportation technology deployment on RISQ’s network and of the actual and foreseen utilisations. On another dimension, some actually question the limitation of RISQ’s mission to the education and research sector only, considering this unique Quebec infrastructure’s potential.

Michel Vanier brings more than twenty years of experience in IT management in the academic sector. He has served in many management positions in IT at the Université de Montréal. He was IT Deputy Managing Director at the Université de Montréal prior to joining (RISQ) RISQ’s General Manager since august 2004, he is also a member of the Conseil d’orientation of the Institut de sécurité de l’information du Québec (ISIQ) and is a member of the Research and Education Networks of Canada.

Reconfigurable Optical Add Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) Node