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Home My WebLink About1996-10-31-CAC-rpt.pdf NOV 12 '96 9:24AM RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISORY C +1 617 860 9604 P 3 Report to the Lexington Board of Selectmen on The Future of the Institutional Network Presented by the Cable TV and Communications Advisory Committee October 31, 1996 What the I-Net is • I-Net is both a set of physical cables and attachment units, and a set of services supporting Town agencies(administration, schools, library) • Physically, ft is -e can xial*able backbone with a capacity of approximately 40 Ty channels -approximately 20 bridges and mutant,which connect Town building computer n.tworks to the backbone • Current services include -transfer of business this between Town offices -transfer of schoopl brary-praduaed TV programs - delivery of Internet services to Town buik0ngs COM Cam 22•112 112•120 r.wwSOWN 2 Page 1 NOV 12 '96 9:24AM RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISORY C +1 617 860 9604 P 4 What it does for the Town • Allows remote use of distributed data processing resources, and shared access to distributed database Information • Brings remote Information(Internet, television) to Town employees, schoolchildren and other citizens(limited—at Library, Senior Center) Provides library/research services to schools and supports School-Town library information exchange • Facilitates Remote(Interactive) Learning,for sick children and exchanges with other schools • Promotes efficient use of limited resources, and allows development of systems which would otherwise tea inenctical A Valuable Resource • I-Net represents an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars • Backbone cable and cable drops to buildings are Cablevision-owned, use supplied free of charge to Town as condition of license. Value estimated as $300,000 • Bridges and routers,connecting cable to internal building networks, are owned by Lexington. Approximately 20, value estimated as$100,000 4M..M1.IMMIM,btbed .. ars t Page 2 NOV 12 '96 9:25AM RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISORY C +1 617 860 9604 P 5 { Risk of Loss • Since key elements of i-Net are owned by cable company, its future is not fully under our control. Risks include —Cable license not renewed,company and Town unable to agree on reaonabla cost for I-Net*tibias — New supplier of cable TV comae to Town,doss not need public rights of way,so makes no in-kind payment to Town. Company requests level playing field" adjuetmentto license,no longer haste nrintain I-NM. —Town needs new services,current I-Nat cable inadequate, company has no requirement to upgrade '+b•u.•wmw"g11n MRw,n./07Ve .t Cost to Town of I-Net Loss Financial Example Network connection between the School Administration Building and the Town Hall Finance Department has eliminated much duplication of data entry as well as incorrect account information • Although It is difficult to measure the time and cost of having information available at all times for inquiry and validation,we can give an estimate of time saved/ lost each week in processing school accounts payable. • Should the network be unavailable it would probably cost School Accounting personnel at least one or two days work, and the Town Accounting staff another two days work,for duplicate entry of purchase orders and,i iiia ayafala.,, . Page 3 NOV 12 '96 9:26AM RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISORY C +1 617 860 9604 P 7 Cost to Town of I-Net Loss (2) School Administration Example • Loss of the network would have the most impact at the High School where both daily attendance tracking and grade record keeping are dependent on local(in or near the classroom)data entry - Approximately 8 house secretaries enter daily attendance data from their offices. Lack of a network connection would cost each of them an hour/day traveling to the computer center to enter data • impact on grade and progress report data entry would be similar, but more difficult to manage due to the much larger number of people who enter data(all teachers) wao•neirr.nrr.r.,e•.v r Additional Requirements • Several potential services, making use of the I-Net, have been identified. These include • Cost reduction ideas -Managing(sensing and control)utility use In Town buildings and tights from a single site — Remotely reading water meters —Providing municipal telephone services • Resident Services — Allowing residents to steers Town database*from their homes,across the residential system —Allowing residents expanded ascan to Intense srview from fixed sites(librsriss,schools, 4 L1N•Q-•Atlw11A1braY•A'G Ifl Page 4 NOV 12 '96 9:26AM RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ALVISORY C +1 617 860 9604 P 9 Reducing the Risk • The Town should be looking at ways to reduce I-Net risk and increase its capabilities • A way to do both is to reduce our dependence on the cable company by controlling our own transmission system I-Net Improvements - We have identified interim and long-term approaches for upgrading the physical plant, but analyses of practicality and tradeoffs of competing approaches must be made • Town should look at cooperative opportunities with suppliers of communication and networking services who use our rights-of-way o we C-iMi•Mpwl I.idelow,1014110 10 Page 5 NOV 12 '96 9 26AN RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISOR`! C +1 617 860 9604 P 10 Need to Plan Now Lack of prior planning/scheduling results in • Loss of opportunity—inability to specify what's needed if/when cooperative/ demonstration opportunity is found • Cost/risk of hasty decisions if current I-Net service suddenly lost GIII.O,ntl11M1YYtb!/,p.,..tY0Y1f 11 Opportunity/Uncertainty • An alphabet-soup of relevant technologies are becoming available - ATM,f30NET,ADSL • Many major communications/entertainment/ utility companies and partnerships have announced new Internet and cable services • A variety of communications media have been proposed to carry these services —Coaxial cable,optical fiber,telephone cable,radio, aeteiihe,. • But there is great uncertainty about which combinations will be successful(probably a small number) 12 Page 6 NOV 12 '96 9:27Ai1 RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISORY C +1 617 860 9604 P 11 Interim Approach • We recommend analyzing Town intersite traffic patterns to understand -paths with the highest date volumes - paths(tarrying business-crtticd data(must get through) - paths carrying timsserwittve data(must not be delayed) - paths meeting other where'of importance • Consider implementing direct, reliable finks for these paths as a low-cost way to significantly improve service for these important types of data transmission • Possibilities include ISDN,fiber,wireless • New links provide priority data paths, backup, opportunity to load-share oal.pw.YMs....0 l.-•4.MMs n Limiting Out-of-Pocket Costs • Current and future communications providers need Town right-of-way access or other benefits from the Town. There is a practice of paying"Incommode' fees to Lexington in recognition of these benefits. • These fees are paid either In cash or in kind. In the past, a common payment has been in the form of sidewalk construction. • We recommend negotiating with these providers for communication capacity(e.g., use of spare fibers in an optical fiber cable, an attractive physical medium for the foreseeable future) CMOs-i1b.RfltY1iNM1 1 ,. Page 7 NOV 12 '96 9:E7RM RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISORY C +1 617 B60 9504 P 12 Minimal Investment Approach timed on Initial looks et the diagrams of I-Net cabling end record commercial fiber-optic cable Installations(TCG and MFBfMcCourt),spare tibias on much commercial systems ear provide e significant fraction of the connectivity needed to replace the current Mast. Combining fiber geyserite from commercial systems with any key data paths lmpkmwrMd ss pet of the Interim solution might significantly reduce the cost of a complete modernization of the Met cabling. Use of a phased approach also allows spreading upgrade coat ova'a number of years. I-Net Management Modernization of the Wet require,strong, focused management on all phase,of Me project -aeei.w.nde ar%esUnooa%meta da'of naw services) c r.ra iR i unary urradhe maim and icor tarn app .dewAbed Ntble doaenee) -deign,keplrrnwwlon a.rteethes • The main focus of the current cooperative I- Net managing GMT(The LINK steering committee)Is on keeping the current system operating and on near-term maintenance and Page 8 sans puemon a. ..ra..MIIIMIneW Work with George Woodbury to explore ways to gat nstrretkarg links through vendor cooperadonlswvlca t$sls Work with LINK steering committee to Identify Important amiss priorities As requested: -Support eeleation R.aa b r NAnak aueaga -Provide revive at wry oonn tte t orrice* Develop network management policy Page 9 -, �,wr, i eve,,.,.+.+.. ...-. _ _ V 12 '% 9 28RM RECRERTIONRL 50FTWRRE RDVI90RY C +1 617 860 9604 P 13 P 2 r_ 1- 60-285 , Selectmen's Meeting ti April 16, 1996 j •.r A regular meeting of the Dowd of Selectmen was held on Tuesday,April 16, 1996 in the Selectmen's Meeting Room.Town Office Budding at 7:30 p.m. Chairmen McSweeney,Mr. pu7ey,Mr.Rua Mn.Eddison;Mr.Cohen,Town Counsel;Mr. White, Town Manager;and Ms. Smith,Executive Clerk,were present. Ola,III License Upon motion duly made and seconded,it was voted to approve the application and issue a Gass Ill License to Lanz Scott Johnson of 90 Emerson Gardens Road for the purpose of buying and idling used cars for immediate resale. Auctioneer's UCe1Ise Upon motion duly made and seconded,it wee voted to approve the Application and issue an Auctioneer's License to Newton Oriental Rap for Saturday,Tune 15, 1996 at the National Guard Armory. ... M .•eu i.r.n' �: : . i rat • . Ted Mairson of the CATV and Communications Advisory Committee presented a statement of the Committee In support of a$45,000 request fbr a new position of manager of the Town-wide artwork The request was in the FYI997 budget;however,it has been cut. Mr.Mairson emphasized the teeommeadationa of the CATV and Cotmnunications Advisory Committee and stated the the position is Critical to&cure Internet operations and use of the institutional table. Caleb Warner,former member of the CATV Committee propoacd a resolution be made to study the future management end operation of the Town-wide information handling sown and that it be looked at by the CATV Committee and reported back to the Selectmen by September or October. ---,31 Mr.Dailey recommended adopting the resolution. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to adopt a resolution that the matter of the study of future management and operation of the Town-wide information handling arrant should be looked at by die Cable Advisory Committee, with a goal of reporting back to the Selectmen by October 1, 1996. The knowledge of the problems exist in two attiring bodies: the official Cable TV 4 Communications Advisory Committee and the unofficial LINK(Lexington Information .. Network)Committee which has strong input from vendors,schools, industry.citizens,and the Cable Committee. Knowledge exists,but direction has not yet been heard from the Selectmen as to where it is alt going and what would be the solution fir the Town. II v-,�.-naso 4LM..1 rnum t.rra IVIg11V urn r,.r n, inn,�nuai NOV 12 '96 9128RM RECRERTIONRL SOFTWRRE RDVISORY C +1 617 860 9604 P 14v Proposal for Lexington Data Network Upgrade The Cable TV and Communications Advisory Committee recommends the Board of Selectmen approve the allocation of$13,440 from the funds provided by Cablevision under Section U.S of the renewal license for the upgrade of the I-net data network. L Current Status—Lexington data network A Network consists of 8 LanCity routers, 14 LanCity Bridges and head-end translator B. Current equipment is 2nd generation LanCity hardware, and is no longer available for purchase. Expansion of current network is not possible! C. Current hardware Is not self adjusting. Installation requires Cablevision assistance. D. Minuteman Tech has requested to be included in Lexington's network at their expense including share of Internet access foes and upgrade costs. IL LanCity third generation hardware A More flexibility in offerings-personal,workgroup and LAN sized devices.This makes it cheaper to expand than with current hardware. B. Plug and play installation. Does not require Cablevision support. C. More robust design including automatic adjustment for transmit levels and channel effects. This reduces maintenance requirements. D. Requires new hardware support at head-end Ill. Proposal— Lexington incrementally upgrades to third generation hardware utilizing a second set of channels,linked at the head-end to the existing network. Specifics include: A LanCity will provide deep discounts on trade-in of existing equipment. B. School Department budget will fund the necessary head-end hardware and software from reductions in current year maintenance costs resulting iron the upgrade. Minuteman Tech will also contribute.Total: $3584 C. Funds from Cablevision license fund replacement of 13 LanCity bridges and purchase of cable modem. Total; $13,440 A Routers will be replaced at a later date after School Department obtains replacement routing capabilities a