Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion Network Communications Framework & Policies (Proposed)

Cornell NYS Agricultural Experiment Station will soon receive new fiber optic connections to high speed networks that are already available on the Ithaca Campus.  These new network connections open doors for a variety of new research opportunities, but before FLNKF participants are allowed access to networks owned or accessed by Infotonics or Cornell University , the initial acceptable use and appropriate security measures must be defined.

Infotonics, Cornell and a variety of Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion (FLNKF) research collaborators do not have access to one another through high speed access owned or accessed by Infotonics or Cornell University .  The Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion Network will define the means by which intercollegiate and other participants may access some portions of Infotonics or Cornell’s restricted high speed research networks.  

The purpose of FLNKF is to stimulate new business generation by increasing the collaboration of scientists and other participants in the agricultural and biotechnology fields.  In order to create economic growth, these participants must be able to communicate efficiently.  If the FLNKF seeks to urge new agricultural and technology businesses to settle in this region there must be a research network by which these businesses can develop and commercialize new technologies.

The Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion Network Communications Framework & Policies will:

•  Harmonize the existing security policies of Infotonics and Cornell University for point to point communications via traditional copper, fiber optic, coaxial cable, wireless (RF & Microwave) or any other media.

• Establish layered acceptable use and security policies for intercollegiate and non-college FLNKF collaborative communications.

• Investigate the kinds of network equipment that will be needed for collegiate and non-collegiate research and educational access following the FLNKF Seed Grant. 

• Investigate the kinds (wired and wireless) of network equipment, sensors, data systems and the appropriate methods of secure access used in collaborative research and educational communications with Cornell and Infotonics.

Infotonics and Cornell have not yet created a joint plan by which research between Cornell University and Infotonics can securely collaborate over high speed networks.  The scope of this grant is to investigate the architecture, acceptable use and security requirements necessary for the creation of a Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion (FLNKF) Research Network.  Once in place, a broad variety of other intercollegiate, research, educational and business organizations will be able to collaborate with Cornell and Infotonics.  Economic and workforce development would be well served by the creation of a collaborative research network between Cornell and Infotonics.

High speed communications will help stimulate new business in the agricultural and food industries.  Food Service Companies may need swift access to Cornell’s food safety experts (and their research capabilities) in the event of the suspected presence of harmful substances in food for humans or animals.  Researchers who need rapid access to the services or laboratories of Cornell or Infotonics should not be hindered by their inability to access vital networks.  Better communication will accelerate collaborative research among organizations and help create greater commercialization opportunities.  Not only will researchers be able communicate with one another, but researchers will be able to communicate with remote sensors and other electronic devices on the Cornell or Infotonics campuses.

Cornell University seeks to ensure that distance is no longer a barrier to information sharing.[i]  As part of that process, Cornell’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station will be connected to the National Lambda Rail (www.nlr.net),[ii] providing unprecedented access to the Geneva Campus.  In addition, Ontario County plans to bring new fiber optic cable to the Geneva Campus and extend those connections to colleges and businesses in Ontario County (including Infotonics, Finger Lakes Community College , Hobart & William Smith Colleges and Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES in Newark ).  Wireless systems will further extend access to the networks.  New wireless networks will provide flexibility, be cost effective and pervasive.

Collaborative researchers and educators can seek greater resources from Cornel and Infotonics, as their high speed connections become more robust. Cornell supports “excellence in research by actively participating in nationwide efforts for enhancing the communication and collaboration environments necessary for scientific and experimental activity.”[iii]  . . .

The FLNKF Network policies will conform to Infotonics and Cornell’s policies and will inform users about compliance with Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) and security policies.  The policies will define layered access to the appropriate portions of Intranets, Extranets and Research & Educational Systems owned or accessed by Infotonics or Cornell University .  The new security policies will follow future advances in Infotonics’ and Cornell’s advances in security and user authentication. 

“ Cornell University pursues a selective “early adopter” strategy for its information technology environment. . . . The faculty pioneers the development and application of technology to conduct world-class research and instruction, and CIT facilitates their work.”[iv]  Some of these high speed research and education networks are:

1. National Lambda Rail;

2. Internet 2;

3. Cornell’s Northeast Lambda Rail;

4. New York State Education and Research Network (NYSERNet);

5. North East Research and Education Network (NEREN);

6. New York State Grid (NYS Grid);

7. Teragrid; and

8. Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure (HOPI). 

Cornell, Infotonics and other users must access these networks through an extremely high performance, and highly resilient security infrastructure.

Both Infotonics and Cornell seek to “enhance worldwide understanding of its teaching and research by delivering the infrastructure (web, video, and [Internet Protocol (IP)] broadcast technologies) essential for message distribution.”[v]  S3GC sees the evolution of high speed regional networks placing universities as traffic aggregators and downstream network providers.  The Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) of these newer high speed networks for educational, research and limited commercial traffic are meant to be less restrictive for intercollegiate and permissive users of the downstream networks.  The FLNKF Network would be downstream of Infotonics and Cornell’s networks.  Colleges, businesses and sensor networks would be downstream from the FLNKF Network.  The final report will outline these derivative relationships.

More organizations will be able to conduct research and educational projects with Cornell and Infotonics when services are available from a variety of choices beyond fiber optics.  Future communications will use a combination of traditional, fiber optic and secure wireless (RF, microwave, cellular, sensors, motes, etc.) communications between Infotonics, Cornell and research and educational users.  The researchers will survey collaborative partners in order to determine their preferences to access to high speed networks via fiber and wireless systems.  The researchers will survey Cornell, Infotonics and vendors to determine various types of appropriate network equipment.

Classrooms of the future and business communications environments will require real-time and distance learning environments.  The appropriate use of an FLNKF Network will lead to significant opportunities for research and course development. The extension of new wireless communications will allow for greater reach across Cornell's 900 acre NYS Agricultural Experiment Station.  Interconnected systems foster collaboration opportunities among the technical, agricultural and biotechnology communities within academia, government and industry. 

Eventually, it may be possible for Infotonics prototype sensors in vineyards owned by Constellation Brands to transmit data directly to researchers at Infotonics and Cornell.  In a separate project, S3GC is proposing a comprehensive Agricultural wireless sensor data network to enable the entire Cornell NYS Agricultural Experiment Station to become a real-time agriculture showcase.  For example, data from wireless enabled sensors monitoring field conditions (crop, soil, weather, water etc.) would be aggregated from the individual crops and fields, passed to wireless motes and communicated to a data center.  From the center, information can be aggregated and analyzed in order to make real-time decisions affecting the Station environment.  Access to high speed networks allows for the collection of comprehensive data from multiple external sources (weather, etc.).  This showcase can demonstrate the future potential for modern farms.  Collaborative partners can access or review this data in the next room, campus, County, State or Country.

[i] The Office of Information Technologies (OIT) / Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) Strategic Plan, 2006-2009,  Cornell Information Technologies: Item 59 – Support Cornell’s Focus on Research http://www.cit.cornell.edu/oit/strategicplan.pdf

[ii] Id. Item 66(j)  - Campus ID Infrastructure

[iii] Id. About OIT and CIT and see http://www.cit.cornell.edu/oit/

[iv] Id. Our Vision