Editing SURAnet

{{Short description|Early scientific computer network}}
{{more citations needed |date=July 2014}}

'''SURAnet''' was a pioneer in scientific computer networks and one of the regional backbone computer networks that made up the [[National Science Foundation Network]] (NSFNET). Many later Internet communications standards and protocols were developed by SURAnet.
 
==How SURAnet started==
The [[Southeastern Universities Research Association]] was created in December 1980 by scientists and university administrators throughout the southeastern United States, primarily led by the [[University of Virginia]], the [[College of William & Mary]], and the [[University of Maryland, College Park]]. The chief goal of SURA was the development of a [[particle accelerator]] for research in [[nuclear physics]]; this facility is now known as the [[Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility]].<ref name="founding">{{cite web |title=The Founding of CEBAF, 1979 to 1987 |url=http://www.sura.org/programs/docs/FoundingOfCEBAF.pdf |first=Catherine |last=Westfall|authorlink= Catherine Westfall |pages=5–6 |date=September 1994 |accessdate=30 October 2014}}</ref> By the mid-1980s it was clear that access to high-capacity computer resources would be needed to facilitate collaboration among the SURA member institutions. A high-performance network to provide this access was essential, but no single institution could afford to develop such a system. [[Southeastern Universities Research Association|SURA]] itself stepped up to the challenge and, with support from the U.S. [[National Science Foundation]] (NSF) and [[Southeastern Universities Research Association|SURA]] universities, SURAnet was up and running in 1987, and was part of the first phase of [[National Science Foundation Network]] (NSFNET) funding as the agency built a network to facilitate scientific collaboration.<ref name=NSFNET-TheCommunity-Nov2007>[http://www.nsfnet-legacy.org/archives/06--Community.pdf NSFNET: The Community], slide presentation from a panel discussion, [[Doug Gale]] moderator, NSFNET: The Partnership That Changed The World - the NSFNET 20th anniversary celebration, Arlington, VA, 29 November 2007.</ref> SURAnet was one of the first and one of the largest Internet providers in the United States. SURA sites first used a 56&nbsp;kbit/s backbone in 1987 which was upgraded to 1.5M bit/s ([[Digital Signal 1|DS1]]) in 1989, and to a 45&nbsp;Mbit/s ([[Digital Signal 3|DS3]]) backbone in 1991. [[FIX East]] and [[MAE-East]], both major peering points, were located at the main SURA facilities.<ref name=NSFNET-TheCommunity-Nov2007/> Large-scale collaboration among SURA-affiliated scientists became an everyday reality.

==Role of SURAnet in the development of the Internet==
SURAnet participated in the development of Internet communications standards and telecommunications protocols that enabled researchers and federal agencies to communicate and work in this early Internet environment. SURAnet was one of the first NSFNET regional networks to become operational.<ref name=NSFNET-TheCommunity-Nov2007/> SURAnet provided networking services for universities and industry, and was one of the first [[TCP/IP]] networks to sell commercial connections, when IBM Research in [[Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina]] was connected in 1987–1988. It was also the first network to attempt to convert to [[OSPF]] in 1990.<ref>{{cite book |last=Moy |first=John |title=OSPF: Anatomy of an Internet Routing Protocol |date=February 1998 |pages=339 |publisher=Addison-Wesley Professional |edition=1st |url=ftp://ftp.neotelecom.ru/manuals/cisco/Addison-Wesley%20-%20OSPF%20Anatomy%20of%20an%20Internet%20Routing%20Protocol.pdf |ISBN=0-201-63472-4}}</ref>

==Beyond SURAnet==
SURAnet was so successful that it outgrew [[Southeastern Universities Research Association|SURA's]] primary mission, and the [[Southeastern Universities Research Association|SURA]] Board approved its sale to [[BBN Technologies|Bolt, Beranek and Newman]] in 1995.<ref>[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BBN+FINALIZES+AGREEMENT+TO+ACQUIRE+SURAnet+PENDING+GOVERNMENT...-a016644163 "BBN FINALIZES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE SURAnet PENDING GOVERNMENT APPROVAL"], BBN press release, Business Wire, ''The Free Library'', 13 March 1995. Retrieved 25 July 2014.</ref> 
Many of the protocols and procedures created under SURAnet are still in use in the commercial Internet today. [[Southeastern Universities Research Association|SURA]] continues to be a force in the information technology community, participating in projects such as the [[Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment]] (XSEDE),<ref>[https://www.xsede.org/web/guest/overview "Overview"], XSEDE: Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment. Retrieved 25 July 2014.</ref> Earthcube,<ref>[http://earthcube.org/page/about "About"], EarthCube. Retrieved 25 July 2014.</ref> and AtlanticWave.<ref>[http://www.atlanticwave.net/about.html "About"], AtlanticWave. Retrieved 25 July 2014.</ref>

==References==
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{{American research and education networks}}
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[[Category:Computer networking]]