OARnet

The Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet) is the technology infrastructure and operations arm of the Ohio Board of Regents and provides a slate of network services and access to its member institutions.

OARnet, a technology initiative of the Ohio Board of Regents, was created by the Ohio General Assembly in 1987 to provide Ohio researchers with network connectivity to the resources of the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC). It was recognized at the time that the network would serve a much broader audience, so when a network name was selected in early 1988, OARnet was chosen to emphasize the many uses of the network.

The OARnet leaders, with various titles, have been

Russell Pitzer 1987-1988

Alison Brown 1988-1994

John Ritter 1995

Larry Buell 1996-1997

Douglas Gale 1998-2002

Alvin Stutz 2002-2005

Pankaj Shah 2005-

The initial plan (1987) was to make use of a number of existing Bitnet and CCnet (regional DECnet network) connections to get started. Three network (compatible) protocols were used, NJE, DECnet, and TCP/IP. The first OARnet-funded line was installed between Case Western Reserve University and John Carroll University in June 1987. Many subsequent lines at 9.6 kbit/s, 56 kbit/s, and T1 (1.544 Mbit/s) were installed with the aid of an Ohio Department of Administrative Services contract with Litel Corp. Internet (then NSFnet) connections were obtained in the spring of 1988. The non-TCP/IP protocols were soon phased out, and a process of upgrading connections took place regularly.

In 1991, it was decided that OARnet would accept commercial business, at appropriate rates, for Internet connection services. Thus OARnet became one of the first internet service providers (ISPs) in Ohio. After commercial ISPs entered the business extensively, OARnet stopped seeking new commercial accounts.

A very large increase in backbone capacity occurred (planning 2000-2002, installation 2003-2004) when it became possible to lease optical fiber lines themselves ("dark fiber"). A new network backbone of 1,850 miles was installed at much higher capacity and the eTech Ohio Commission and the Ohio Department of Education joined in funding and using OARnet.

Today, OARnet provides members with virtualization and cloud computing solutions, advanced videoconferencing, intrastate networking, connections to regional and international research networks and the commodity Internet, colocation services and emergency web-hosting.

Thus the OARnet network (known for a time as OSCnet and, earlier, Third Frontier Network) is a dedicated, statewide, high-speed fiber-optic network that serves Ohio K-12 schools, college and university campuses, academic medical centers, public broadcasting stations and state and local governments. OARnet is considered one of the most advanced statewide telecommunications networks dedicated to research, education and economic competitiveness in the nation.

OARnet is connected in Cleveland to Internet2, the United State’s most advanced nationwide research and education network. OARnet also maintains direct connections to New York's NYSERNet, Michigan's MERIT network, and OmniPoP in Chicago.

External links

• OARnet website
• OARnet Network Map