IHEP-SLAC Networking
China Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) established its own Local
Area Network (LAN) supporting DECnet in 1988 and became a user of CNPAC
in 1990.
Due to the physics collobration between IHEP and Stanford Linear
Accelerator Center (SLAC), the first direct international 64 Kbps leased
line in China via AT&T satellite was established to SLAC in March, 1993.
The US Department of Commerence ( DoC) restricted this first China
connection to SLAC only. IHEP users can send e-mail to people all over
the world, but can only transfer files and connect to SLAC machines.
In 1993, IHEP local area network supported both TCP/IP and DECnet;
Only DECnet ran on this lease line to the outside world.
At the end of 1993, IHEP got the final permission of removing the
restrication and full access to ESnet partion of the US Internet,
in the meantime, IHEP received the approval via DoE to get the first CISCO
in China in Feb, 1994. ESnet and IHEP are working on the new network
configuration of IHEP since Feburary, 1994. TCP/IP routing between IHEP
and the full ESnet began on April 25th, 1994.More software has been
installed ( like WWW) and more network service will be provided.
Dr. Rongsheng XU, director of Computer Center of IHEP, has opened
accounts for more than 300 top scientists in different research areas
in China so that they can exchange e-mail with outside world, obtain
preprints... at home via modem and phone line or via CHINAPAC.
In the summer of 1994 when BTA accomplishs the fiber optic between
Beijing and Shanghai, the IHEP - SLAC network link will be changed
from satellite to fiber optic physical link from Beijing to Shanghai,
to Tokyo, to US, which is more stable and easier for the future upgrading.
IHEP has an intention to upgrade the link rate to 128 kbps and establish
video conferencing on the Internet; In the meantime, IHEP continues to
set up its scientific information database for Chinese scientists.
IHEP has gained the support from National Science Fundation of China ( NSFC)
for the future network development and some institutes have planed to connect
their LAN to IHEP network directly.