Server: Netscape-Enterprise/2.0a Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 20:56:29 GMT Accept-ranges: bytes Last-modified: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 23:40:56 GMT Content-length: 10882 Content-type: text/html @Home Network

 

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Network Architecture
To overcome the performance limitations of the Internet, @Home Network has developed a high-performance "parallel Internet." While it uses the same underlying protocols to ensure compatibility and seamless access to everything on the Internet, @Home's network architecture is markedly different.

Two key themes in @Home's network strategy are "pushing data closer" and "end-to-end management." To embody the first theme, @Home Network uses a hierarchical, distributed network architecture with proprietary caching and replication technologies to ensure that information a user wants is always "as close as possible" within the network. "End-to-end management" describes @Home's proactive network quality, service and performance management systems. Because the network is centrally managed, @Home can avoid the "finger pointing" that plagues the general Internet, and instead dynamically identify and address network quality, service and performance issues before they ever affect users.

The primary components of @Home's network infrastructure include the ATM backbone, Regional Data Centers (RDCs), Local Caching Servers, Cable Modems and the Network Operations Center.

ATM Backbone
@Home Network operates its own national infrastructure, which connects to the global Internet at multiple Network Access Points (NAPs). The network also has Tier-One peering with other national and regional Internet Service Providers. A high-speed Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) fiber optic backbone connects these access and peering interchange points to @Home Network's RDCs. @Home Network's ATM backbone provides a high performance, cost-effective, scaleable transport mechanism, as well as the capability to extend service to new markets without having to constantly reconfigure the network as it expands. The backbone operates at OC-3 (155Mbps) speeds and can be upgraded to higher speeds.

Regional Data Centers (RDCs)
@Home Network's RDCs act as service hubs for defined geographic areas, such as major metropolitan areas. Key activities at the RDCs include:

    • Delivering @Home Network's online multimedia content and services (including World Wide Web, email, newsgroups and chat) to subscribers
    • Monitoring and proactively managing network performance
    • Multicasting multimedia content and other data streams efficiently throughout the region
    • Replicating and caching media partners' content and applications
    • Providing infrastructure to economically house cable operators' local content and subscribers' web pages

Local Caching Servers
At the next level of the distributed network, local neighborhood points of presence, called headends, are connected to each RDC. Consistent with the goal of pushing data as close to the customer as possible, these headends deploy enhanced proxy servers for caching content. Benefits of using local caching servers to keep data close to the user, include:

    • Major performance improvements since the cache acts as a "dedicated" local server, even for data that originated in the broader Internet
    • Reduction in the amount of data movement in higher layers of the network
    • Far more comprehensive usage statistics than normally attainable on the Internet; these statistics can be used for tuning performance, tailoring the service, and targeting promotions and advertising

Cable Modems
In the home, a cable modem connects to the cable television coaxial wiring and also attaches to the user's Windows or Macintosh computer via a standard Ethernet connection. In the near future, "Internet appliances" and similar devices may provide access. Cable modems are sold by several vendors, including Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, Bay Networks and a number of smaller manufacturers. The speed of the modem depends on the specific model, but generally varies between 10 Mbps and 30 Mbps downstream to the home, and between 768 Kbps and 10 Mbps upstream from the home.

Network Operations Center (NOC)
@Home Network provides end-to-end network management through the NOC. Acting as "mission control," the NOC uses proprietary network management tools and systems to monitor the network 24-hours-per-day, seven-days-a-week; identify and resolve potential issues before they affect the network; and manage performance along the entire path from the content provider to the home computer. From the centralized NOC, @Home can manage multiple RDC locations, local caching servers, and other network infrastructure. @Home's carefully designed, consistent system configuration and management also enable the NOC to provide a high level of overall system security and reliability.

Multiple Delivery Systems
While two-way HFC continues to provide the best medium for broadband service, @Home Network provides multiple solutions to reach customers not serviced by two-way delivery systems. Telco-return systems deliver data via high-speed cable lines while upstream data travel over conventional phone lines. As the vast majority of traffic is downstream, the performance for telco-return users is more than 100 times faster than conventional dial-up services while the information they send, such as key strokes and mouse clicks, travel at analog speeds. In addition, telco-return provides a smooth migration path to a two-way delivery system for cable operators.

@Home's MDU solution enables cable operators to extend the @Home service to large residential complexes without the added expense of providing cable modems for each apartment or unit. Similar in design to a business LAN, information from the @Home Network flows through a regional data center (RDC) to a housing complex via a two-way digital line at T1 speeds or higher depending upon traffic loads. Information is then disseminated through a central high-speed router stored at the complex. From the router information is carried to secure Ethernet 10Base-T hubs in each building. The hubs are connected to single apartments or units by Ethernet wiring and within in each apartment or unit, data ports are installed in convenient locations, such as the den/living room or bedroom, for easy personal computer hook-ups.

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