University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Networks & Distributed Computing
2003 All-Hands Meeting
Terry Gray
and friends
14 May 2003
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Preliminaries
• Welcome!
• Kudos for Karen!
• Agenda based on your feedback
(some of you, anyway… only those who
responded are entitled to be disappointed :)
• Insufficient time for all topics; will schedule
add’l meetings on some specific subjects.
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
My Agenda
09:30
10:20
10:30
11:15
11:30
11:50
12:45
13:30
14:15
14:40
15:00
Beam, Stevens, Wright, Richardson, Hata
Break
Gray
Q&A
FISH! Video
Lunch (and maybe Amusement)
Lightfoot
Johnson
Q&A
FISH! Video #2
Adjourn
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Your Agenda
(What you wanted to hear about)
 Budget
 UW and C&C prognosis?
 Why can we afford router upgrades but not salary
increases?
 Trends
 Technical
 Non-technical
 Organization
 What are we doing?
 What will we be doing?
 How are we doing?
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Your Agenda II
Future Meeting Possibilities
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How is C&C doing on the security front?
Security vs. network utility model
State of the PNW-Gigapop
VoIP plans
MyUW.net status
Advanced network diagnostic tools
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Technology Trends
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laptop use (desktops become specialty items?)
wireless
voip and voip + wireless
linux vs. MS licensing
middleware emergence/criticality
convergence in mobile space
pervasive sensor nets
social/collab/augmentation software
wikis, IM, chat, etc
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Info Tech Meta Trends
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Growing EXTERNAL FORCES on IT
Growing COMPLEXITY of IT
Growing DEMAND for IT
Growing DEPENDENCE on IT
Growing THREATS via IT
Growing IMMEDIACY of IT
Growing NETWORK CONVERGENCE??
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Growing EXTERNAL FORCES on IT
 Legislative/Regulatory
 Economic/Budgetary/Actuarial
 Society/Culture
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Greed
Sociopaths, Terrorists
Media
Familiarity: >expectations, >contempt?
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Growing COMPLEXITY of IT
 Technical
 Political/Economic
 Legal/Regulatory
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Growing DEMAND for IT
 More users
 More usage
 More features and services
(pressures to do more stuff, e.g. CA)
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Growing DEPENDENCE on IT
 Life-critical systems (e.g. Cerner/EMR)
 Network, Web, Email, Calendar == oxygen
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Growing THREATS via IT
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from spammers
from immature adolescents
from cyber-terrorists
from complex/critical system bugs
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Growing IMMEDIACY of IT
 Pervasive communications (e.g. embedded
journalists; instant war coverage w/GIS)
 Fast networks = fast attacks (300K hosts in
15min)
 Sensor networks = omnipresent/omniscient
rapid status reporting
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Growing NETWORK CONVERGENCE?
 1988: "Five anti-interoperable networks”
 2003: “Common IP Bearer Service”
 2018: "One Network to Rule Them All" ??
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Computing & Communications
Opportunities
 How might network-enabled immediacy and
pervasive access to information help
transform the way we do business?
 Operations/Project Management
 immediacy: real-time status of systems,
projects, priorities
 Disintermediation
 pervasive/direct client access to info/status,
transactions
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Tensions
 Management: Expectations vs. Budgets
 Eternal triangle: resources, requirements, deadlines
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Security: Prevention vs. Detection
Security vs. Networking
Reliability vs. Complexity (MTBF)
Reliability vs. Simplicity (SPOFs)
Security, Reliability vs. Cost (e.g. isolation)
cf. Converged net vs. separate servers
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Network Convergence
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by technology (data, voice, video)
by constituency (hospital, academic, admin)
by bandwidth/interference risk (R&D net)
by economic model (premium services)
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Motivations
 efficiency/cost
 innovation
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Separation/Isolation at what level?
 Operational Goals:
 by user (identity-based networking)
 by app (e.g. admin vs. research vs. control)
 by tech (voice, video, data)
 Technical Means
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1: physical (fiber)
2: data link (VLAN)
2.5: network (MPLS)
3-4: network/transport (IPSEC)
5: session (SSL,SSH,Kerb)
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Barriers to Net Convergence: RATS
(Regulation, Accounting, Technology, Security)
 Concerns about interference, vulnerability:
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BW contention/interference
DOS interference
Complexity interference (impact on reliability)
Sensitive data vulnerability (exposure,
modification)
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Example of convergence concerns:
Backbone Instability
 slammer
 multicast
 new complexity/new code
(e.g. foundry arp and multicast problems)
 even redundant hardware!
(e.g. BB switch fiber i/f problems)
 QoS? VoIP? IPv6?
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Alternative Network Futures
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Separate nets for different apps
Only port 80, 500 ever open
Packet switching loses to lambda switching
Totally open IPv6 net
NAT everywhere
Firewalls everywhere
DEN+VLANs everywhere
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Security vs. Network Utility Model
 NUM: all ports are equal, ala electric utility
 Easier to diagnose/support
 Encourages innovation
 But: end-point security is insufficient
 Defense in Depth
 Unfixable devices
 Thus: Network Utility Model at risk from
perimeter firewalls
 Claim: NUM survival depends on providing
local open/closed network choice
 Options: P172, DEN+VLANs, ??
(NB: NUM also at risk from bw mgt)
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
C&C (U-N-I) Priorities
 Projects
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Security,
Reliability
DRBR
Middleware
MIS/OIS Tools ??
 Organization
 Improved campus cooperation & communication
 Improved intra-C&C cooperation & communication
 Improved project management skills
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Your Current Challenges
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figuring out organizational layout, philosophy, and direction
so much to do it's hard to determine the next high priority thing
motivating myself when my morale is low
project coordination
unreasonable expectations
dealing with external dependencies on getting things done
facilitating progress on projects for improving core services;
figuring out how to be better prepared for disasters;
improving intragroup cooperation
email inbox management
time management
trying to do more with less
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Your Suggestions for NDC/C&C
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more unity across departments
a clear mandate & encouragement to work together better
collaboration on technologies of common interest
technology focus groups with open membership
client satisfaction surveys
nice if we had the rep of providing "Service with a Smile” ™
areas that could be improved re: cost-cutting and efficiency
better cooperation, coordination, and communication between
C&C groups
 non-monetary compensation
 Hawaiian Shirt Fridays :)
 expunge phrase "doing more with less” from C&C vocabulary
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Dilbert on “Working Smarter”
 http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/dilbert
/archive/dilbert-20030504.html
“Wally, can you teach me to work smarter,
not harder?”
“Walk briskly and pretend to be angry about
what you’re reading…
As a rule, people try to avoid anyone who
has more problems than they do.”
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Management Philosophies
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Management by "Yes, Minister”
Management by FISH!
Management by Deep Change
NDC Core Values
Seeking Serenity in Troubling Times
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Management by "Yes, Minister”
a.k.a. Creative Inertia
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New administration; can't be too hasty.
But is this the right way to achieve it?
Not really the time...
Have tried before; but there are difficulties…
technical, administrative, legal...
 Will need extra staffing.
 Are you sure you can get approval?
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Management by FISH
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Play
Make their day
Be present
Choose your attitude
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Management by Deep Change
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Choice: Deep Change or Slow Death
Changing others requires changing self
"The tyranny of competence”
Transformational management
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
NDC Core Values
 Mutual Respect (Golden Rule)
 Dependability
 DWYSYWD
 Technical Competence
 Relationships & Results over Process
 Design Principles:
 Simplicity, Scalability, Small fault-zones
 HUI: “harmless, useful, indestructible”
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Seeking Serenity in Troubling Times
applying the “harmless, useful, indestructible” idea...
 to Systems
 Applications (GIGO or graceful recovery?)
 Systems (e.g. protected memory)
 Network (e.g. redundant paths)
 to Organizations
 Finding ways to be valuable no matter what
 Choosing to improve what we can
 to Ourselves
 Changing the internal/external dynamic
 Avoiding “victim syndrome”
 What helps you stay above water during storms?
family? vivaldi? gardenias? purpose?
University of Washington
Computing & Communications
Success Metrics
 What should they be?
Q&A