Internet2 Applications: Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are "Internet2 Applications"?

A. These are applications that can make a difference in how we engage in teaching, learning, and research in higher education. Internet2 applications require advanced networks, that is, these applications will not run across commercial Internet connections. Internet2 applications require enhanced networking functionality—such as high bandwidth, low latency (delay), or multicast—not available on our commercial Internet connections.

Q. What disciplines do these applications focus on?

A. Internet2 is about everything we do in higher education. Therefore, we encourage and support applications development in all disciplines from the sciences through arts and humanities. Whether you're in the classroom, the laboratory, the library, or the dorm, you should be able to access Internet applications that provide benefit.

Q.  How do I find out what other applications developers are doing?

A.  Check out the applications we highlight on the Internet2 Applications web site. For a more comprehensive collection of illustrative applications, check out the Advanced Applications Database maintained by the National Laboratory for Applied Network Research. Also, Pace University provides the Base2 System, a web-based application that contains information about advanced software applications running over high speed research networks in North America. Base2 also stores contact information relating to these projects.

Q.  Where can I get funding for developing applications?

A.  Many universities provide local support for Internet2 applications development. But, the primary source of advanced applications funding is the Federal Government. Federal agencies and departments, most notably NSF, NASA, the Department of Defense (DARPA), the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health and the National Endowment for the Arts, provide millions of dollars in research funding each year directly to Internet2 member universities. Those grants support research in applications and technology that can take advantage of Internet2 networks. Details on those funding opportunities can be found at Federal agency and department web sites.
 

Q.  What's the "killer app" for Internet2?

A.  The fun thing about participating in Internet2 is working with all the creative minds who are working to create the next generation of applications. But, there's no way to tell what the "killer app," if any, might be. Instead, we like to describe four killer attributes that you'll find in the most compelling applications. The first is interactive collaboration environments, where you can truly interact with others without the barriers of distance. The second is to provide common access to remote resources, such as telescopes and microscopes. The third is using the network as a "backplane" to build network-wide computation and data services, such as those under development in the Grid. The fourth attribute is displaying information through virtual reality environments—moving from static graphics and images to real-time, three-dimensional animations. The area that will provide the widest benefit and largest aggregate use of the Internet2 network capacity is digital video. Video-based applications cover everything from videoconferencing to on-demand content to remote control of microscopes and other instruments.
 

Q.  I just tried running my application over our university's Internet2 connection and it ran more slowly than before, not faster. What's wrong?

A.  You have run into one of the major problems with our current workstation operating systems; they're tuned to run in a highly congested network environment. So, paradoxically, applications such as FTP (file transfer protocol) may run more slowly across Internet2 networks than they did before. Thus, your operating system and applications need to be tuned to take advantage of Internet2 environments. The Internet2 End-to-End Performance Initiative addresses performance issues for applications developers and users. For help with your specific application, you can also contact the Distributed Applications Support Team (DAST) of the National Laboratory for Advanced Network Research (NLANR).

Q.  What if my colleagues are faculty at universities outside the U.S.? Can I still use Internet2 networks to build applications?