Current Network Providers

  The University of Florida's (UF) current networking services are provided by a complex of several major service providers tied to many limited-mission systems.  These systems, in turn, have a gateway to outside services such as FIRN and SURANET, the regional Internet provider.

The major providers are, in alphabetical order:

  HEALTHNET -- a coalition among units of the Health Science Center whose mission is to build and operate a high-performance communication network for the HSC faculty, students, clients, and patients.  HEALTHNET provides networking services to the J. Hillis Miller Health Center including Shands Teaching Hospital; the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Related Professions; and associated clinical operations statewide.  It operates a Metropolitan Area Network in Gainesville, provides its own backbone and wiring services (including telephone station and riser cabling), and provides network infrastructure to the desktop for its clients. HEALTHNET utilizes UFNET for connections to the rest of the campus.  HEALTHNET operates through the Vice President for Health Affairs.

  ICON -- IFAS Computer Network -- provides computing resources and statewide data communications to support the faculty, staff, and students of the Institutute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).  ICON provides networking services for IFAS' on-campus facilities, has an extensive on-campus presence, and uses FIRN to provide services to extension agents and research centers through a Wide-Area Network (WAN) to all 67 counties statewide.  ICON utilizes the Northeast Regional Data Center (NERDC) for connection to the Internet, the UFNET backbone, and Network Services for many of its inter-building connections.  ICON operates through the Office of the Vice President for Agricultural Affairs.

  NERDC -- Northeast Regional Data Center -- also provides networking services to the University community.  NERDC provides the campus gateway to Florida Information Resource Network (FIRN), the Internet, BITNET, and the state and campus Synchronous Network Architecture (SNA) networks for the other major network providers on campus.  Network Services funds certain of these activities.  NERDC provides a campus-wide token ring backbone and modem pool.  NERDC also provides frame-relay support to the state Division of Communications and houses the Alachua County Freenet central hardware and modem pool.  The State University System-wide online Library User Information Service (LUIS) runs at the NERDC.  NERDC is an SUS regional center which is obliged to recover all of its operating costs through user fees.  The NERDC  is administered through a Policy Board chaired by the Provost of UF.

  NS -- Network Services -- provides policy and standards coordination among all network providers.  Through UFNET, NS provides the main campus backbone, inter-, and some intra-building wiring.  Network Services has the responsibility to provide core networking services and campus-wide video distribution (planning, deployment, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of the fiber plant and associated equipment and electronics) for the support and benefit of any and all units of the University administered through the Office of Information Technologies and Services and the Office of the Provost.

  In addition to these major providers, other units have mission-limited systems.

  The Center for Instructional and Research Computing Activities (CIRCA) provides network services for a targeted group of users.  CIRCA, responsible for several large computing laboratories for students, operates its own network to serve these laboratories and provides a modem pool for student access to campus computing activities.  CIRCA also provides technical (including wiring) and management services for its own labs and for the Colleges of Education, Fine Arts, and Architecture.  Administratively, CIRCA reports to OITS and to the Office of the Provost.

  Voice communications is the responsibility of the Physical Plant Division which provides telephone service to all of the University through a contract with the Southern Bell Company.  The Office of the Vice President for Administrative Affairs ultimately is responsible for the operation of telecommunications at UF.  The Office of Information Technologies and Services is responsible for policy formation.

  The Colleges of Business, Engineering, Journalism, Law, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Division of Housing all supplement the services of the major providers but limit their activities to their own (sometimes multiple-building) constituents.