SURF is an organization that develops, implements and maintains the national research and education network (NREN) of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, It operates the national research network formally called SURFnet. SURF as a network is a backbone computer network reserved for

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

and research in the Netherlands. SURF is a cooperative association of Dutch educational and research institutions in which the members combine their strengths. They work together to acquire or develop digital services and to encourage knowledge sharing through continuous innovation. The members are the owners of SURF.

History

The organization was established in 1986, it started supplying IP connectivity services in 1989, deploying the

TCP/IP The Internet protocol suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, is a framework for organizing the set of communication protocols used in the Internet and similar computer networks according to functional criteria. The foundational protocols in the su ...

suite. SURFnet has deployed a series of network generations in an overbuilt manner. The initial SURFnet network was based on 9.6 kbit/s and 64 kbit/s

X.25 X.25 is an ITU-T standard protocol suite for packet-switched data communication in wide area networks (WAN). It was originally defined by the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT, now ITU-T) in a series of drafts a ...

connections, providing

DECNET DECnet is a suite of network protocols created by Digital Equipment Corporation. Originally released in 1975 in order to connect two PDP-11 minicomputers, it evolved into one of the first peer-to-peer network architectures, thus transforming D ...

protocol. SURFnet2 was established in 1989 and delivered TCP/IP over an X.25 network. The SURFnet3 network delivered native TCP/IP via

leased line A leased line is a private telecommunications circuit between two or more locations provided according to a commercial contract. It is sometimes also known as a private circuit, and as a data line in the UK. Typically, leased lines are used by ...

s and became operational in 1991, mainly consisting of 64 kbit/s and 2 Mbit/s lines. In 1994 SURFnet4 was developed based on ATM and, later on SDH, links. SURFnet5 was developed from 1999 onward on a 10 Gbit/s

DWDM In fiber-optic communications, wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) is a technology which multiplexes a number of optical carrier signals onto a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths (i.e., colors) of laser light. This techni ...

infrastructure, with access links of 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s. SURFnet6, the sixth generation of the SURFnet network, was taken into operation at the beginning of 2006. This network provides the 750,000 users in higher education and research with Internet facilities, and also provides them with "lightpaths", which are direct connections between two

network node In telecommunications networks, a node (, ‘knot’) is either a redistribution point or a communication endpoint. The definition of a node depends on the network and protocol layer referred to. A physical network node is an electronic device ...

s without the need for routers. Lightpaths have a capacity of 1 to 10 Gbit/s. The company SURFnet used to be a subsidiary of the

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

foundation, SURF (Samenwerkende Universitaire Reken Faciliteiten; English: Co-operative University Computing Facilities). The operating companies SURFnet, SURFmarket, and SURFsara were merged in 2020 into a single organization: SURF - a single operating company as part of the SURF Cooperative in which the members are represented.

Services

Currently SURF is operating SURFnet8. SURFnet presently provides services on all

network layer In the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking, the network layer is layer 3. The network layer is responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers. Functions The network layer provides the means of tran ...

s, including authentication services, such as eduroam and A-Select, and services for security,

online collaboration Computer-supported collaboration research focuses on technology that affects groups, organizations, communities and societies, e.g., voice mail and text chat. It grew from cooperative work study of supporting people's work activities and working re ...

and

streaming media Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content i ...

. The company collaborates with a number of organization, both nationally and internationally, including the pan-European research network

GÉANT GÉANT is the pan- European data network for the research and education community. It interconnects national research and education networks (NRENs) across Europe, enabling collaboration on projects ranging from biological science, to earth o ...

(formerly

DANTE Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...

and

TERENA The Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association (TERENA, ) was a not-for-profit association of European national research and education networks (NRENs) incorporated in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The association was originally ...

Kennisnet Kennisnet (translated from Dutch as ''Knowledge Net'', previously Kennisnet Ict op school) is a Dutch public (semi-governmental) organization dedicated to ICT-innovation for primary and secondary education and vocational training. Kennisnet pr ...

and

GLORIAD GLORIAD (Global Ring Network for Advanced Application Development) is a high-speed computer network used to connect scientific organizations in Russia, China, United States, the Netherlands, Korea and Canada. India, Singapore, Vietnam, and Eg ...

Influence

SURF's executives have been founders of or occupied board positions in organisations including

Ebone Ebone may refer to: * Ebone, Cameroon, a town and commune in Cameroon * EBONE, a pan-European Internet backbone {{disambig ...

, CENTR, SIDN, AMS-IX,

, RIPE NCC, ISOC,

IETF The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a standards organization for the Internet and is responsible for the technical standards that make up the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP). It has no formal membership roster or requirements an ...

IESG The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a standards organization for the Internet and is responsible for the technical standards that make up the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP). It has no formal membership roster or requirements and a ...

and IAB. Surfnet became a driving force behind ICT-based innovation in higher education a research in the Netherlands.

References

External links

SURF websiteArticle in Light Reading, Nov. 09 2004 "SURFnet, Internet2 deploy Nortel"netherlight.netGrid computing via SURFnet
{{Authority control Internet in the Netherlands National research and education networks 1986 establishments in the Netherlands

History

Services

Influence

See also

References

External links