During the last twelve months, JANET(UK) has been investigating the current use of VPN services within the JANET community and potential requirements for a centrally managed JANET VPN service. To help understand the requirements, JANET(UK) distributed a VPN questionnaire in March 2006 which was to be completed by network managers and end users at JANET connected organisations. In parallel, developments in the commercial market on the provision of consumer VPN services were also being tracked.
Based on the requirements identified by the VPN survey results, JANET(UK) has concluded that a centrally managed VPN service on JANET will not be established. The survey results indicated that a centrally managed JANET VPN service is not required as most organisations require and successfully deploy encrypted VPN services for data confidentiality. However, guidance on the VPN technologies and services available and how they could be deployed by organisations will be provided.
JANET(UK) recognises that technologies exist today which can provide bandwidth channels/tunnels in packet switched networks, sometimes also referred to as VPNs. These bandwidth channels could be used as extensions of the optical channels provided through the JANET core network, through to the Regional Networks down to the end users. This area of work will be explored as part of the JANET Optical Development Programme.
If you have any questions or comments on the JANET VPN Project then please contact the project manager, Victor Olifer (Victor.Olifer@ja.net).