Connectivity Providers Database

From: recoscix@gn.apc.org To: cdp!shem@bestsd.sdsu.edu CC: cdp!kenfri-net@Athena.MIT.EDU Date: Sun, 26 Jan 92 23:40:11 PST >From : Peter Pissierssens,RECOSCIX-WIO Regional Dispatch Centre,Mombasa,KENYA To : Shem Ochuodho Addr : SHEM@BESTSD.SDSU.EDU Ref : IOC/R/RDC/92-0050.EMA Subject: KENFRINET - RECOSCIX Date : 27 JANUARY 1992 Time : 09:10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Shem, All your messages did get here. The reason for the silence from this side is that I am preparing to leave for Paris where I will be working at the Headquarters of IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) after completing my job of setting up the RECOSCIX-WIO Project. Does this mean that I have left Africa behind me? NO!! At the IOC HQ I will be heavily involved in the implementation of a new project called MARIS (Marine Information System) whereby a data-base will be created with information on marine science institutions with special emphasis on developing countries. There will definitely be a link with RECOSCIX. This link may be an electronic one. Who will continue the work in Mombasa? This will be a group of .. people: - Sam Ngete (System Manager) - Mika Odido (Scientific Manager) - Phyllis Mutere (Secretary) - Peter Reyniers (General Manager) The latter has just arrived from Belgium and will run the project together with the Kenyan counterparts for the next 4 years. Peter has a PhD in Biology and a special degree in Library Science. He is also quite conversant with computers which was a prerequisite for the job. What's next? RECOSCIX is now about to purchase its' computer system. Although we had at first gone for a UNIX box, our experience with the existing XENIX box has been rather negative.Not with the box itself or with the Operating System which is quite pleasant to work with but with the service which we can expecxt in Kenya. Unfortunately the experience companies have here is too limited. With the Kenyan computer market being what it is UNIX boxes are not very widepsread. Most companies go either for big systems or for PC's in possibly LAN's like Novell or Banyan Vines. Furthermore Mombasa is rather a desert in computer land. Only ICL has some sort of support centre although this was put into operation basically for the mainframe at Kenya Ports Authority. Also if the UNIX box packs up all goes down! With a LAN at least one still has the stand-alones. Therefore we are now thinking of a LAN of 6 386SX's (ALR POwerflex) on a 386 33Mhz server (ALR Powerpro) and Banyan Vines Team LAN software. For our users in the region we would also purchase Powerflex-es and provide them with the necessary files to be a Banyan user in the WAN. For other remote users who just want to use our data-bases we would give them access to the PC in which the Micro CDS/ISIS data-bases are located either through dial-up or through X.25. However the local Banyan dealer is still trying to find out whether this is possible (local dealer is KMDL). We also think that Banyan would provide us with the best open system approach a LAN could give, independent of the used hardware. Our question related to AFRINET is now: is our approach the right one: - is the LAN approach workable or should be go back to UNIX. Of so where can we expect support? Can the KCI help? - if the LAN approach is good then is Banyan the best choice? - does anyone have experience with Banyan? Is it possible to do remote access to the LAN (or to a PC in the LAN) without being a Banyan user? We would like to make the decision this week. So could the technical gurus be able to advise us asap? With regard to AFRINET's Internet venture I think the most important leg of the whole project would be to get a leased lined for data into the Africa zone, e.g East Africa. A problem in Africa however is that there are still not too many ground lines between the countries. The ambitious PANAFTEL project is, as far as I know, still not completed. This results in the ridiculous situation that when one want to call Mozambique from Kenya you'll go through Rome or London. The same situation exists between East and west Africa. Needless to say that this situation makes communication expensive to an extent that most goevrnment institutions in Africa can not afford it. Although we can cook up ambitious projects linking Africa through DPSN, dial-up etc. few institutions will be able to make use of it because of the cost of communication. An example: we are now users on GreenNet, OMNET/SCIENCENET and INTERNET and are subscribers to a number of BBS's on these networks. Because of the prolifera- tion of messages generated by foreign (=US & Europe) users we get about 20-30 messages per day. (This is not just AFRINET. It is also from IAMSLIC). This costs us just for the reading of the messages about US$ 1000/month (KShs 28500). Even for a relatively well off project like RECOSCIX this situation is cannot be maintained for very long. The cost of international datacomm in Kenya is about KShs 500/kilosegment + KShs 500/hour. If we could use a node in Kenya however the cost would be only a fraction of this. Also for some countries surrounding us this would be an interesting solution. Countries on the mainland like Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi etc. who are on PANAFTEL already can reach Kenya relatively cheaply. MOst of them could use dial-up to reach the Regional datanode. Islands would have to use their PSN node if available. Mauritius and Seychelles have one already. The same could be done in West-Africa. Is something like this already part of AFRINET? Looking forward to hearing from you, Peter Pissierssens Therefore is AFRINET could get someone to pay for a leased line to e.g. Kenya While I'm still here (I am to leave in the first week of February) sORRY: the above two lines are garbage. For further contact you can continue to send me messages until 4/2/92. As from then plse fax me on 33140569316 (Paris, France). I will let you know how to reach me by e-mail soon.! Peter. AFter that date plse send e-mails on current addresses to Peter Reyniers or Sam Ngete!