Subject: ISTF/IETF Work to do...? Disaster Management.

From: Franck Martin <[email-masked]>
Date: 12 Sep 2001 12:43:39 +0000

From what I read from various lists, it seems there are Internet lessons
to learn...and solutions to find. It is a trying time for the Internet
community but also a great opportunity to rise from the ashes for the
benefit off all mankind.

First let's go back to the topic of these mailing lists IETF/ISTF:
Internet. So please lets stop the SPAM and act professionaly, we will
mourn later, there a task at hand.

I'm posting to both IETF and ISTF as it relates to both part of the
Internet Society.

From what I have read so far, you can see the result of the incident on
various networks by looking at the site:
http://www.internettrafficreport.com/

You can also use the MTR tool to gather link data
http://www.bitwizard.nl/mtr/

I would suggest to all to register your router on internettrafficreport,
great site! I think if this site could also monitor long distance links
between countries it would be even better....

Patrice Husson from Luxembourg ([email-masked]), reported
that the transatlantic links failed from Luxembourg and that people
reverted to broadcast medium to get the news. Tomson Eric reported the
same but from Belgium. We had the same problems from the Pacific
Islands.

This is very informative on what is happening when a disaster strikes. I
think we need someone from IETF to analyse the data and produce a report
explaining what has happened on the network. Maybe someone from the ISTF
will be able to corborate the facts with some human behavior, like Dan
Kolis report that people tend to use tools they are familiar with in
emergency situations.

There has been many disaster happening in the past, like in Turkey, or
like in Taiwan earthquake where a submarine cable was cut. I think it is
time that the Internet become serious and reliable and that the IETF
work on internet and disaster to ensure absolute reliability for
emergency services which was not the case for the Vanderbilt Medical
Center for example. Can you trust your life on the Internet succesfully
delivering a piece of information or at least telling you that it was
successfully delivered or not?

I think the ISOC should include in its next Inet meeting a track on
Internet and disasters, as they did summarly in 2000. ISTF and IETF
would report on initiatives:

Can someone from the IETF lists all the work that are done or on
progress to improove the Internet when disasters strike (on an
engeenering point of view).

Can someone from the ISTF lists all the work that are done or in
progress to develop emergency network and emergency response sites
(Patrice Husson gave a few pointers).

On a last part, I remember to have a talk one year ago with Christian
Huitema, about the fact that IIS4.0 perform badly in poor network
connections. The default is that you have 2 minutes to download an ASP
page (This has changed I think with IIS5.0). I notice also the
difference between hotmail and yahoo mail which performs better in poor
network connections... Don't take me wrong I do not want this to turn
into another rant against Microsoft, I found other cases of poorly
configured Unix sites, where I talked to the administrators to fix it,
for instance many sites are not able to deal with MTU different that
1500.

Basically the IETF could come up with a testing standard that will check
that Internet interfaces and services are able to work in poor network
conditions. Usually vendors will test performance (how many transactions
per seconds) but will not test reliability, if there is heavy packet
loss, long delays, and overload. Systems need to be forgiving rather
than fast... CNN discovered it by reducing the wizzes and bangs on its
pages to reduce the bandwidth load, but did they had the best web server
to deal with the load?

Which manufacturer will dare to get its equipment or software pass the
various test and be on a compatibility list? I asked the question before
to some IETF members, and I understand that IETF is worried about giving
an advice on the quality of equipment out there in fear to loose support
from these manufacturers. But I think there are smart ways of getting
some equipment certified without the supplier being singled out.

There are many protocols that are not efficient. Take for instance
HTTP1.0 compared to HTTP1.1 which now allows to send compressed page of
HTML, FTP that allows to resume download now, as well as HTTP, only SMTP
is still not efficient, binary data as to be converted to 7bits most of
the time, and large e-mails cannot be resumed. What about all these
instant messaging systems that do not operate between each others and
have fancy protocol specs, which can be used to carry DDOS.

In many case it will help when disaster strikes but also it will help to
bridge the digital divide in countries where networks are not that
good...

Jon Postel said: "TCP implementation should follow a general principle
of robustness: be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you
accept from others"

Finally from the inventor of the Web, not Tim the other one:
"Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not
wisdom and none of them is action"

So action, please...

Franck Martin
[email-masked]

From Patrice Husson:
----------
As far as the Internet community is concerned, it should mobilize to
improve
emergency communication in defining robust architecture capable of
handling
it working on all communication channels still operational (not limited
to
IP). It includes work on priority packeting, alternative routing,
multicasting, mobile hosts, etc. Several initiatives have started in
different regions and some are listed below. ISTF could decide for a
plan
capable of providing emergency communication at a world level.

http://perso.respublica.fr/pompiers_clic/grand_public/numero_telephone_monde/
http://www.telematica.de/cgalies/
http://www.nena9-1-1.org/
----------------
Michael R. Burks [mailto:[email-masked]] reported:
----------------
Monitoring where I have seen showed a ten to twenty percent reduction in
traffic during the time people were glued to their tv sets....However lots
of sites including the Red Cross site were unreachable.

Reports of many news sites being jammed as well.  Many norm commercial
newsletter I recieve on the Internet pulled their usual content to report on
the situation I assume to help alleviate the congestions at certain sites.
----------------
TOMSON ERIC [mailto:[email-masked]] reported:
-----------
We've been blocked for some (long) minutes, here in Belgium, in the hours
that followed The Events.
Many companies, many users were unable to access the Web.
I know of a major direct backbone connection in a near ISP (tens of Mbps)
that didn't respond anymore.
What could have been the reason? Too much sudden traffic? Some strategic
nodes destroyed? Bad re-routing?
-----------------
Dan Kolis <[email-masked]> reported:
--------
The useful Internet traffic report which sort of graphs ping like info
including packet loss, etc shows some network congestion around 19:30 GMT (0
Zulu) about 4 hours wide
....
The IETF sub commitee's on emergency traffic... I'd suggest emergency
restoration is the esssence of the goal as opposed to selective routing. I
noted CNN for example went to text only for the heavyest portions; (or tiny
graphics), undoubtably thinking of their bandwidth. Deciding on what
constitutes emergency traffic is very subjective, anyway. This problem
occurs in phone switches (circuit switched) too. 
(1) You might use a familiar tool like a chat server normally used for
recreation to inform or inquire over a life or death situation, as opposed
to a less familiar, never before used resource.

I noted in the media those aboard doomed aircraft using cellulars frequently
called a named person; (husband, etc) not a emergency service. This may be
non-rational, but it fite the scenerio (1) above.
------------------------
[email-masked] reported
-----------------
I work for Vanderbilt Medical Center in
Nashville, TN. We, like probably most hospitals on the east coast, were
sent some of the victums of this dreadful tragedy. Late yesterday afternoon
all employees were asked to only use the net when absolutely necessary
because employees, understandbly looking for the latest news, were
consuming bandwidth needed for emergency communications.
------------------

---

From: Michael Hammer <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 10:36:29 -0400

Speaking from the Washington, D.C. area, I was getting email
instantly from others in this area and from other locations in the
U.S.  In many cases it was the hosts, not the network itself that
was congested.

More importantly, the legacy TDM phone network was totally congested and
the cell phone network as well.  My question is what happens when a
greater portion of phone calls occurs over the Internet?  Do we have
a plan for when that traffic suddenly doubles or triples?

Mike

At 12:43 PM 9/12/2001 +0000, Franck Martin wrote:

From what I read from various lists, it seems
there are Internet lessons

to learn...and solutions to find. It is a trying time for the
Internet

community but also a great opportunity to rise from the ashes for
the

benefit off all mankind.

Internet. So please lets stop the SPAM and act professionaly, we
will

Internet Society.

From what I have read so far, you can see the result of the incident
on

I would suggest to all to register your router on
internettrafficreport,

great site! I think if this site could also monitor long distance
links

Patrice Husson from Luxembourg ([email-masked]),
reported

reverted to broadcast medium to get the news. Tomson Eric reported
the

Islands.

This is very informative on what is happening when a disaster strikes.
I

think we need someone from IETF to analyse the data and produce a
report

explaining what has happened on the network. Maybe someone from the
ISTF

will be able to corborate the facts with some human behavior, like
Dan

Kolis report that people tend to use tools they are familiar with
in

emergency situations.

There has been many disaster happening in the past, like in Turkey,
or

like in Taiwan earthquake where a submarine cable was cut. I think it
is

time that the Internet become serious and reliable and that the
IETF

emergency services which was not the case for the Vanderbilt
Medical

Center for example. Can you trust your life on the Internet
succesfully

delivering a piece of information or at least telling you that it
was

On a last part, I remember to have a talk one year ago with
Christian

connections. The default is that you have 2 minutes to download an
ASP

difference between hotmail and yahoo mail which performs better in
poor

network connections... Don't take me wrong I do not want this to
turn

configured Unix sites, where I talked to the administrators to fix
it,

for instance many sites are not able to deal with MTU different
that

1500.

Basically the IETF could come up with a testing standard that will
check

that Internet interfaces and services are able to work in poor
network

conditions. Usually vendors will test performance (how many
transactions

per seconds) but will not test reliability, if there is heavy
packet

loss, long delays, and overload. Systems need to be forgiving
rather

than fast... CNN discovered it by reducing the wizzes and bangs on
its

pages to reduce the bandwidth load, but did they had the best web
server

to deal with the load?

Which manufacturer will dare to get its equipment or software pass
the

various test and be on a compatibility list? I asked the question
before

to some IETF members, and I understand that IETF is worried about
giving

an advice on the quality of equipment out there in fear to loose
support

from these manufacturers. But I think there are smart ways of
getting

HTTP1.0 compared to HTTP1.1 which now allows to send compressed page
of

HTML, FTP that allows to resume download now, as well as HTTP, only
SMTP

is still not efficient, binary data as to be converted to 7bits most
of

instant messaging systems that do not operate between each others
and

In many case it will help when disaster strikes but also it will help
to

good...

Jon Postel said: "TCP implementation should follow a general
principle

of robustness: be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what
you

accept from others"

"Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is
not

So action, please...

Franck Martin

[email-masked]

From Patrice Husson:

----------

As far as the Internet community is concerned, it should mobilize
to

improve

handling

it working on all communication channels still operational (not
limited

to

multicasting, mobile hosts, etc. Several initiatives have started
in

different regions and some are listed below. ISTF could decide for
a

plan

----------------

Michael R. Burks
[mailto:[email-masked]]
reported:

----------------

Monitoring where I have seen showed a ten to twenty percent reduction
in

traffic during the time people were glued to their tv sets....However
lots

Reports of many news sites being jammed as well.  Many norm
commercial

newsletter I recieve on the Internet pulled their usual content to report
on

the situation I assume to help alleviate the congestions at certain
sites.

----------------

TOMSON ERIC
[mailto:[email-masked]]
reported:

-----------

We've been blocked for some (long) minutes, here in Belgium, in the
hours

I know of a major direct backbone connection in a near ISP (tens of
Mbps)

What could have been the reason? Too much sudden traffic? Some
strategic

-----------------

--------

The useful Internet traffic report which sort of graphs ping like
info

including packet loss, etc shows some network congestion around 19:30 GMT
(0

Zulu) about 4 hours wide

....

The IETF sub commitee's on emergency traffic... I'd suggest
emergency

restoration is the esssence of the goal as opposed to selective routing.
I

noted CNN for example went to text only for the heavyest portions; (or
tiny

graphics), undoubtably thinking of their bandwidth. Deciding on
what

constitutes emergency traffic is very subjective, anyway. This
problem

(1) You might use a familiar tool like a chat server normally used
for

recreation to inform or inquire over a life or death situation, as
opposed

I noted in the media those aboard doomed aircraft using cellulars
frequently

called a named person; (husband, etc) not a emergency service. This may
be

------------------------

-----------------

Nashville, TN. We, like probably most hospitals on the east coast,
were

sent some of the victums of this dreadful tragedy. Late yesterday
afternoon

all employees were asked to only use the net when absolutely
necessary

------------------

---

From: Michael Hammer <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 10:36:29 -0400

Mike

benefit off all mankind.

Internet Society.

Islands.

emergency situations.

1500.

to deal with the load?

good...

accept from others"

So action, please...

Franck Martin

[email-masked]

From Patrice Husson:

----------

improve

handling

to

plan

----------------

Michael R. Burks

----------------

----------------

TOMSON ERIC

-----------

-----------------

--------

Zulu) about 4 hours wide

....

------------------------

-----------------

------------------