Experts from the Czech Republic are Working on the Development of Network Roaming and IP Mobility

On June 22nd, the CESNET Association organized a professional seminar in Prague titled "Roaming – Mobility – the eduroam Project". The seminar covered the following topics:

• Solutions for mobile and transparent access to computer networks
• Authentication and authorization of users
• Trends in the area of a unified authentication and authorization infrastructure (AAI)
• Practical experiences with the operation of AA infrastructures and monitoring
• Information on the international eduroam project.

Ing. Jan Furman of the CESNET Association presented the eduroam Project, whose objective is the advancement of IP mobility and roaming within the framework of CESNET2, the Czech national research and education network. The purpose of this project, which is sponsored by the CESNET Association, is to offer network services in a form similar to those available in the area of mobile telephony, which allow people to make calls from any location with their mobile phones through the use of roaming. In the case of the eduroam pilot project conducted on the CESNET2 network, this principle operates in a manner so that the user has a single account carried in his/her home network. This authorizes the user to use the wireless network of any other project member. In addition to CESNET, these members are colleges and universities throughout the Czech Republic.

CESNET's role in the eduroam project consists of the coordination and promotion of activities related to roaming in computer networks and the presentation of Czech expert opinions at the European level, as well as the operation of the infrastructure of the RADIUS servers, which are essential for interconnecting with the European roaming structure.

The implementation of mobility and roaming is at the very beginning. The greatest problems lie in the area of the authentication and authorization of users. Without a unified authentication and authorization infrastructure (AAI), mobility is inconceivable. For the purposes of roaming, the user appears with single identity, has just one name (password), or a certificate or other required information by which he/she is identified. These authorization data are stored in the user's home network. When a connection is attempted, authorization takes place via the AAI, when the authorization element in the visited network "asks" the authentication system in the user's home network whether the user is really who he/she claims to be and whether the user has authorization to access. For a system thus defined to function, trust among the organizations involved is absolutely essential and crucial.

At the present time, authentication mechanisms are being evaluated, the authorization infrastructure (AAI) is being built and a pan-European interconnection policy is being defined. A large proportion of the European national research and education networks, including the Czech CESNET2, have already agreed upon its fundamental principles. This opens the door to roaming throughout Europe.

In his closing speech, Ing. Jan Furman of the CESNET Association outlined the concept of a project which would deal with the possibility of roaming with the other Internet providers in the Czech Republic.

More detailed information on the seminar, including presentations, is available (in Czech) at: http://www.cesnet.cz/doc/seminare/20050622/

The CESNET association was established by universities and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. It is currently financed by the government Council for Research and Development and by its members. The association performs research and development on information and communication technology and is building and developing the CESNET2 national gigabit optical network for science, research, development and education. Thanks to its research activities and the results it has achieved, the CESNET association is the Czech Republic's representative in the project for the construction of the Pan-European GEANT2 network and is actively contributing to its implementation. In addition, at the current time it is co-operating on the construction of the Global Lambda Integrated Facility (GLIF).