AfNOG2002 Workshop on Network Technology
In conjunction with the fourth meeting of African Network Operators Group (AfNOG) in May 2002, AfNOG is holding a Network Technology Workshop prior to the meeting. The workshop will be held in facilities of the Mercure Hotel, Sarakawa, Lome, Togo, during May 05 - May 10, 2002. The workshop will offer advanced training to operators of existing African Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who are participants in the process of developing and enhancing a national Internet with regional and international connectivity.
Attendance at the workshop includes attendance at AfNOG's third meeting, AfNOG 2002, and the thirdof AfriNIC (www.afrinic.org), which will be held in Lome on May 12th-13th and 14th respectively, following the workshop.
This workshop builds upon the experiences of the previous AfNOG workshops held in Cape Town South Africa, Accra Ghana, and the INET workshops held during 1993-2000 at eight locations around the world.
Goals
The goals of the workshop are:
- 1. To train a critical mass of trainers and professionals in network infrastructure and services to be able to support an extension of Internet-related activities within the African countries represented.
- 2. To identify and share individual and institutional contacts as well as information sources that will assist the process of national development, using international Internet connections.
- 3. To build robust professional linkages between all participants in the programs so that the mentor-student and colleague-colleague relationships formed during the workshop and conferences will remain strong and of continuing usefulness well beyond the workshop and conference.
- 4. To increase the level of co-operation among existing projects and activities for establishing public data networks in Africa.
- 5. To train people and groups of people who will return to their country and region and who will teach others what they have learned at the workshop.
Program
An intensive program of instruction is planned for the workshop, composed of two instructional tracks.
Participants attend only one of the two tracks, since the tracks run concurrently.
All participants will engage in extensive hands-on training, setting up and managing prototype infrastructure and services.
The course descriptions below include for each instructional track:
1. Who should attend this course.
2. What you need to know to enter this course and benefit from it
(Prerequisites).
3. What you will learn in this course (Subjects).
TRACK 1. SCALABLE INTERNET SERVICES
Who should attend: Technical staff who are now providing mail, file, web, and other TCP/IP based services to local and/or dial-up end users.
Prerequisites: UNIX use and some Unix system administration.
Subjects: large-scale provision of UNIX-based TCP/IP services such as:
- DNS (Domain Name Service)
- SMTP mail exchange
- POP mail delivery
- Mailing lists
- HTTP web service
- Security
TRACK 2. SCALABLE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE
Who should attend: Technical staff who are now operating a wide area TCP/IP network, likely with international and/or multi-provider connectivity. Those who will be involved in the establishment and/or operation of a basic national network infrastructure in the country.
Prerequisites: experience using TCP/IP-based networking technologies.
Subjects: configuration and operation of larger scale backbones, including:
- Basic routing
- OSPF routing
- BGP routing (limited)
- Management of router configuration
- NOC (Network Operation Center)
- Exchange points between networks
- Security
TRACK 3. FRENCH TRACK ( same as Track 2)
- Base des reseaux IP
- Bases de configuration des routeurs Cisco
- Routage statique (utilisation d'Unix et de Routeur Cisco)
- OSPF
- Architecture d'un reseau redondant
- BGP
- NOC services et application
- Securite Reseau
Place
The workshop activities to be held at the Mercure Hotel, Sarakawa, Lome, Togo . Sponsored participants will be offered room and board at the Mercure Hotel during the workshop and the AfNOG and AfriNIC meetings, which follow. Shuttle bus and taxi transportation is available from the airport to the workshop accommodations.
Dates
Participants should plan to arrive in Lome on or before 1800 hours on Saturday 4th May,2002, and leave after 1800 hours on Tuesday 14th May. Workshop sessions will be held starting in the afternoon, Sunday 05th May, and end in the evening of Friday 05th May.
The AfNOG 2002 meeting begins at 0900 hours, Sunday 12th May 2002, and AfriNIC begins at 0900 hours, Tuesday, 14th May 2002.
Eligibility
The workshop is specifically directed toward the needs of people from Africa who are playing an important part in introducing and extending public internetworking in their countries and region. Attendees should be involved in establishing the Internet's presence, in institutionalising its operation, and in assisting the country's schools and universities, governmental agencies, local firms, and residents in exploiting the range of services available through the net. By the Internet, we mean the publicly accessible Internet, with unrestricted access for educational and commercial institutions and the not-for-profit community.
Working engineers from international and bilateral technical co-operation agencies, as well as engineering professionals having substantial involvement in international technical assistance activities, are also eligible for admission as space allows.
Participants who have attended the AfNOG 2001& 2000 training or any of the INET Developing Countries Workshop will be considered eligible to attend the AfNOG 2002 workshop on a space-available basis; however, these former participants must apply for a course of study other than subjects studied previously. Their request must be consistent with their responsibilities in a national and/or regional context, and a convincing argument for repeated attendance must accompany the application. This should include a statement of the activities carried out as a result of the previous workshop. Less financial aid will be available for repeat attendees than for first-time applicants.
Application for Admission
To apply for admission, please complete the application form and return it as soon as possible, but no later than 21st February, 2002. If you expect to attend the workshop as the result of being awarded a United Nations or similar fellowship awarded by a multilateral of bilateral aid agency, please inform us of the details in your application.
Applicants will be notified of their acceptance to the program and the amount of financial aid available to them by March 15th.
Please note that the workshop activity includes attendance at the AfNOG 2002 and AfriNIC meetings. If you are admitted to the workshop, you should NOT register separately for the meeting; that will be done automatically for you.
NOTE: Applicants are required to submit their application via email, and also to give an electronic mail address for future correspondence regarding the workshop. A reliable FAX number should also be included on your application.
Please be sure that all of the contact information you submit is legible and accurate, or we will not be able to contact you.
Visas
Every visitor to Togo must have a valid passport in order to obtain the necessary visa from Uganda. If you apply to attend the workshop, be prepared to obtain a passport immediately upon receiving an invitation to attend, or sooner if practical, since visa procedures may be lengthy.
It is the responsibility of participants to ascertain the visa requirements that apply to them and to obtain any appropriate visas (including transit visas) needed to attend the workshop and the related meetings. (see http://www.republicoftogo.com/english/pratiques.php).AfNOG will assist applicants in this matter by providing visa application information as well as information regarding the Workshop, AfNOG and its professional goals and activities.
Health Restrictions
Accepted participants will be notified of any health restrictions and regulations for entry into the country.
Costs
The cost of attending the workshop and associated events is U.S.$1600 .This fee includes:
All tuition and travel expenses for the workshop. All lodging charges from Sunday, 05th May through Tuesday, 14th May 2002.
All meal charges for the period starting with dinner on Sunday evening, 05th May through dinner on Monday evening, 14th May, 2002. Registration at the AfNOG 2002 meeting (14th May) and the AfriNIC meeting (Tuesday, 14th May), including the midday meals included in registration for those meetings.
Participants should bring the equivalent of U.S. $30 for airport transfers. They may wish to budget approximately U.S.$50 for optional travel and other needs and activities (laundry, etc.) Sunday, 05 May,2002 through Tuesday, 14th May 2002.
For some candidates, the AfNOG Workshop will provide financial assistance to cover a part of each participant's overall expenditures. If you request financial aid for the workshop, please be certain to provide the financial information that is requested in the application for admission. Financial aid will take the form of either pre-paid airline tickets for travel to and from Kampala a partial or part coverage of the workshop fee.
The overall amount of aid available will be extremely limited. Please make all possible efforts to secure whatever funding is possible from sources known to you. If you are requesting financial aid from the Workshop, please tell us why it is necessary, how you expect to fund part of your expenses, and what efforts you have made and are making to obtain additional aid. Please note that aid from AfNOG may depend upon your ability to obtain partial financial support from other sources.
Financial contribution to the workshop may be made by funds transfer,certified check or in cash. Details will be provided in the admission letter