Quality of Service Measurements on SuperJANET - The UK Academic Information Highway

JANET, the U.K. academic and research network, has, over almost three decades, grown from a small research network to a major national resource with a vastly expanded user base that now expects an appropriate level of service. Performance targets for the network are set in negotiation between the supplier and representatives of the funding bodies; they are documented in a set of service level agreements. Quality of service measurements are needed to monitor adherence to these agreements, to predict future behavior, and to assist in the formulation of strategy. This paper describes the measurement framework and gives examples of its use to resolve problems and guide policy.