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ZL3AI > APRDIG 03.01.07 20:47l 89 Lines 4125 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: [APRSSIG] Vol 31 #2, 2/2
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From: ZL3AI@ZL2BAU.#79.NZL.OC
To : APRDIG@WW
Message: 7
Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 09:47:20 -0800
From: "Phillip B. Pacier" <ad6nh_at_arrl.net>
Subject: [aprssig] Happy New Year from the Tier 2 Network!
A year to remember!
The APRS-IS, and the APRS community in general continue to grow at a
substantial rate. As we enter a new year, we at Tier 2 would like to
clarify a few misconceptions about the APRS-IS and to illustrate some
interesting facts and truths.
We chose to develop a level 2 APRS-IS network for 2 reasons. 1) To take the
stress off the legacy system developed by Steve Dimse, K4HG, who promised
everyone that the original APRS-IS was adequate to handle the future for
APRS users around the world. 2) The necessary redundancy required for
better network infrastructure.
We created the infrastructure to accomplish the connectivity for an
additional thousand or so hams around the world. Not to mention a few
thousand non-ham WX stations for the same reasons. We were told that the
current APRS-IS could handle the same requirements by simply adding more
level 1 core servers over and over. The original plan didn't have the
foresight to accommodate 21,000 APRS users or the overall growth of Bob
Bruninga's master-mind.
Our Tier 2 system isn't the defacto standard. It is simply a means to
provide additional APRS-IS usage where the Main Core servers failed to
provide the future needs of the network. To conclude that Tier 2 is better
because it can handle 5 times the clients of level 1 is wrong. It more of a
case that people use it because it works for them.
Could everyone use the Main Core servers instead of Tier 2? The simple
answer is no. The more people that try, the more likely additional stress
would occur at the core level. To think otherwise would be far from the
truth as level 1 has fell short with the thinking 'I can handle it all'.
As Steve has said, "The spirit of the hobby is providing service to
others." Tier 2 does that in a superb manner, in the spirit of ham radio
and public exposure by creating specific entry points for non-ham Citizen
Weather stations around the world.
As the volume of APRS users increases, it is more likely that Tier 2 will
meet the needs of the APRS-IS well into the future. The volunteers that
provide individual resources and a positive attitude towards end-users is
astounding. They have no moral obligation to provide this service and do so
without the God-like attitudes we have seen in the past.
End-users should not use level 1 main core servers. That in no way is a
personal attack against anyone. Tier 2 currently depends on the level 1
main core servers. That is how the APRS-IS needs to work. A single Tier 2
server provides hundreds of end-users with a compact feed that provide the
redundancy dependent on 3 main core hubs that can handle less than 600
connects. There are over 21,000 APRS users seen on the Internet. An
estimated 6000 users rely directly on the APRS Internet service for their
IGates, Wx stations, and other operations. Where they connect is a key
issue for everything to work smoothly.
If ego, or God-like attitudes was our single motivation... The APRS-IS
would have failed years ago with all the hype and promises we kept hearing.
True, Tier 2 wasn't part of the original plan. But, the reality was the
fact that some things simply didn't happen as we were promised. We feel it
strange that the nay-sayers and bashers of Tier 2 haven't stepped to the
plate with a better plan or solution as the many volunteers who have been
involved with the Tier 2 project. To our credit
My many thanks to everyone associated with Tier 2. That includes the
individual sysops, the coordination team, and the many end-users. Not to
mention the overwhelming support offered by Pete Lovell, AE5PL who made it
so easy for us to realize our goals with javAPRSSrvr.
Happy New Year!
Phil Pacier, AD6NH
Dick Stanich, KB7ZVA
& the rest of the Tier 2 Network
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End of aprssig Digest, Vol 31, Issue 2
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