JANET(UK) VACANCIES

VACANCY NOTICE 314

NETWORK PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT - TECHNICAL SPECIALIST

1. ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

JANET(UK), as the company responsible for implementing a network infrastructure and delivering network services to the education and publicly funded research communities in the UK, requires a technical specialist to lead the development of network performance measurement systems to augment the existing JANET systems.

The post holder will work within the Strategic Technologies Division, which is responsible for the development and implementation of strategy that leads to the development of specific services to JANET customers. A major part of the work of the group is to ensure there is adequate recognition that as new network applications arise they will place new demands on the underlying network. There is therefore a focus on parallel development of application-level and network-level technologies and services, and in ensuring that major applications developed elsewhere for delivery over JANET receive appropriate support from the network infrastructure when rolled out.

The Network Performance Measurement role is a key position for JANET(UK) as it is focused on a programme of work to achieve the fifth objective of the SuperJANET5 programme - Visibility - which is about providing information on the performance and use of the network to authorised people and applications, both for internal JANET(UK) purposes and externally.

This general visibility requirement stems from the fact that there is an increasing emphasis on reliable end-to-end delivery of network services and applications across the different management domains of JANET with a view ultimately to creating an environment where network operations, applications and end users can easily determine network capabilities and restrictions. A key area that JANET has to respond to is the need to provide real time information about the performance of JANET, which is growing as a new breed of applications that adapt to network conditions are being developed, particularly in the context of e-Research.

For JANET(UK) itself, better visibility will help it as an organisation operationally and strategically to gain a much deeper understanding of how the network is being used. For example, developing a capability to undertake fine-grained traffic monitoring /measuring /profiling will benefit JANET(UK) in terms of deeper understanding of the traffic and applications using the network, and provide objective information to inform future decisions on network engineering. Working with suitable collaborators, work in this area could also lay foundations for better approaches to security on JANET. For example, obtaining better information and techniques for traffic forensics, attack signatures etc. would make JANET(UK) better prepared for handling malicious behaviour such as DoS attacks.

The role requires a high level of technical skills, and if it is to be effective a significant amount of experience in the specialised area of network monitoring and measurement. A good level of communication skills is required as the postholder will be required to work and interact with a wide range of people within JANET, with JANET customers, with the international NREN community and with industry.

2. REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

• The post holder will report to the Network Applications Group Manager.
• The role requires the development and maintenance of good working relationships with many areas of JANET(UK) and particularly with members of the Strategic Technologies Division and the Operations Division; with managers and engineers from key contractors; with actual and potential suppliers of performance measurement technologies of relevance to JANET; with technical experts within the JANET community; and with potential users and service providers.

3. MAIN DUTIES

This vacancy notice sets out the main duties of the post. Specific duties may vary from time to time without changing the deneral character of the duties or level of responsibility entailed.

The post holder will:

• Develop a strategy for achieving the fifth SuperJANET5 objective and define and execute a programme of work to achieve the strategy
• Engage with the international efforts on network performance measurement and in particular the developments associated with the GEANT PerfSONAR tool. In the case of perfSONAR, understand how JANET interfaces to this tool in the context of the end-to-end performance monitoring of international Optical Private Networks for research collaborations
• Understand network researchers’ requirements for access to network performance and management information and develop and develop a plan to meet these requirements
• Assess the requirement for the current e-research network performance system GRIDMON and how it fits in with the fifth objective strategy
• Track Internet performance measurement and monitoring activities, including attendance at relevant conferences, workshops and seminars and providing technical representation at these events
• Provide technical input into shaping the strategy for network development on JANET
• Represent JANET(UK) at technical forums, nationally and internationally
• Keep abreast of technical networking standards and compliant products and use this knowledge to advise other colleagues within the Strategic Technologies Division as appropriate.

4. SKILLS REQUIRED

• Good motivation and able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written; methodical and well organized
• Ability to work independently, proactively and in a close team with a minimum amount of supervision in a changing technical environment
• Flexible in approach and able to adapt to new situations easily
• Understanding of the concepts of distributed computing
• Understanding of monitoring and measuring concepts
• Understanding of software design and development processes
• Coding skills and familiarity with some of the following: C, C++, Java, Perl
• Analytical and problem solving skills
• Good understanding of Internet technology including knowledge of the TCP/IP protocol suite and the factors which affect its performance.

5. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Must be educated to degree level in a relevant technical subject with subsequent experience
• Knowledge of the UK academic and research environment gained through working within this community would be an advantage
• Experience of data handling, analysis and presentation
• Experience of software coding
• Experience of developing network monitoring systems would be an advantage.

6. FURTHER INFORMATION

The role may be filled either by direct employment by JANET(UK), or by secondment from a suitable UK institution.  In the latter case, this will be subject to the agreement by the successful candidate’s employer, and to acceptable terms for the secondment being negotiated.

The place of work may be in JANET(UK)’s offices outside Didcot or in London.  JANET(UK) will also consider a request for this to be a teleworking position, based either at the incumbent’s home institution (if seconded), or at home.  In any case the incumbent will be required to attend regularly at JANET(UK)’s Didcot office, in order to maintain appropriate contact with his or her colleagues and with JANET(UK)’s programmes of work.

For further information about this post, please contact Roger Bolam, Network Applications Group Manager, on 01235 822209.

For an application form, please contact Karen Foster, Personnel Administrator, JANET(UK), Lumen House, Library Avenue, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11 OSG.

Tel: 01235 822200. Fax: 01235 822399. E-mail: Vacancies@ja.net

The salary for this position is £42,395 per annum. The position is a full-time, permanent position.

Please note that applications must be made on the Company’s application form and submitted by email only to vacancies@ja.net. CVs should not be submitted. No agencies please. Previous applicants need not reapply.

JANET(UK) welcomes applications from all sections of the community.