3M
`”K Networking & Interoperability
`
`\
`
`
`
`”Motor Voter” Registration Fuels
`New Network in Massachusetts
`
`Unisys Chosen as Systems Integrator
`
`states
`tarting this year.
`. ust comply with the fed-
`eral “motor voter” registra-
`t n rules President Clinton
`
`signed into law in 1993. Under
`that law, whenever drivers apply
`for or renew their license, or even
`update their license with an ad-
`dress change, they must have the
`opportunity to register to vote.
`Most states will comply with
`the federal mandate using labo-
`rious paper-based procedures.
`But the commonwealth of Mas-
`
`sachusetts has chosen Unisys to
`build and implement a fully au-
`tomated system over a frame re-
`lay network. When part of the
`Massachusetts Voter Registra-
`tion Network becomes opera-
`tional by midyear, the system
`will not only be the standard for
`other states to follow, but may
`become a model for other appli-
`cations and provide revenue-
`generating opportunities as well.
`Unisys won the $7.6 million
`contract as a result of competitive
`bidding. “Our proposal was much
`more thorough than the others,"
`noted Tony Del Grosso,
`the
`Unisys implementation manager
`in Burlington, MA. “We present-
`ed the strongest network design.”
`Subcontractors chosen by Uni-
`sys include FastComm Com-
`munications, NYNEX, AT&T,
`Sprint and Oracle. Unisys‘ Net-
`work Enable unit is providing net-
`work design and systems integra-
`tion services. TATA Unisys Ltd.
`44
`
`is developing the application sofi-
`ware that will automate the new
`
`voter registration process. Ver-
`sions of the software may be of-
`fered to other states that also want
`
`to automate voter registration.
`
`Operational Description
`The Voter Registration Infor-
`mation System (VRlS) will be
`run over a WAN connecting the
`351 Massachusetts cities and
`towns with the Central Voter
`
`Registry (CVR) in Boston. The
`network will also connect the
`
`Registry of Motor Vehicles in
`Boston with the C VR. for a total
`of 352 remote sites connected to
`the CVR. The network commu-
`
`secretary of state‘s office (see
`Figure l). The election official’s
`office in each municipality has
`one or more PCs connected to a
`
`Frame Relay Access Device
`(FRAD) provided by FastComm,
`directly or through a Telebit dial-
`up router. The state’s Registry of
`Motor Vehicles is also connected
`
`host to host through a FastComm
`FRAD. Through the frame relay
`network. the largest of its kind
`in the NYNEX
`
`region,
`the
`
`FRADs
`
`
`
`
`
`
`running
`nications protocol
`over the frame relay net-
`work is TCP/1P.
`TCP/[P was chosen
`
`for its open connectivity,
`its status as an industry
`standard and its reliabili-
`
`
`
`ty —- features that promote
`
`data integrity across the net-
`work. TCP is a reliable proto-
`col because it assumes there is
`
`
`
`
`inter-
`operate with
`high-end Cisco routers at the
`server site.
`At the CVR. the network will
`terminate in three Cisco 4500
`routers that will connect to the
`
`unreliability in the network be-
`neath it. Therefore,
`it provides
`parity and sequence checking on
`all messages. A connection-ori-
`ented protocol. TCP establishes a
`virtual circuit between two appli-
`cations and maintains it until
`
`transmission is complete.
`VRlS is based on open sys-
`tems technology using a Unisys
`U6000/550 UNIX server in the
`
`Unisys U6000r’550 host system.
`
`APR". 1995
`
`Page 1 of 3
`
`FIS Exhibit 1035
`
`

`

`Contlguratlon ol Voter Reglstratlon Informatlon System
`
`”Single-PC Sites
`413 Area Code
`
`36 MuttIpIa-Pc LAN Shes
`EtherFRAD
`
`.T1 Circ its
`“I‘m,
`
`
`
`1_‘"‘2‘.
`
`5”}
`‘1'
`
`34 SlngIe-Pc Sites
`In 617/508 Area Code
`
`Note: More are actually are trams relay networks supportmgtne vnls one tor me 413 area code and one lorme 617/508 area code. The network servrngrne 413 area code mil connect to
`the CVR in Boston through a 1.544 Mops T1 dgr'ral circuit provided by Sprint since NYNEX is pmhrbtad lrom carrying lnlfic across LATA service boundaries. Thls Inleru TA circus wlll run
`from the secretaryolstate‘s office 1n Springfield to the CVR in Boston. The network serving the 617/508 area code will connect to the CVR via lwo 1.544 Mops NYNEX digital T1 cirwlts.
`
`The routers will attach to the U6000’s
`
`high-speed LAN through a Synoptics
`hub. which will also connect the dial-up
`router in the 617/508 area code at the
`
`secretary of state‘s office. There the cur-
`rent LAN with Wang workstations will
`also connect to the CVR host. allowing
`application migration to the UNIX-based
`U6000 CVR host in the future. This will
`
`be done by interconnecting the current
`LAN with the new CVR LAN through a
`Cisco router.
`Since all 351 cities and towns of the
`commonwealth and the RMV will be
`connected when the network is estab-
`lished, the VRIS network will have infre-
`quent and predictable updates thereafter.
`To take advantage of this,
`the Cisco
`routers will be configured for the static
`routing option, which eliminates signifi-
`cant network traffic and maximizes the
`bandwidth available for VRlS user data
`transfers. Additional sites can be added
`to the network as needed via updates to
`the sofiware tables in the routers.
`
`UNISPHERE
`
`Unisys Improvement:
`
`The VRlS network that Unisys origi-
`nally proposed met the specifications of
`the Request For Proposal (RFP), which
`was finalized in mid-1993 by a task force
`the secretary of state’s office organized
`in anticipation of the motor voter bill‘s
`passage. However,
`the Unisys project
`management team analyzed the design in
`the preimplementation planning phase
`and detennined it could be improved.
`In particular, developments in frame
`relay transmission technology in 1994
`made this method of data transmission
`more available and more affordable.
`
`Competition among public carriers and
`among frame relay equipment vendors
`combined to reduce the overall cost to
`
`deploy this service below what it had
`been the previous year.
`“A FRAD-based solution proved to be
`simpler and less expensive than routers
`for a network of this size," said Paul
`Dimitruk, data communications manag-
`
`er for NYNEX. “Since frame relay pro-
`vides customers with a low-cost, high-
`perforrnance digital network. we are see-
`ing a rapidly increasing demand for the
`service — and FRADs play a major role
`in delivering a cost-effective solution.”
`The Unisys project team took advan-
`tage of these developments to redesign
`the network before initial rollout. This
`
`was achieved in a cooperative effort with
`the major carriers and equipment ven-
`dors. Progress was reviewed at key
`points with the secretary of state’s office
`and the commonwealth‘s Office of Man-
`
`agement lnforrnation Systems.
`
`Benefits of the New Design
`The redesigned network provides im-
`provements in reliability, speed and net-
`work management. while realizing signif-
`icant savings to the commonwealth in
`both first-year installation costs and recur-
`ring costs. The new design also promises
`greater application growth in the future.
`Increased reliability: Several princi-
`45
`
`Page 2 of 3
`
`

`

`Motor Voter
`
`ples guided Unisys‘ redesign ofthe net-
`work. For example. the original design
`made heavy use of analog technology
`and used only nine frame relay circuits.
`Frame relay is a high-speed digital trans-
`mission service that provides greater re-
`liability than thc older analog transmis—
`sion lines. The new network design trses
`frame relay to a far greater extent.
`The new design will use 252 frame re-
`lay circuits throughout the state. The 251
`largest cities and towns will have a dedi-
`cated frame relay circuit connecting each
`to the CVR. The 100 smallest
`towns.
`
`which are expected to average only 10
`hours of line-connect time per month. will
`use a dial-up connection to a hunt group
`located at the host end. This group will be
`serviced by three Telebit dial routers con-
`nected to the C \’R LAN. The dial-up
`communities in the 413 area code will use
`
`AT&T's 800 long-distance senice to call
`in to the CVR at reduced usage rates.
`Greater resiliency: NYNEX has estab-
`lished a major network control center to
`constantly monitor the status of all frame
`relay and digital circuits. Further. the
`new design spreads the volume of traffic
`over a much larger number of lines.
`minimizing disruption on the network
`should any one line go down.
`Higher speeds: In the original design.
`all municipalities were connected to
`frame relay hubs via 14.4 Kbps modems.
`In the new design. the 251 largest munic-
`ipalities will each have a 56 Kbps direct
`connection to the frame relay network.
`The l00 smallest towns will connect via
`
`14.4 Kbps modems. but these are sized
`appropriately for their anticipated work-
`load of approximately l0 hours of con-
`nect time per month.
`
`Improved network management: The
`NYNEX Data Services Group will con-
`tinuously monitor the frame relay net-
`work. Under this proactive management
`approach. NYNEX detects circuit prob-
`lems immediately and will take correc-
`tive action. rather than requiring the sec-
`retary of state's office to detect the prob-
`lem and contact NYNEX for a solution.
`
`The new network design also pro-
`vides for more intelligence in the net-
`working equipment. Network manage-
`ment “agents” in the FastComm FRADs
`(which connect communities to the 252
`frame relay circuits) will constantly
`monitor the status of their local envi-
`ronments. The results will be transmit-
`
`ted to a Sun SPARCstation running the
`central network management applica-
`tion at the CVR.
`Connection flexibility: Each access
`line can carry multiple logical connec-
`tions to different remote locations. Be-
`
`cause the frame relay circuits are de-
`fined in software by NYNEX. there is a
`high degree of flexibility in configuring
`and managing the individual connec-
`tions. Additions or changes to the net-
`work are easily accommodated through
`software-based changes, which also aids
`in disaster recovery.
`By being able to carry multiple proto-
`cols and applications over the same cir-
`cuit. frame relay also makes it easier to
`integrate legacy systems with current
`and new systems. thus facilitating future
`expansion.
`Future application flexibility: The
`higher speeds of the new design. along
`with greater network resiliency, mean
`there will be more capacity and availabil-
`ity for applications in the future. The use
`
`EASY TO USE,
`PROVEN, SECURE,
`COMPREHENSIVE
`
`ELECTRONIC MAIL
`
`SMALL FRAME PRICING
`
`-
`
`MAIL
`
`MENTOR/MAIL CAN USE ALL THE TERMINALS AND MICROS THAT
`COMMUNICATE WITH COMS, CANDE AND GEMCOS ON YOUR
`UNISYS LARGE SYSTEM.
`
`Call or write for more information and a demo tape.
`
`
`
`of FRADs instead of modems in the larg-
`er communitics enables the new network
`to allow interconnection to other network
`
`routers or LANs at the community level.
`The network routers at the (.‘VR end
`
`may be connected to other common-
`wealth agencies such as the Department
`of Revenue and Department of Public
`Welfare. This connection is especially
`fast and inexpensive to accomplish when
`the other agency is also using frame re-
`lay service.
`
`Conclusion
`All these characteristics contribute to
`
`a design that will allow the secretary of
`state to add significant new applications
`in the future without fear of overrun-
`
`ning the network resource. The benefits
`of the new network design would not
`have been possible without Unisys tak-
`irtg the initiative to investigate the new
`opportunities frame relay presented —
`specifically,
`falling costs and wider
`availability.
`The network can be easily expanded
`to open pathways to other municipal
`entities in the future. such as public
`safety.
`tax collection and licensrng.
`Some oftlte resulting new applications.
`such as providing access to lien infor-
`mation and vital
`records. may even
`generate new revenues for the state and
`municipalities. These are important
`considerations in this age of diminish-
`ing state budgets. 0
`
`
`
`
`About The Author
`Nathan J. Muller, a regular con—
`
`tributor to UNISPHERE,
`is an
`independent consultant in Hunts-
`ville. AL who specializes in ad-
`
`vanced technologv marketing and
`
`education. With 23 years of in-
`
`dustry experience, Mr. Muller
`
`has written extensivelv on many
`
`aspects of computers and com-
`
`munications. The latest among
`
`his nine books
`is Focus on
`
`OpenView: A Guide to Hewlett-
`
`Packard’s Net-
`
`
`
`work and Sys-
`tems Manage-
`ment
`Platform,
`available
`from
`Cardinal Busi-
`ness Media (Fort
`
`Washington, PA).
`
`APRIL I995
`
`
`
`MENTOR
`Fax: (302) 475-3086
`(610) 566-4004
`°
`CIRCLE #151 on Radar Service Card A
`
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`CONSULTANTS, INC.
`P.O. Box 489. Concordville, PA 19331
`
`46
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`Page 3 of 3
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