PALNI Network

PALNI was one of the first large-scale library automation network to use the Internet as its primary "production" link between participating libraries and the central, shared computer system. The central PALNI shared system is connected to the Internet via a dedicated T1 circuit to the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications System (IHETS) in Indianapolis, IN. PALNI Project staff also have full access to INCOLSA's 45Mbps ENA Internet connection, and have access to the Internet 2 Abilene backbone. PALNI has been an IHETS member organization since 1992, and in the early 1990's helped to fund implementation of IHETS' original state-wide Internet backbone for Indiana academic institutions.

Internet Statistics
PALNI Internet Traffic

PALNI libraries are distributed geographically throughout the state of Indiana, with the largest concentrations of sites in the Indianapolis area and in the northeast quadrant of the state. Each PALNI library is linked to the PALNI central system via its own campus connection to the Internet.

The PALNI Project shares its connection to the Internet with both INCOLSA and Indiana's statewide INSPIRE Project. This gives both INCOLSA and PALNI Project staff full access to the Internet, supports various INCOLSA/PALNI Web Servers, listservs, databases, and other INCOLSA-related information resources, and reduces telecommunications overall telecommunications costs for these organizations and projects.

The PALNI/INCOLSA/INSPIRE Network is monitored continuously for any network problems, and staff are paged automatically within a few minutes of a network problem either on the INCOLSA/PALNI Local Area Network or between the PALNI system and any PALNI library. Network traffic statistics are kept continuously up-to-date.