Metropolitan College Computer Science Master Lecturer John Day has been recognized by the International Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS), earning this year’s INCITS Technical Excellence Award.
Mr. Day’s research primarily focuses on developing the simplifying concepts of Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA), a standard with wide ranging impact on virtually all aspects of networking; from quality of service and security to mobility (orders of magnitude more efficient than 5G) to the unification of distributed applications, operating systems, and networks.
With work that resulted in a nine-part standard, ISO/IEC 4396, of nearly 300 pages, his extensive technical contributions, expertise, and dedicated efforts were deemed vital to the successful development of quality standards, earning him this prestigious prize.
“John Day’s influence, expressed through the RINA project, has demonstrated the power of international collaboration and perseverance, culminating in a standard that challenges long-held assumptions and offers a fresh perspective on networking architecture,” INCITS said in a statement. “His pivotal role in this endeavor underscores his dedication to advancing the field and his commitment to fostering global cooperation in the development of transformative technologies.”
Over the past 20 years, efforts to improve the Internet have led to few changes. John Day’s work takes a different approach, focusing on the fundamental principles of networking. RINA builds on the early paradigm shift of the CYCLADES project, which found a simpler, network architecture based on dynamic allocation. Key points of the model include recognizing networking as Inter-Process Communication (IPC), having uniform functions across layers, easy network renumbering, built-in mobility, and inherent security. This approach simplifies networking, reduces costs, and unifies applications, operating systems, and networks, leading to more efficient and powerful systems.
Mr. Day has been involved in research and development of computer networks since 1970, when he was among the first to launch a site on the ARPANet, a precursor to the Internet. He has developed and designed protocols for everything from the data link layer to the application layer, while also making key contributions to research on distributed databases. He managed the development of the OSI reference model, naming and addressing, and was a major contributor to the upper-layer architecture.
He was a major contributor to the development of network management architecture, working in the area since 1984 and building and deploying LAN products and a network management system, a decade ahead of comparable systems.
In 2008, Mr. Day published Patterns in Network Architecture: A Return to Fundamentals. An analysis of the fundamental flaws in the Internet and proposes what appears to be the only path forward, it has been called “the most important book on network protocols in general and the Internet in particular ever written.” Mr. Day’s research into the technology of 17thC China has also contributed to not only history, but our understanding of modern technology.
Today, Mr. Day splits his time between making this new path a reality and teaching at Boston University’s Metropolitan College.
The INCITS Awards acknowledge and recognize contributions by members of the INCITS community that have provided technical expertise and exhibited effective committee management while participating in standards development activities.
“Our most heartfelt congratulations to John for his remarkable contributions to technical standards, advances in computer networking principles, and for his lifelong dedication to education and promotion of science,” added MET Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Lou Chitkushev.
The Technical Excellence Award will be given to Mr. Day at a dedicated award dinner on Tuesday, June 11, in Boston.
At MET, Day teaches Advanced Networking (MET CS 775), a featured course in the MS in Computer Science with a concentration in Computer Networks curriculum.