xrjjm%csdr.span@JPL-VLSI.ARPA.UUCP (03/25/87)
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*Site: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
*From: John J. McMahon, Systems Programmer, STX - ST Systems Corporation.
*Project: COBE Science Data Room (CSDR), Code 401.1
*Reply-To: (Arpa-Internet) XRJJM%6173.SPAN@JPL-VLSI.ARPA
*Reply-To: (Bitnet) ZMJJM@SCFVM
*Reply-To: (Span/Physnet/Hepnet) 6173::XRJJM = CSDR::XRJJM (Node 6.29)
*Reply-To: (TEXnet) UTADNX::UTSPAN::6173::XRJJM
Having authored one of the lesser known "Message Buffering Programs" floating
around BITNET, let me explain a little bit about them.
VM/SP CMS, which is one of IBM's operating systems for mainframe class computers
(No TSO, No JCL... a very nice command language called REXX for those of you who
haven't seen it... please NO FLAMES!) has a capability to route messages into
a special buffer (IBM messages would be the equivalent of Broadcast Messages).
The buffer is referred to as the IUCV (Inter User Communications Vehicle) buffer
To read this buffer, there are several good PD programs floating around BITNET.
They are all written in IBM Assembler. These include IUCVTRAP, YWAKEUP,
TELEPHON... a few others...
Now the "message buffering program", or Answering Machine program is usually
written in an IBM command language (REXX, EXEC2 or EXEC... mine is written in
REXX). It makes references to the IUCV routine, receives the messages,
determines user/node info, sends replys... etc...
The IUCV facility is used by most of the servers on BITNET... CSNEWS, NICSERVE,
NETSERV, RELAY all utilize this facility.
It's quite handy, I can sit at a terminal at a machine thousands of miles from
my home BITNET node (SCFVM) and send file requests, check for mail, see who is
logged on... without having to make a long distance call to my home machine...
(BITNET does not support remote logins across it, unlike DECNET).
I suppose someone with enough JNET experience could carve out a similar routine
under VMS... but I don't know enough about JNET to even consider it yet...
Regards,
^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v
John J. McMahon (Fast-Eddie)
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this letter are my own,
and are not meant to represent the views of my employers.