lhl (07/01/82)
The following discusses the characteristics and advantages of CSNET access. Steve Bellovin did an excellent job of describing MMDF so I will not touch on that except to note that MMDF's role is as the mail transport system for the project. Development of CSNET is being carried out under a contract from NSF. The goal of the project is to provide network services to all computer science research groups in the United States. The contractors are the Univ. of Wisconsin, Rand Corp., Purdue Univ., and the Univ. of Delaware. In addition, BBN has just received a contract to run the CSNET Coordination and Information Center (more on that later). CSNET will include hosts connected to a number of networks in- cluding Phonenet, Arpanet and Telenet. Use of compatible proto- cols enables communication between users of hosts on the dif- ferent networks. UNC and about 20 other groups are now participating in the Phonenet component of CSNET. This involves mail relaying as with Usenet. At present, the only operational relay is at Delaware. However, within a few days we expect that a second relay at Rand will also be operational. As traffic warrants, more relays can be added in the future. The relays are both connected to Arpanet (and will soon be connected to Telenet-- more on that below). Each relay will poll a selected set of Phonenet sites. However, users need not know either which relay polls their site or which relay polls the recipient site. For further information on Phonenet contact Dave Farber at Delaware or Tony Hearn at Rand. Advantanges of Phonenet over UUCP/Usenet include mail access to the CSNET and Darpa Internet environments, an addressing method which does not require route information, guaranteed (as much as such is possible) delivery of messages and notification of non delivery. Phonenet is only one component of CSNET. A project at Purdue will enable CSNET hosts to connect to Telenet via X.25. Above X.25, the DARPA Internet Protocols are being used so that CSNET Telenet protocols are compatible with Arpanet protocols. Purdue is interfacing an X.25 implementation from Interactive Systems to a TCP/IP implementation from BBN and tuning all to Telenet re- quirements. The system is in beta test with installations at Purdue and Wisconsin now communicating via Telenet. Distribution is planned for early 1983. For further information contact Doug Comer or Tim Korb. Hence, CSNET hosts will be connected to Phonenet, Telenet or Ar- panet. To simplify the location of people and resources in the environment, Wisconsin is working on a CSNET Nameserver facility. This system involves a central database of users on a Service Host machine (currently at Wisconsin) plus software installed at user sites. Users will be able to use keyword specifiers to ad- dress mail, i.e., they will not need to have any information on the recipient other than enough keywords to produce a unique match with a database entry. Users will install and maintain their own database entries. Address information resulting from successful matches will be locally cached and required re- direction of mail, when recipients change their mailbox address, will be automatic. The first phase of the nameserver software is in beta testing (lookup, registration). Phase 2 (local caching, keyword addressing) is scheduled for November and phase 3 (au- tomatic forwarding) is scheduled for February 1983. For further information contact Marvin Solomon or Larry Landweber. Technical reports on MMDF, the nameserver facility and the Purdue protocol work are available by writing to the address below. If there is enough interest, I can post the reports to net.sources. To provide for management of CSNET and continuing network development, a CSNET Coordination and Information Center has been established at BBN. The CIC will be responsible for interacting with users, network information functions, network maintenance and management. A report on the project, prepared by the CIC, will soon be available. A hotline has been established at BBN to answer CSNET questions (see below). For further information contact Dick Edmiston or Charlotte Hollister. A governing group or consortium, called CSNET Inc. for lack of a better name, is soon to be formed. Organizations participating in CSNET will be members of CSNET Inc. There will be a dues structure which is still to be determined and users will be responsible for communications charges they generate. Your department head or CSNET liaison will receieve information (in a few months). We are now accepting applications for CSNET participation (currently Phonenet). There are now about 20 Phonenet sites and this number should grow to over 50 by September. We welcome any university, industry or government Usenet group that is engaged in computer science research. Send for further information or application forms to Larry Landweber CSNET Management Committee Computer Science Dept. University of Wisconsin-Madison 1210 W. Dayton St. Madison, WI 53706 608-262-1204 (landweber@csnet-sh or ...harpo!uwvax!lhl) CSNET Coordination and Information Center Hotline-BBN 617-497-2777