klemets@kuling.UUCP (Anders Klemets) (08/03/86)
I need to send e-mail to a host on VNET. That seems to be IBM's
internal network which links their sites around the world.
If there is anybody who knows about a gateway between VNET and
USENET (or ARPANET, BITNET, etc), I would really appreciate hearing
about it.
--
klemets@kuling.UUCP (...!{seismo,mcvax}!enea!kuling!klemets)
Anders Klemets (SM0RGV), Sikvagen 51, S-135 41 Tyreso, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 7124157henry@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU (Henry Mensch) (08/04/86)
The VNET gateway is only useful if you're already at a BITNET site. The IBMer that you wish to have transactions with must begin the transaction by setting up an alias for you on the gateway machine. I could go on with the particulars but they're useless unless you're already on BITNET.. -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Henry Mensch | Technical Writer | MIT/Project Athena henry@athena.mit.edu ..!mit-eddie!mit-athena!henry
simpsong@ncoast.UUCP (08/06/86)
I would also be interested in finding a gateway to VNET (the internal
IBM network.)
Gregory R. Simpson
UUCP: {ihnp4, seismo, decwrl, philabs, ucbvax}!decvax!cwruecmp!ncoast!simpsong
CSNET: ncoast!simpsong@case.CSNET
ARPA: ncoast!simpsong%case.CSNET@Csnet-Relay.ARPA
--
Gregory R. Simpson
UUCP: {ihnp4, seismo, decwrl, philabs, ucbvax}!decvax!cwruecmp!ncoast!simpsong
CSNET: ncoast!simpsong@case.CSNET
ARPA: ncoast!simpsong%case.CSNET@Csnet-Relay.ARPAjohna@pwcs.UUCP (John A. Erickson) (08/06/86)
In article <1002@kuling.UUCP> klemets@kuling.UUCP (Anders Klemets) writes: > >I need to send e-mail to a host on VNET. That seems to be IBM's >internal network which links their sites around the world. I'm also interested in this please copy me on your replies. Thank you very much. John Erickson
henry@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU (Henry Mensch) (08/06/86)
IBM *is* paranoid about the gateway; when I worked for IBM the policy on their end was simply that you needed a "business need to know" to use the gateway. Your manager had to approve of your usage of the gateway, and her manager had to approve, etc., *ad infinitum*. Nobody at my site had access to the gateway. It's called by an ever-so-appropriate name on the IBM side (BITNET) and, by SMSGing particular commands to it, I learned that it didn't know about any of the nodenames at my site. That's part of how they keep it secure. Once the IBMer has permission to use the gateway, she has to lay the groundwork for the preparation of a virtual circuit, etc. What a pain in the ass! If you are still interested in knowing more about how it operates, how to create a virtual circuit, etc. send me a note. I will return to you a copy of the VNET<->BITNET gateway user guide. I have it in LISTING format (fortran-style carriage control in column #1) and in SCRIPT format. Please specify which you prefer. -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Henry Mensch | Technical Writer | MIT/Project Athena henry@athena.mit.edu ..!mit-eddie!mit-athena!henry
ken@argus.UUCP (Kenneth Ng) (08/07/86)
In article <1002@kuling.UUCP>, klemets@kuling.UUCP (Anders Klemets) writes: > > I need to send e-mail to a host on VNET. That seems to be IBM's > internal network which links their sites around the world. > If there is anybody who knows about a gateway between VNET and > USENET (or ARPANET, BITNET, etc), I would really appreciate hearing > about it. > -- > klemets@kuling.UUCP (...!{seismo,mcvax}!enea!kuling!klemets) > Anders Klemets (SM0RGV), Sikvagen 51, S-135 41 Tyreso, Sweden > Phone: +46 8 7124157 Sending mail to someone on vnet can be difficult. First, the person on the vnet side must open a path for you. Then you can send files. From anywhere on BITNET you can reach VNET, the routine tables will take care of that. I've noticed that you are in Sweden. I believe that earnet has a direct tiein to BITNET, but am not certain. -- Kenneth Ng: Post office: NJIT - CCCC, Newark New Jersey 07102 uucp(for a while) ihnp4!allegra!bellcore!argus!ken !psuvax1!cmcl2!ciap!andromeda!argus!ken *** WARNING: NOT ken@bellcore.uucp *** bitnet(prefered) ken@njitcccc.bitnet or ken@orion.bitnet Spock: "Captain, you are an excellent Starship Captain, but as a taxi driver, you leave much to be desired." Kirk: "What do you mean, 'if both survive' ?" T'Pow: "This combat is to the death"
WGRCU@CUNYVM.BITNET (08/13/86)
I hope no one minds if I interject a bit of fact into this conversation.
The virtual circuit is *not* obsolete. It may be true that research has
their own gateway into BITNET (via Watson in Yorktown), but that is a
limited gateway with a very limited set of available nodes. The
"official" VNET/BITNET gateway, located here at CUNY (on BITNIC) and at
the IBM Cambridge (Ma) Scientific Center provides for a more complete set
of nodes on the VNET side. While it is true that only a small handful are
available at this moment, plans are being made to open the gateway to
more VNET nodes in the not too distant future. Note also that the
Cambridge gateway supports commands to see if the user is logged on; the
Watson gateway bounces commands from BITNET (although we allow commands
in from VNET).
The way the gateway works is as such: the VNET node must be enabled on
the gateway. Then, the IBMer, with proper written approval, opens a
circuit to the BITNET user. The BITNET user is notified via e-mail and
must issue a command to complete it. Each circuit has an expiration date.
The current maximum length of the circuit is 1 year, after which time it
may be extended. The circuit may be limited so only files may be sent,
but not messages, or vice versa, although to the best of my knowledge,
we've never had a circuit opened with either of those options set. The
BITNET user can only further restrict the circuit - he may never make it
less restrictive.
As for who can get a circuit, the current rule is that the requestor must
have some real IBM official purpose for it, such as a joint study with a
university or ACIS type work (that's IBM's academic information systems
group). Access to your local IBM rep or the guy at level 2 or your next
door neighbor is not allowed as a result of these restrictions. Some of
this may change when the gateway is opened to more nodes.
I was not involved in the gateway when it was first designed, but it is
my understanding that it was the BITNET people who put such major
restrictions on uses of the gateway, because no one wanted it to appear
in any way that BITNET was being used for commercial purposes. Clearly it
was IBM who insisted that the circuits be initiated by the IBMer rather
than the BITNETer. The other restriction is that all mail going thru the
gateway must originate in VNET and terminate in BITNET. This means no
ARPA-VNET connections with BITNET as a go-between. This restriction is
quite permanent, because the gateway was written around the assumption
that the BITNET side would always be a BITNET address.
I will be pleased to answer questions anyone may have. Send mail to
me directly on BITNET.
Bill Rubin
VNET/BITNET Gateway Adminstrator for the BITNET side (phew!)
City University of New York
BITNET: wgrcu@cunyvm (use your favorite gateway)
josh@polaris.UUCP (Josh Knight) (08/17/86)
In article <42WGRCU@CUNYVM> WGRCU@CUNYVM.BITNET writes: >I hope no one minds if I interject a bit of fact into this conversation. Well, there has certainly been some stuff about VNET <-> non-IBM world connections that I don't consider "fact" on this newsgroup recently. Bill Rubin's posting is clearly the best information that has been posted to this group about the VNET <-> BITNET connection, at least for the last couple of years. However, the original question (and the immediate, predictable "me too's") came from non-BITNET sites. For those not on BITNET the canonical gateway to the internal IBM RSCS network (referred to as VNET on this group recently) is at IBM.COM, which is physically at the IBM Almaden Research Center. Direct queries to postmaster@IBM.COM. As I mentioned earlier <987@polaris.uucp>, this gateway is unrestricted except for whatever limitations are imposed on the traffic by other networks (CSNet, ARPA) and by the authorization requirements of the particular IBM installation. As is the case with the connection to BITNET, the request for authorization must be initiated on the IBM side. Indeed, since the address josh@ibm.com is transformed by the gateway at Almaden, knowing the USERID at NODE address of someone inside IBM isn't enough to get mail to them through the gateway. In this respect, the BITNET connectivity of the IBM Research Division computers (typically YKTVMx where x=H,H2,T,V,X or Z) is different. Anyone authorized to use BITNET at T.J. Watson Research can be addressed as userid@yktvmx.bitnet if they are USERID at YKTVMX on VNET. As Bill Rubin noted, this "direct" research connection is only for a very limited number of nodes. As an aside, VNET also provides PVM service (remote login) between many internal IBM sites. I'm pretty sure that there will be an article in an upcoming issue of Communications of the ACM (October, I believe) with a title like "Notable Computer Networks". The authors are Josiah Hoskins and John Quarterman. It has a section on VNET and the connections thereto, actually that's the only part of it I've seen. Of course, I speak only for myself, not for my employer. -- Josh Knight, IBM T.J. Watson Research josh@ibm.com, josh@yktvmh.bitnet, ...!philabs!polaris!josh